The 31 technicians, including two women, hardly have time for that, because without a camera they are already eyes short to see how two variants of the Passat and the new top model Arteon from Volkswagen are screwed together.
Remarkably crowded with people along the assembly line. Once the bodywork hits the line, mechanics know exactly what to do for each model. In teams of 10, they do their actions in about 62 seconds on what ends up being a brand new car. Models crammed with options alternate with the more barren models. ’’Otherwise we won't make our tact time,’’ the tour guide explains. ''We know exactly how much time we need per model to dress up the car. To keep the line well balanced, richly equipped models alternate with simpler versions.''
Convenience store
Robotic arms are used to assemble heavy components, including a panoramic roof. Nowhere along the line do employees have to lift or bend heavily. Everything is aimed at working at a leisurely pace with ordinary actions. The only part that is placed in the cars fully automatically is the dashboard, or the ‘cockpit’ as the Germans call it. Elsewhere in the factory it is assembled manually and here on the line a robotic arm with sensors places the part in full precision. Impressive. At the ‘supermarket,’ a kind of large parts warehouse, the tour guide explains that all the cars we see here are paid for and that after ordering it takes 6 to 8 weeks to deliver a car. ’’With a complicated process of ordering parts, we make sure everything is along the production line at the right time.''
The chassis, engine with exhausts and wheels are mounted on another production line. With the hybrid models it is easy to see where the battery pack is. When the body is completely dressed, a robot lift takes it to the first floor. Over the heads of employees and visitors, the carriages slowly glide past, until they meet their chassis and are placed on top of it.
Robot colleague
The tour guide explains that further on the premises is a 500-square-meter hall with as many as 1,700 robots. ’’This is where 100 people work, to keep the robots working‘’. Curiously, he invariably calls the robots "robot colleague. A total of 9 thousand people find work at Volkswagen in Emden. In two shifts, they deliver 1,200 cars a day. How many of these need rework because of manufacturing defects or do not meet the quality requirements, the engineer does not want to say afterwards. ,,Our cars don't leave the factory until they fully meet our quality requirements.’’