Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 08 | Page 83

INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Green Technology

Mercedes-Benz Cars invests in its future with Polish engine factory

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Mercedes-Benz Cars has nearly completed construction work on its high-tech engine plant in Jawor , Poland – the basic structure of the new engine factory is in place . With this plant , the company is increasing capacities within the global production network of Mercedes-Benz Cars . The CO 2

-neutral factory will employ more than 1,000 people , 500 more than initially announced last year .
The official topping-out ceremony was attended by Jadwiga Emilewicz , Divisional Board of Mercedes-Benz Cars , Production and Supply Chain , Frank Deiß , Head of Production Powertrain Mercedes-Benz Cars , Rainer Ruess , Head of Production Planning Mercedes-Benz Cars and Dr Andreas Schenkel , CEO Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing Poland , as well as other guests from business and politics .
The company has decided to create 500 additional jobs at the site to cope with high demand for its high-tech four-cylinder engines . “ In our CO 2
-neutral plant in Jawor , we will build highly efficient engines for our hybrid vehicles and conventionally powered passenger cars . The construction of this plant is an investment in the future and an important milestone on our way to the mobility of the future . This is a strong sign of our commitment to the location and to German-Polish friendship ,” said Markus Schäfer , Member of the Divisional Board of Mercedes-Benz Cars , Production and Supply Chain . Therefore , the Jawor factory will employ over 1,000 people when starting production by the end of 2019 .
The factory will produce four-cylinder diesel and petrol engines for hybrid , as well as conventional vehicles and will supply plants of Mercedes-Benz Cars around the globe . The different engine variants will be produced alongside the corresponding crankcases on highly flexible lines enabling quick reactions to market demand . The engines produced in Jawor will combine modern engine technology and partial electrification using 48-volt technology . Daimler relies on the coexistence of different drive technologies with an intelligent modular system consisting of highly efficient high-tech combustion engines in combination with 48-volt on-board electrical systems , as well as consistent hybridisation and purely electric drives with batteries or fuel cells . These are optimally tailored to the respective customer needs and vehicle types .
“ As a so called ‘ greenfield ’ project , the new engine plant in Jawor offers an excellent opportunity to establish an integrated production concept on a newly built site . Jawor will be our benchmark regarding green high-tech production . It is of course a challenge to transfer the same measures into existing , historically grown factories in our powertrain production network , but it is our aim to implement as many as possible , using Jawor to test feasibility ,” stated Frank Deiß . •
Artist ’ s impression of a high-tech factory for four-cylinder engines from Mercedes-Benz Cars , in Poland
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