Photo: Daimler AG
The Stuttgart car maker is looking to create a ground-breaking “agile production” system for its engine assembly lines in the nearby future, with the first step being taken by the recently-opened Chinese engine plant.
According to Andreas Renschler, who is the head of production and purchasing at Mercedes-Benz, the new system will allow almost any type of engine to be manufactured on the same line.
“Though we are producing the four- and six-cylinder versions of diesel and gasoline engines on separate lines so far, we will be able to manufacture all four variations of the next generation on one line. This reduces our investment,” Renschler said at the Automobilewoche Congress last week and was quoted by Automotive News.
“We are now building a preliminary system for the agile production systems - a kind of large-scale pilot project - in our new engine plant in China.” he also added.
Corroborating this news with the earlier report about a “modular future” for Mercedes-Benz engines – though not necessarily straight sixes – it seems that the Stuttgart car maker is heading into a good direction when it comes to meeting its goal of taking its luxury sales crown back from BMW until 2020.
Story via Automotive News
“Though we are producing the four- and six-cylinder versions of diesel and gasoline engines on separate lines so far, we will be able to manufacture all four variations of the next generation on one line. This reduces our investment,” Renschler said at the Automobilewoche Congress last week and was quoted by Automotive News.
“We are now building a preliminary system for the agile production systems - a kind of large-scale pilot project - in our new engine plant in China.” he also added.
Corroborating this news with the earlier report about a “modular future” for Mercedes-Benz engines – though not necessarily straight sixes – it seems that the Stuttgart car maker is heading into a good direction when it comes to meeting its goal of taking its luxury sales crown back from BMW until 2020.
Story via Automotive News
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