Schaeffler has detailed plans for a new factory based in Xiangtan, China. With the addition of its 75th production location, the company is expanding its global network of plants as a response to future development trends. Construction of the plant will begin in the new year.
The company’s 315,000m² ‘factory for tomorrow’ is modeled on the shape of a butterfly, with the four halls representing the wings, and the buildings in the center representing the body. This arrangement allows production to collaborate closely with all the supporting production-related departments, as well as finance, HR and purchasing. This means that internal communication is improved. Additionally, the production area’s modular design means that new modules for production lines and product ranges can be easily added.
“We want to actively shape ‘mobility for tomorrow’, which is why we are concentrating on the key opportunities for the future e-mobility, Industry 4.0, and digitization,” said Oliver Jung, COO at Schaeffler Group. “With our approach, we want to shape the ‘factory for tomorrow’ so that we can make our production plants fit for the future.”
In addition to a high level of construction and energy efficiency, during the design process emphasis was placed on ensuring that the building receives as much daylight as possible in a bid to increase employee satisfaction. This design ensures that employees are able to see outside from every point in the factory.
The Xiangtan facility, which will begin operation in 2019, will manufacture components, transmissions and chassis systems for the automotive industry, providing opportunity for OEMs to reduce emissions and increase driving comfort.