( MB. OS) is being used for the first time in series production of the new CLA. This chip-to-cloud architecture enables the vehicle software to be transferred via a central Mercedes- Benz Intelligent Cloud server instead of via various hardware modules. Rastatt thus serves as a blueprint for the global roll-out of MB. OS in all Mercedes-Benz vehicle plants.
Württemberg should continue to be an automotive state in the future. With the‘ Strategy Dialogue Automotive Industry BW’, I therefore created a format in 2017 in which we pool all our strengths. Our aim: The best e-cars have to come from Germany- the very best from Baden- Württemberg. The fact that the new CLA is rolling off the assembly line here in Rastatt is a commitment to Baden-Württemberg as an automotive location, to this plant and to the people who work here.”
Whilst Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes- Benz Group AG, responsible for Production, Quality and Supply Chain Management said:“ The new CLA marks the start of another chapter in the more than 30-year success story of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt. CLA production underpins our digital, sustainable and flexible production strategy and shows how our production network works efficiently and hand in hand. I am proud of our dedicated team, which is driving progress in car production in Germany with passion and innovation across all locations.”
Rastatt: Pioneer of modern production
Production at the Rastatt plant is fundamentally drive-flexible- hybrid and fully electric vehicles roll off the same production line as vehicles with conventional drive systems. The ramp-up of the CLA in Rastatt was preceded by the extensive remodelling of an existing assembly hall in record time. In preparation for the production of the next-generation model, the plant simulated the conversion of the hall virtually, acting as a pioneer of the“ Digital First” approach in the Mercedes-Benz global production network. Within just a few weeks, a new production line was configured and optimised in Hall 4.0 with the help of high-precision digital simulation techniques, allowing for considerable efficiency gains to be realised in terms of construction time and costs. Furthermore, the Mercedes-Benz Operating System
The best guarantee for the long-term success of electromobility is top-ofthe-range products like the CLA.
The plant has also pioneered the use of AI-controlled process engineering in the top coat booths. By monitoring relevant sub-processes using AI instead of conventional control systems, it was possible to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent and significantly shorten the rampup time of the process.
Marco Zwick, Site Manager and Head of Production at the Mercedes-Benz Rastatt plant said:“ The new CLA is the first model of a completely new generation of vehicles to roll off the production line here in Rastatt. Our team has prepared intensively for this over the past few months and is rightly very proud of its success. My thanks go to our highly qualified colleagues who build our desirable models here day after day with great commitment and passion.”
And Murat Sür, Chairman of the Works Council of the Mercedes-Benz Rastatt plant stated:“ We would like to congratulate the entire Rastatt team and all those involved on the successful start of production. The fact that the
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