Successful launch of ‘dProduction’: ŠKODA AUTO optimises production processes at Kvasiny plant
› ‘dProduction’ guides employees at the Czech Kvasiny site through production steps,
documentation and quality control
› The multimedia system prevents errors and enables a greater degree of product complexity
› Project was given the Automotive Lean Production award shortly after its launch
Kvasiny, 18 September 2019 – ŠKODA AUTO is consistently turning to technology from
Industry 4.0 and has successfully introduced the ‘dProduction’ digital notification system at
the Kvasiny factory. Providing multimedia information, it supports the workforce in carrying
out manufacturing steps correctly, notifies them of changes to the production process and
serves as proof of quality control. dProduction thus prevents errors, saves time and money,
and is used as a digital manual as well as for documentation in place of vast quantities of
paper.
Michael Oeljeklaus, ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Production and Logistics, said, “As a
cornerstone of our production network, our ultra-modern Kvasiny site plays a key role in achieving
production targets. The gradual digitalisation of production continues to optimise the manufacturing
processes. dProduction makes it easier for our staff to orient themselves within the production steps.
This project strengthens the competencies of the Kvasiny plant and the approximately
9,000 employees that work there.”
ŠKODA AUTO implemented the dProduction project on one of the two assembly lines in Kvasiny in
April, investing around 1.2 million euros. ŠKODA builds the SUPERB and KODIAQ models on this line,
as well as – from today – the brand’s first model with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, the SUPERB iV.
dProduction prevents errors and enables documentation to be accessed more quickly: digital
instructions are displayed on a screen, which the employees activate using their plant ID cards. The
members of staff then only receive information that is relevant to their current task. Text, 3D models
and video tutorials help them to identify how and where they should correctly install which part. This
saves time and reduces the chance of errors on the assembly line. This subsystem of dProduction,
called VISPART, is set up to work in multiple languages.
The system operates bidirectionally and allows workers to not only read information, but also to input
changes, for example. Each member of staff is granted permissions and assigned to a specific model
automatically upon scanning their ID card.
The digital quality management system replaces the common method of manually stamping a job card
to confirm completion of each step in the process, which had been used up until now. Thanks to
dProduction, employees now only need to insert their ID card into the card reader – the system then
automatically saves all of the data relating to each manufacturing step.
Quality control on the production line in Kvasiny is also digitally documented. Up until now, staff noted
any subsequent work needed on a form that was attached to the inside of the car. To do this they had
to find and fill out specific boxes on the form in a very short space of time. The new SQS subsystem
makes this process quicker and easier: all the quality controller has to do is select the appropriate
points using the touchscreen and the information is directly transferred into the system.
All of the aspects of dProduction share a common environmental advantage: instructions, manuals,
documentation and quality notes no longer need to be printed out, and any changes to these no longer
result in the need to newly distribute the relevant paperwork. Since the project’s launch in April 2019,
ŠKODA AUTO has thereby already saved dozens of kilogrammes in paper at the Kvasiny site.
Digital technology at the state-of-the-art ŠKODA AUTO factory in Kvasiny
ŠKODA AUTO has been continuously modernising the Kvasiny plant for many years to make optimum
use of capacity at the site. Kvasiny is regarded as one of the most up-to-date manufacturing locations
in the entire automotive industry and was thus the first choice for the premiere of dProduction. Added
to that, the production line on which the KODIAQ and SUPERB models are built is one of the shortest
in the industry. It consists of 50 cycles, which include around 5,000 production steps. For the
dProduction project, ŠKODA AUTO installed 50 touchscreens – one per work cycle – as well as
100 standard screens along the assembly line. And that’s not all: 19 km of cable, 200 plug sockets and
2.5 tonnes of electronic hardware were also put in place.
For dProduction alone, ŠKODA AUTO developed three new systems, implemented 17 new interfaces
with existing systems, configured 3,500 steps and trained 800 production employees in how to handle
the digital helpers.
The dProduction project is part of the FORCE programme with which ŠKODA AUTO is breaking new
ground in production to future-proof the brand. FORCE is a comprehensive digital toolbox that is
expected to increase efficiency and flexibility, and make vehicle production fit to face the challenges
posed by globalisation. To this end, ŠKODA AUTO has defined eight activity areas – they cover all
aspects of successful vehicle production and have been given clearly stipulated objectives.
Prize-winning project seen as a benchmark within the automotive industry
In July, dProduction was given the prestigious Automotive Lean Production Award in the category of
‘Special Award – Smart Digital Application’. Industry magazine AUTOMOBIL PRODUKTION and
business consultants Agamus Consult annually award the prize for the best projects and initiatives in
the automotive industry. The awards’ motto is ‘Learn from the Best’ and they aim to set benchmarks in
the areas of lean industry and the digitalisation of the international automotive industry. Michael
Oeljeklaus will accept the award on behalf of the Production and Logistics area at the 14th Automotive
Lean Production conference, which will be hosted by Volkswagen in Wolfsburg on 5 and
6 November 2019.
