Electric overhead monorail (EMS) for transport of doors for the Smart Hambach plant

The Smart plant in Hambach (France) is being rebuilt. Due to restructuring, the SUVs of the GLA and GLB class will be produced there in the future.

AFT Schopfheim contributes to the conversion of the plant in Hambach with the delivery of the EMS for doors. A special feature of the EMS are several lifting units that enable ergonomic working conditions at the assembly stations. AFT hereby offered a tailor-made solution suitable for the needs of Daimler. The entire system has 6 lifters, which lower the EMS vehicles from the production level below the ceiling to the assembly level and then transport them back again.
Initial assembly works on the EMS plant will begin in October 2019. The final acceptance is planned for next year.

Opening Ceremony of the Automotive Electric Vehicle Automobile Plant of SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Company) in Ningde (China)

On January 8, 2019, the opening ceremony of the new car electric vehicle factory of SAIC took place in Ningde (China).

SAIC is the largest car manufacturer in China with 7.05 million new registrations in 2018 in China. Among other things, SAIC has joint venture partnerships with VW, GM, IVECO and Ssang Yong.
The factory in Ningde was built to produce their own brands Roewe (Rover) and MG (Morris Garages). The Ningde plant is the fourth plant of the SAIC Group in which these are produced.
AFT supplied the BDC (Body Distribution Center) and the heavy-duty EMS with lifting hanger for final assembly.
The SAIC headquarters in Shanghai took the opportunity to introduce the management of the new plant and gave key suppliers the opportunity to introduce themselves and their company.
Mr. Vincent Zhang, Sales Director of AFT Shanghai, thanked SAIC for the more than 20 years of good cooperation, support and trust AFT has received from SAIC. He also promised to realize high-quality, on-schedule conveyor technology projects for SAIC in the future.

Conveyor technology for new C-Class in South Africa

Daimler plant East London – South Africa

In August 2018, AFT Bautzen received an order from Daimler to supply skid conveyor technology for the new shell at the East London – South Africa plant.

Almost 29 years after the production of the famous “Red S-Class” for Nelson Mandela after his release from prison, this plant will be used to produce the upcoming C-Class (W206).
For the required new bodyshop, an existing hall will be expanded and gradually filled with life. At the present time this hall is still under construction. The realisation of the conveyor technology should begin in summer 2019.

Electric overhead monorail and skid roller-rail conveyors for the body shop of Volkswagen Zwickau plant (Germany)

In October, Volkswagen AG placed a major order with AFT for its conversion of the Zwickau plant to 100% electromobility.

The production site in Zwickau is to be rebuilt into the European center of competence for electric mobility of Volkswagen until 2023. Based on the modular electrification kit, only electric cars will be manufactured there in the future.

In order to be able to implement this project, AFT will deliver and install several electric overhead monorails and skid roller-rail conveyors for Volkswagen. Two new electric overhead monorails will be installed, and two existing AFT electric overhead monorails will be converted and extended. AFT will also realise the conversion and renewal of two skid roller-rail conveyors. In this project, AFT can draw on extensive knowledge and experience from successfully completed bodyshell work projects of the past three decades.

For AFT, this order is the biggest in the company’s history! AFT-Group CEO Heiko Hofmann is very pleased about Volkswagen’s trust in AFT: “With this order, we are proud to be able to play our part in making the Zwickau plant the European competence center for electromobility at Volkswagen.”

Seat conveyor system for BMW Regensburg (Germany)

In July 2018, AFT received the order for the construction of a completely new seat conveyor system at BMW Regensburg.

The system consists of a truck loading deck to which the seat pallets are delivered, a subsequent storage zone with floor conveyors and a larger electrical monorail transport route to the installation site on the final assembly line. The particular challenge here is that new seat hangers need to be developed, which must be compatible with fully automatic unloading by robots. On the drive side, MOVI C technology from SEW is used here for the first time.

Conveyor technology for BMW Dingolfing (Germany)

In February 2018, AFT received an order from BMW over the preparation of the conveyor technology at the Dingolfing plant for a new type variety.

This involves the reorganisation of the existing electrical monorail routes in order to master the newly planned flows of material. The conversion takes place in many individual conversion modules (weekends, over holidays), since the production-free times are to be reduced. A careful scheduling represents the special challenge here.

New parking system for Volkswagen Wolfsburg

Scheme of parking system | Transport pallet

At Volkswagen’s headquarters, AFT Bautzen has installed a new automatic parking and sorting system for various vehicle types.

32 different types of vehicles are stacked over four floors in the tightest of spaces and can be specifically ejected for test and examination purposes.

AFT Bautzen converts the push plate assembly line in the Gläserne Manufaktur Dresden

The production of the new e-Golf is in full swing. It was recently converted to multi-shift production due to high demand. One more reason to modernize the production lines and adapt them to the new requirements.

AFT from Bautzen in Saxony received the order for the conversion.
The conveyor systems of the oval-shaped production lines in the upper part of the factory, hidden under a wooden parquet cover on which the luxury limousine Phaeton was once mounted, are now being rebuilt by AFT Bautzen.
AFT can fall back on the experience of the previous conversion, which AFT and other Saxon partner enterprises of AFT accomplished with bravado and to the fullest customer satisfaction.
In this conversion, the innovative rail system under the assembly line and the associated new roller concept are used again. The special feature of this conversion is the extremely short period for all working steps, because there are only the three weeks of summer holiday of Gläserne Manufaktur available, then the e-Golf production will start again.

Skid roller-rail conveyor technology – New finish area for the Volkwagen plant in Hannover, Germany

AFT Bautzen received the order for the delivery and assembly of several skid systems for the transport of bodies at VW commercial vehicle plant in Hannover.

The contract consists of several subprojects. In the existing plant, more than 500 conveying elements will be upgraded to meet the challenges of the future and thus to bring them to a new technical level. Several plants will be interlinked and expanded to meet the changing needs of new vehicle generations.
More than 150 new conveyors will be delivered and assembled for the new finish area, with steel construction stages and new control systems.

Cockpit system for VW Hannover, Germany

AFT Schopfheim was commissioned with the delivery and installation of an electric monorail system for the transport of cockpits at VW commercial vehicle plant in Hannover.

The existing plant will be gradually rebuilt and expanded to meet the changing needs of the customer. Among other things, AFT’s scope of supply includes a new steel construction, 6 lifting gears and 82 new EMS vehicles.