08/16/2016
Voith Industrial Services Relocates Engine Assembly Line from Untertuerkheim to Koelleda
- Disassembly and reassembly of a 380-meter engine assembly line
- Relocation, technical improvement and commissioning
- Project completed within two months
Voith Industrial Services relocated an entire engine assembly line from the Daimler plant in Untertuerkheim (Germany) to the Daimler subsidiary MDC Power in Koelleda (Germany), which is 420 kilometers away and the site where the assembly line was recommissioned. All in all, the engine assembly line is 380 meters long and weighs more than 20 tons.
The challenge that all people involved faced with this project was a tightly limited time slot. There were only two months between the production line stop at one site and the restart of production at the other site. Therefore, the industrial service provider’s project management (consisting of project managers and technology experts) organized the relocation process to the nearest hour in advance. They coordinated more than 40 internal employees and entrusted 18 subcontractors with disassembling and reassembling the heavy material in a well-structured manner and transporting it by more than 20 trucks. Furthermore, the team was supported by additional experts from other sites of Voith Industrial Services as well as by employees in cross-functional positions.
Even in the planning stage, the industrial service provider and several departments of their customer as well as plant manufacturers worked closely together. They held regular planning meetings in order to discuss milestones, activities, risks and decisions. Above that, regular “shop floor meetings” helped the team to resolve all issues within one day and to implement the decisions that had been taken. Although there had been several technical modifications in the course of the project, close collaboration and regular meetings enabled the industrial service provider to respond with outmost flexibility to new conditions and to carry out the required technical improvements. For instance, the team integrated additional engine versions in the relocated assembly line, changed the layout of the production line – including changes in process and at the stations, changes, which had, among other things, become necessary due to new conditions on site (e.g., a lower shop floor ceiling height) – and carried out technical and ergonomic improvements of the mounting stations.
The final performance acceptance test showed that the assembly line was operating in the usual quality and delivering the required quantities, cycle time, quality and availability (OEE). After more than 10,000 working hours, the engine assembly line could return to operation. The deadline was met and the plant punctually started the production of the required customer engines.
Strong technological expertise and the project team’s high commitment as well as close coordination with the customer and uncomplicated, quick solutions made the project a success. Immediately following the final performance acceptance test, Daimler transferred responsibility for the assembly line to the local maintenance team of Voith Industrial Services. The team will make sure that the line continues to operate perfectly. To guarantee optimum performance the team has a preventive maintenance concept minimizing potential defects or risk of failure.
Meanwhile, the team of Voith Industrial Services at the Koelleda site consists of more than 100 employees who support the customer in the fields of technical facility management, cleaning and production equipment maintenance.
About Voith Industrial Services:
Voith Industrial Services is one of the leading providers of technical services for key industries such as the automotive, rail, energy, chemical and petrochemical industries. In 2014/2015, the company generated sales of €1.0 billion with about 17,200 employees at about 200 locations worldwide.
The challenge that all people involved faced with this project was a tightly limited time slot. There were only two months between the production line stop at one site and the restart of production at the other site. Therefore, the industrial service provider’s project management (consisting of project managers and technology experts) organized the relocation process to the nearest hour in advance. They coordinated more than 40 internal employees and entrusted 18 subcontractors with disassembling and reassembling the heavy material in a well-structured manner and transporting it by more than 20 trucks. Furthermore, the team was supported by additional experts from other sites of Voith Industrial Services as well as by employees in cross-functional positions.
Even in the planning stage, the industrial service provider and several departments of their customer as well as plant manufacturers worked closely together. They held regular planning meetings in order to discuss milestones, activities, risks and decisions. Above that, regular “shop floor meetings” helped the team to resolve all issues within one day and to implement the decisions that had been taken. Although there had been several technical modifications in the course of the project, close collaboration and regular meetings enabled the industrial service provider to respond with outmost flexibility to new conditions and to carry out the required technical improvements. For instance, the team integrated additional engine versions in the relocated assembly line, changed the layout of the production line – including changes in process and at the stations, changes, which had, among other things, become necessary due to new conditions on site (e.g., a lower shop floor ceiling height) – and carried out technical and ergonomic improvements of the mounting stations.
The final performance acceptance test showed that the assembly line was operating in the usual quality and delivering the required quantities, cycle time, quality and availability (OEE). After more than 10,000 working hours, the engine assembly line could return to operation. The deadline was met and the plant punctually started the production of the required customer engines.
Strong technological expertise and the project team’s high commitment as well as close coordination with the customer and uncomplicated, quick solutions made the project a success. Immediately following the final performance acceptance test, Daimler transferred responsibility for the assembly line to the local maintenance team of Voith Industrial Services. The team will make sure that the line continues to operate perfectly. To guarantee optimum performance the team has a preventive maintenance concept minimizing potential defects or risk of failure.
Meanwhile, the team of Voith Industrial Services at the Koelleda site consists of more than 100 employees who support the customer in the fields of technical facility management, cleaning and production equipment maintenance.
About Voith Industrial Services:
Voith Industrial Services is one of the leading providers of technical services for key industries such as the automotive, rail, energy, chemical and petrochemical industries. In 2014/2015, the company generated sales of €1.0 billion with about 17,200 employees at about 200 locations worldwide.