Germany’s first electric car factory sets new standards with Bystonic

The world’s largest car manufacturer is preparing for the future. In the coming years, Volkswagen will be heavily committed to electromobility, a paradigm shift in which the Zwickau factory (Germany) will play a key role. The ID.3 model represents the starting point for the new electric fleet. Bystronic’s folding experts are supporting the automotive giant in this embryonic phase.

In the automotive industry, secrecy is the order of the day, and Volkswagen’s new direction regarding electromobility was going to be no exception. However, when Angela Merkel herself inaugurated production of the new ID.3, everything took on an air of officialdom. This is what happened last November in the Saxon town of Zwickau, where the production lines were launched for what is perhaps the most ambitious automotive project to date.

The ID.3 is more than just a new product on the market: this model represents the future of VW and is also destined to usher in a new era. The German company has set itself the goal of becoming the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer. Quite a statement of intent. With an investment of €1.2 billion, VW seeks to turn the Zwickau plant into Europe’s leading electromobility factory: around 300,000 electric vehicles are expected to be manufactured there by 2021.

Kits for the whole family

So far, electric vehicle sales have experienced modest growth. The ID.3’s attractive price (under €30,000), fast charging, and range of up to 550 km are all intended to turn this situation around. Volkswagen Board Member Jürgen Stackmann describes the new model as follows: “On the outside, it’s the size of a Golf, on the inside, it’s like a Passat and accelerates like a GTI.” This description has resonated deeply with consumers: around 30,000 vehicles have already been reserved and will be delivered throughout this year.

The ID.3 lays the foundation for a generation of emission-free vehicles, from the T-Cross SUV to the Bully van. The Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB) provides the necessary adaptability: by 2022, it will be installed in 27 vehicles across four Group brands. The “ID.R Pikes Peak” prototype already demonstrated the myriad options VW can offer. At the Pikes Peak (USA) climb on June 24, 2018, the 680-hp electric all-wheel-drive super sports car made history, easily surpassing the record held by legendary rally driver Sébastien Loeb. This car will remain a dream on the racetrack, but it demonstrates what VW’s electric drive is capable of.

76-second cycle time

Kati Langer, in production hall 12, inspects the Xpert 40, which is connected to the two KUKA robots in the production cell. The Bystronic sales manager, enthusiastically involved, has been with VW since the initial phase of the project and is visibly proud of the facility. “To seamlessly integrate the bending systems into VW’s production, we had to overcome several structural challenges,” she says, as we observe the two bending robots at work.

The first robot removes the part from the loading station and places it in the centering system. The second robot guides the part to the press brake in the blink of an eye and also performs the first two bending operations. It then returns the part to the centering system, and robot 1 performs the remaining bending steps. Two ball nuts are then welded in a stationary system. The gripper arm then captures the part and places it on the conveyor belt.

This process takes exactly 76 seconds. Watching the robots perform the bending processes is a pleasure. Unless you see it with your own eyes, it’s hard to believe how elegantly and quickly the two robots reach each other’s hands (or rather, grippers). The bent part is installed on the chassis’ support structure and serves to stabilize the substructure. A second, fully automatic bending cell forms a part, which is then positioned at the front of the chassis.