BMW Group Plant Dingolfing tests fully connected logistics

Dingolfing. Autonomous, connected and intelligent: As part of a three-year research project supported by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, the BMW Group and three partner companies from Bavaria are exploring the possibilities for making BMW Group Plant Dingolfing a smart factory for logistics.

The “Autonomous and Connected Logistics” research project was officially launched in September 2019 and is now entering the practical phase. A number of innovative Industry 4.0 production technologies are being combined in an overall concept and tested under real conditions at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing. Behind the project is a vision of fully connected production in which autonomous transport systems, logistics robots and mobile devices seamlessly communicate with one another and with the control system.

Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger: “With this highly innovative project focused on developing autonomous and connected logistics processes and creating a 5G testbed, the Dingolfing site is presenting itself as a pioneer in the future field of Industry 4.0. As part of the “Regional Alliances Autonomous Driving” research and development initiative, we are contributing around 3.23 million euros to support the Bavarian economy with successfully shaping the digital transformation. In this way, we are helping Bavaria exploit its capacity for innovation to the full in the international marketplace.

In recent years, the BMW Group production network has piloted several logistics solutions independently of one another, winning the German Logistics Award in 2019. The research project will now move forward with further development to achieve maximum connectivity between individual logistics solutions and integrate them into the BMW production system. The BMW Group is contributing around 4.8 million euros towards the project costs.

Dr. Thomas Irrenhauser, responsible for Innovation and Industry 4.0 in the Logistics division and head of the project: “Connecting our innovative logistics solutions creates additional transparency over material and machine movements and enables us to explore how we can best exploit the potential of fully connected production for BMW Group logistics.”

5G testbed as a key driver

Testing of 5G wireless technology, which, over the course of the project, will be set up at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing as a trial network, will play a key role in linking different logistics solutions. The new mobile telecommunications standard allows large data volumes to be transferred within a very short time. 5G enables real-time connectivity between machinery and equipment. Within the BMW Group production network, the BMW Brilliance Automotive joint venture has already rolled out the 5G wireless communications network across all its three plants. The long-term goal is to set up a 5G network at all BMW Group plant locations worldwide.

Further sub-projects will explore the use of logistics robots, mobile devices and digital displays in the logistics process and test connectivity between different systems. Peter Kiermaier, head of Logistics Planning at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing: “We also want to use new technologies to increase transparency in conventional processes and enable smooth coupling of manual and autonomous technologies.”

The research consortium is made up of three further Bavarian companies alongside the BMW Group: m3connect GmbH from Rosenheim is working to set up a private 5G network at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing; Stäubli WFT GmbH from Sulzbach develops and produces transport solutions that can manoeuvre autonomously through logistics areas. Scientific monitoring for the project is provided by the Institute for Engineering Design of Mechatronic Systems & MPLM e.V. – IEDMS e.V.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Bernd Eckstein, BMW Group Plant Dingolfing, Head of Communications
Telephone: +49 8731 76 22020, Email: Bernd.Eckstein@bmw.de

Benedikt Fischer, BMW Group Plant Dingolfing, Communications
Telephone: +49 8731 76 25449, Email: Benedikt.Fischer@bmw.de

Hanns Huber, Communications Production Network BMW Group
Telephone: + 49 89 382 31181, Email: Hanns.Ha.Huber@bmw.de

Media website: www.press.bmwgroup.com, www.bmw-werk-dingolfing.de

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroupwerkdingolfing/

Email: presse@bmw.de

The BMW Group Plant Dingolfing

Plant Dingolfing is one of the BMW Group’s 31 global production sites. At Plant 02.40, about 1,500 cars of the BMW 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 Series roll off the assembly lines every day. In total, the plant manufactured nearly 330,000 cars in 2017. At present, a total of approx. 18,000 people and 800 apprentices work at the BMW Group’s site in Dingolfing.

In addition to the automotive core production, BMW Group Plant Dingolfing is also home to production facilities for vehicle components such as pressed parts, seats as well as chassis and drive components. Due to the plant’s aluminium expertise in vehicle construction and longstanding experience in producing alternative drives, BMW Group Plant Dingolfing furthermore provides crucial components for the BMW i models – such as high-voltage battery, e-transmission and the drive structure – to the production site in Leipzig. In addition, Dingolfing produces both high voltage batteries and electric engines for the BMW Group’s plug-in hybrid models.

The car bodies for all Rolls-Royce models are also manufactured at the site. The Dynamics Centre, a large storage and transshipment facility, provides the global BMW and MINI dealership organization with original parts and equipment.

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2019, the BMW Group sold over 2,520,000 passenger vehicles and more than 175,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2018 was € 9.815 billion on revenues amounting to € 97.480 billion. As of 31 December 2018, the BMW Group had a workforce of 134,682 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

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