AUDI

BRAND STARTS PRODUCTION IN SERIES OF ELECTRIC MOTORS
A new era is starting in Audi Hungary. This week the series production of electric motors in Györ was officially started. In the context of the symbolic act, the operation was put into operation by Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Trade and External Relations, Peter Kössler, member of the Administrative Board for Production and Logistics of Audi AG, and Achim Heinfling, Executive Director of Audi Hungary. The electric motors are produced in a space of 8,500 square meters with an innovative concept: modular assembly. The company invested tens of millions of euros to install the production unit and about 100 people work in this new area today."Audi Hungary has been involved in the brand's growth history for the past 25 years. Our Hungarian subsidiary now enters a completely new field of specialization with the production of electric motors. This unique know-how transforms Györ into our main electric motor plant, incorporating our strategic transformation as a provider of sustainable mobility, "said Peter Kössler, a member of the Administrative Board for Production and Logistics of Audi AG, during the symbolic act.


"Audi Hungary is taking a pioneering role in the production of electric motors. I am proud of the high levels of expertise and motivation of our employees. They have successfully started producing these cars with great commitment, "said Achim Heinfling, Executive Director of Audi Hungary. The first engine units from the plant will be used in the Audi e-tron, which will be the first fully electric model of the brand produced at the Brussels plant.
For assembly, Audi Hungary installed innovative equipment and production islands in just one year. The electric motor development and production planning departments worked closely with the prototype manufacturing technology center in Györ to gain the necessary expertise. The current production capacity is approximately 400 electric motors per day and can be increased gradually. The current 100 employees can grow to more than 130 by the end of the year. Production is done in one shift, but the operation is expected to shift to three shifts soon.


Györ electric motor offers numerous new features. With the stator - one of the main components of the motor - the goal is to insert as much thin enameled copper wires into the enclosure as possible: the stronger the winding, the more efficient the power distribution. A new coil and insert center makes it possible to wind the ideal amount of enameled copper wire compactly and then insert it into the carton. The electric shaft consists of other large components such as the electronic power modules, which are located in their own compartment, the gear and two axles that transmit power to the wheels. Employees produce two power axles for each Audi e-tron.The production equipment, the robots and the screwing and measuring station are arranged in fixed positions, but are not interconnected by a linear band. Instead, employees produce the driving systems according to a modular method on islands. Despite a pre-defined assembly sequence, the modular system allows branching paths and more freedom in the production process. Stand-alone vehicles, controlled by an intelligent IT system, transport the parts to the workstations.


In parallel with the production unit, Audi Hungary installed three test benches for electric motors in the engine development department for continuous load operations. Employees have gone through more training to become electrical specialists at the electric motors technology center.Audi Hungary produced 1,965,165 engines last year, making it one of the largest engine manufacturers in the world. At the Györ plant, six different gasoline engines and three diesel engines were produced in 2017, with power ranging from 86 to 639 hp. Approximately 6,000 employees manufacture about 9,000 engines per day for the Volkswagen Group's 32 production units.



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