Munich. The high-voltage battery is a vital component of every electric vehicle. With the high-voltage batteries for the sixth generation (Gen6) of BMW eDrive, the BMW Group has made a big step in technology, delivering major improvements in energy density, charging speed and range. In readiness for series production, the BMW Group is currently building five assembly sites across three continents: in Irlbach-Straßkirchen (Lower Bavaria), Debrecen (Hungary), Shenyang (China), San Luis Potosí (Mexico) and Woodruff (USA). Before the series launch, production processes will be developed and tested at the BMW Group’s pilot plants for high-voltage batteries in Parsdorf and Hallbergmoos, and at the Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ) in Munich. As a data scientist andIT project manager, Patrick Zimmermann is responsible for implementing the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and data analytics in the high-voltage battery production of the BMW Group. His role is to weave all relevant software strands together.

Patrick, what do you do as a data scientist and IT project manager in high-voltage battery production?

Patrick Zimmermann (PZ): I coordinate an interdisciplinary team that oversees the entire data processing chain: from data provision at the manufacturing facilities to edge applications that transfer our production data to the cloud and to analytics platforms.

What kind of expertise do you need for that?

PZ: First and foremost, the job requires a solid understanding of the technologies used to manufacture our high-voltage batteries. For this latest generation, which uses the new cylindrical round cells, we’ve developed a completely new production process. Of course, strong IT knowledge is also essential – with a clear focus on the software architectures behind the data analytics and artificial intelligence. Understanding the individual software modules and interfaces is crucial for choosing the right solutions for our production from the wide range of technologies and applications available.

This means you always have your finger on the pulse and can anticipate IT trends?

PZ: Data analytics and AI for production are evolving at a tremendous pace right now. That's why it’s important to keep an eye on new approaches and evaluate whether they’re suitable for BMW. Or whether they could even replace existing solutions – perhaps by offering lower costs or enhanced features. Not every analysis or AI solution that performs well in a particular industry or use case can be directly applied to battery production.

Production of Gen6 high-voltage batteries is groundbreaking for the BMW Group. What, in your opinion, makes this project unique?

PZ: One unique aspect is the end-to-end responsibility – from data provision and data transfer to the cloud, all the way through to selective and even continuous analyses. We process both numerical data and visual representations from the equipment. Throughout the process, we maintain a consistent zero-defect approach to producing our high-voltage batteries. Highly intelligent, AI-supported quality checks are integrated into the production process to help us achieve this. We rely on OPC UA interface technology for plant connectivity. This enables us to model standardised digital twins directly at our plants, eliminating the need for additional data processing. Data is transferred to the BMW Group's clouds, using the same data structure across all production sites. This allows us to roll out standardised analysis dashboards worldwide and, for example, implement process optimisations more rapidly. We’ve already established this IT architecture at our high-voltage battery pilot plants. We have now been able to transfer our analysis dashboards to the first series production plants with minimal effort.

Entire new plants and assembly halls are being built for production of the new Gen6 high-voltage batteries. Is this beneficial for the IT structure?

PZ: Absolutely! Building several plants for Gen6 high-voltage batteries on greenfield sites gives us a whole new level of design freedom. This allows for much bigger leaps in IT, compared to integrating new solutions into existing plants – a so-called brownfield. I, for one, find it really exciting to help shape the Industrial Internet of Things and data analytics on such a large scale right from the start.

Munich. The BMW Group is stepping up its activities in the field of sustainability, becoming the first automotive manufacturer worldwide to equip its cars with tyres using certified sustainable natural rubber and rayon, a wood-based material used to strengthen the tyres. The company will source 22-inch tyres in the first instance exclusively from Pirelli and, from August of this year, will use them in the BMW X5 xDrive45e Plug-in-Hybrid (fuel consumption combined: 1.7-1.2 l/100km (WLTP), 2.1-1.6 l/100 km (NEDC); power consumption combined: 27.7-24.3 kWh/100 km (WLTP), 25.2-23.5 kWh/100 km (NEDC); CO2 emissions combined: 39-27 g/km (WLTP), 47-37 g/km (NEDC)). Certification of the rubber plantations and the complex supply chain for natural rubber and rayon takes place in accordance with the strict standards of the independent Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

“As a premium manufacturer, we aspire to lead the way in sustainability and take responsibility,” said Dr Andreas Wendt, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Purchasing and Supplier Network. “We have been committed to improving cultivation of natural rubber and increasing transparency in the supplier network since 2015. The use of tyres made of certified natural rubber is a pioneering achievement for our industry. In this way, we are helping preserve biodiversity and forests to counteract climate change.”

Natural rubber is the basic material for many products we use in our daily lives, such as boots and mattresses. About six million small farmers worldwide are responsible for over 80% of the world’s natural rubber cultivation. In the so-called rubber belt across the tropical regions, they run farms of between one and two hectares in size under a wide variety of different conditions. Agreeing uniform social and environmental growing conditions with these millions of small individual farms is therefore a major challenge.

By far the largest share of natural rubber grown worldwide goes into tyre production. Natural rubber’s high elasticity and sturdiness currently make it irreplaceable for tyre production.

Small label, big impact

As an independent organisation, FSC has developed an internationally recognised and demanding certification standard in recent years that is used worldwide for environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the forests. The organisation, whose well-known logo is already established in the wood and paper industry, also applies this standard to products made of natural rubber.

The new 22-inch P ZERO ∗ tyre has now become the world's first tyre to receive the coveted FSC label. To earn this certification, Pirelli adapted its US plant in Rome, Georgia, to produce tyres using FSC-certified natural rubber and rayon. From there, the tyres are delivered to BMW Group Plant Spartanburg, around 370 km away, and mounted on the BMW X5 Plug-in Hybrid. The star ∗ in the name indicates that the new tyre meets the BMW Group’s strict performance requirements, including particularly low rolling resistance and noise level.

Giovanni Tronchetti Provera, Pirelli’s Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Future Mobility, said: “Before even reaching the road, sustainable mobility begins with raw materials. With the world’s first FSC-certified tyre, Pirelli once again demonstrates its commitment to pursuing increasingly challenging goals in terms of sustainability, a testament to the constant work on innovative materials and increasingly cutting-edge production processes. We continue to invest in sustainable growth for our planet, aware that this is also essential for the future of our businesses.”

Jeremy Harrison, Chief Markets Officer, FSC International, added: “The new FSC-certified Pirelli Tyre is a significant milestone in the drive to deliver economic, social, and environmental benefits across the natural rubber value chain. This is a major step forward in the journey towards a more sustainable natural rubber value chain, thereby helping to mitigate deforestation and support the fight against climate change.”

Long-standing commitment to greater transparency and sustainability in the natural rubber supplier network

The use of the first tyres containing certified sustainable natural rubber and rayon at the BMW Group is the result of the company’s extensive commitment in this area. In 2019, the BMW Group joined forces with well-known tyre manufacturers, NGOs, rubber producers and consumers to create the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR). Small farmers are also represented in this initiative. The GPSNR is committed to improving social and environmental conditions for cultivation of natural rubber and pushing for more sustainability. It also implements measures to stop deforestation and make supply chains more transparent. The GPSNR currently has almost 100 members, who are responsible for about 50 percent of the global natural rubber market.

Through its activities in the GPSNR and close cooperation with its suppliers, the BMW Group is constantly working to further improve sustainability in the natural rubber supply chain. The BMW Group is stepping up these activities and plans to steadily expand its sourcing of tyres made from sustainably grown natural rubber.

The BMW Group has been working with the FSC organisation for many years (Licence code FSC-N002012). The company decided to use FSC-certified wood in the BMW i3, which was first launched onto the market in 2013. The BMW iX for release later this year will also feature FSC-certified wood. In 2017, the BMW Group and FSC advocated for further development of FSC standards for cultivation of natural rubber in Thailand.

Sustainability an integral part of all purchasing activities

Independently of these measures, the BMW Group has contractually obligated all its direct suppliers to respect human rights, comply with expanded environmental and social standards and to introduce management systems to promote occupational safety and protect the environment since 2014. This also includes protecting forests and biodiversity. These requirements must also be contractually passed on to subcontractors. BMW Group Purchasing does not rely on contractual obligations alone for this but is also implementing a large number of additional measures in a transparent process. A risk filter is used to evaluate potential supplier locations worldwide even before the call for bids. The next step is to require possible suppliers to outline their sustainability activities in a detailed questionnaire. External partners also work with internal appraisers to review selected locations. Throughout the contract period, external partners work with internal appraisers to verify compliance with sustainability requirements through questionnaires and audits. In this way, BMW Group Purchasing is able to monitor thousands of locations every year.

Sustainable mobility with the BMW X5 xDrive45e

The BMW Group has completed full lifecycle CO₂ certification for the BMW X5 xDrive45e – from raw material procurement, through the supply chain, production and use phase, all the way to recycling. If charged during the use phase with the average European electricity mix, this gives it an advantage of around 40 percent over the BMW X5 xDrive40i. If charged with green power, the advantage is around 70 percent. The electric range amounts to 77-88 kilometres (WLTP).

Munich/Shenyang. The first fully-electric BMW iX3 has left the production line at the BMW Brilliance Automotive joint venture (BBA) in Shenyang, China. The workforce at the BBA Plant Dadong in Shenyang already celebrated the successful start of production on 29 September 2020.

Franz Decker, head of BBA's Technology and Production division, said during the event: “Today, we begin production of the BMW iX3, the first pure electric model from our core BMW brand. With a production system like this, specialised for high quality, we are able to deliver what customers worldwide demand from premium vehicles.”

Leading production expertise guarantees premium quality

As well as intelligent manufacturing and state-of-the-art technologies, the BBA production facility in Shenyang is also distinguished by its comprehensive quality management system. A special "zero defect concept" ensures that the globally high market requirements for electric mobility are met.

BBA conducts rigorous testing of everything from the battery to the finished car to guarantee the vehicle safety of the BMW iX3. 128 mechanical tests and 994 software functionality tests ensure the high quality of high-voltage batteries throughout the entire lifecycle. 140 functional tests check every aspect of the vehicle during acceleration, in particular road conditions and on rocky roads. As a result, the BMW iX3 is well-suited for all types of roads and meets the high demands of different driving conditions.

BBA produces the fully-electric BMW iX3 on the same line as the BMW X3 with combustion engine to ensure a high level of efficiency and flexibility in production.

During the entire BMW iX3 project, the BMW Group's research and production, purchasing and production divisions worked closely with BBA.

Munich. On 7 March 2019, the anniversary of the company’s establishment was celebrated for the 103rd time. During this period, a small aero-engine factory transformed itself into the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. This development reflects the character of the company and the key people who shaped its success. The company ethos is based on the courage to innovate, the readiness to go the extra mile, the drive to compete with the best and the ability to overcome special challenges. In 2019, BMW Group Classic looks back on numerous events, outstanding achievements and innovations that are based on precisely these principles.

100 years ago: A high-altitude flight as the first record for BMW.

On 17 June 1919, the experienced test pilot Franz Zeno Diemer set out to help the fledgling company BMW achieve a first world record. He took off from Munich’s Oberwiesenfeld airfield piloting his aeroplane manufactured by Deutsche Flugzeugwerke and powered by the BMW IV aero-engine on the route to a sensational record attempt. The 230 hp engine was designed on the basis of a principle conceived especially for flying at great altitudes. Diemer took around one and a half hours to fly his machine up to an altitude of 9,760 metres. In the open cockpit, he had to contend with temperatures down to minus 50 degrees and breathe in air with gradually diminishing oxygen levels. Never before had an aircraft flown so high.

90 years ago: The BMW 3/15 hp – launch on four wheels.

Ten years later, BMW had already expanded its product portfolio with motorcycles – then came the next step. The Board of Management decided to get involved in the automobile business. The Chairman was Franz-Josef Popp, who had held a management position with the company in the early stages of aero-engine production. “Our experience in the area of motorcycle construction encouraged us to embark on the production of small cars, for which there appears to be a promising domestic market. With this end in mind, we purchased automaker Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach,” announced Popp in the company’s Annual Report. On 22 March 1929, the first BMW 3/15 PS left the assembly halls in Berlin-Johannisthal. Almost 16,000 units of the new small car followed in the years up to 1932.

60 years ago: Debut for the classic Mini.

He sketched out the first design drafts on a napkin. The designer Alec Issigonis created a revolutionary small car on the basis of the resulting plans. On 4 April 1959, the first classic Mini rolled off the assembly line at the Austin Longbridge plant in Birmingham. In spite of an external length of 3.05 metres, the little car provided sufficient space for four occupants and their luggage. Issigonis applied a completely new design at the time, with front-wheel drive, a four-cylinder transverse engine mounted at the front of the car, and the gearbox configured beneath. This design layout was soon adopted by virtually all manufacturers in modified form. It offered the best prerequisites for the principle of creative use of space and for excitingly agile driving performance – attributes which characterise the models of the British premium brand to this day.

60 years ago: The turnaround was achieved with the compact BMW 700.

During the 1950s, the company made significant contributions to getting people in the young Federal Republic of Germany on the road with the BMW Isetta and the BMW 600 that was derived from it. However, the aspirations of the customers continued to rise and it was necessary to create a new small car with a conventional design in order to compensate for falling sales. The Viennese BMW importer, automobile designer and former racing driver Wolfgang Denzel provided the key impetus. He presented the BMW Board of Management with the design for a two-door notchback car that had been designed by the Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti. The prototype formed the platform for the BMW 700, which was presented for the first time on 9 June 1959. By 1965, more than 190 000 units had been sold and BMW succeeded in ascending out of the economic trough.

60 years ago: Small shareholders defend the independence of BMW.

Sales problems in the automobile and motorcycle business had caused BMW serious financial difficulties during the 1950s. At the Annual General Meeting held on 9 December 1959, the takeover of the company by Daimler-Benz AG was therefore an item on the agenda. However, the restructuring plan associated with the takeover was opposed by many of the small shareholders. During the course of a turbulent discussion, the lawyer Friedrich Mathern managed to depict inconsistences about the official figures. He objected that all the development costs for the BMW 700 had unjustifiably been included in the balance sheet for 1958. He also criticised the fact that the value of the BMW brand and its employees had been valued much too low. The meeting was then adjourned – with the result that the time-limited offer from Stuttgart expired. BMW remained independent but the financial crisis had not been resolved. The increased commitment of major shareholder Herbert Quandt ultimately provided the assurance needed to move forward. In the following year, he submitted a new restructuring plan which also took account of the interests expressed by the small shareholders.

50 years ago: A new era of motorcycle production begins.

Aero-engines had already been manufactured in Berlin-Spandau under the direction of BMW since the 1930s and after World War II motorcycle and car compnents as well. In 1969, the entire production of motorcycles was relocated from Munich to Berlin. The start of production for the BMW /5 Series went hand in hand with the move. The technical director at the time, Helmut Werner Bönsch, presented it with self-assured words: “There is no doubt that BMW has been building the best and most advanced motorcycle in the world for many years. Our ambition is to maintain this reputation into the future.” This was indeed the case. The BMW 50/5, BMW R 60/5 and BMW R 75/5 models had been developed as sporty touring motorcycles in a modern design, and they had a completely new chassis with telescopic fork for the front wheel and variable rear-wheel suspension. And for the first time, customers were able to choose between versions with different colours.

40 years ago: The BMW M1 lined up on the grid in the Procar Series.

The BMW M1 mid-engined sports car was already irresistible when it was standing still. But it developed its true fascination on the racing track. This emerged above all in the Procar Series initiated by the Managing Director of BMW Motorsport GmbH at the time, Jochen Neerpasch. The races were staged in 1979 and 1980 as part of the warm-up for the Formula 1 World Championship races in Europe and they developed into a runaway success with the public. The protagonists themselves were also captivated by Neerpasch’s idea of staging races between Formula 1 drivers and touring car drivers piloting vehicles with identical engineering and generating 470 hp. On 12 May 1979, the first race in the Procar Series started in Zolder, Belgium, and 16 more races were to follow.

20 years ago: World premiere for the BMW X5.

An all-rounder with all-wheel drive which was not only capable of impressive driving on off-road terrain but also demonstrated excellent performance on the road – this was how the BMW X5 was presented in autumn of 1999, as the world’s first Sports Activity Vehicle. A few months later, the BMW X5 Le Mans demonstrated its huge potential for dynamic driving. This was an experimental vehicle with a V12 engine generating more than 700 hp. Racing driver Hans-Joachim Stuck achieved a top speed of 309 km/h in this car on the Nürburgring. 20 years after the debut of the first SAV, the family of BMW X models has grown to seven model series. In 2018, 37.3 percent of the brand’s total sales were generated by BMW X models.

20 years ago: The BMW Z8 exerts fascinating appeal with classic aesthetics.

In 1999, BMW also presented a milestone in its roadster history, which was certainly not lacking in highlights. The BMW Z8 styled by Danish designer Henrik Fisker created a sensation at its world premiere on the occasion of the International Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA). The elegant lines recalled the legendary BMW 507 and the luxurious cockpit make it an eye-catcher to this day. The classic forms clothed innovative engineering: a self-supporting aluminium frame with the external skin bolted on, powered by a 400 hp V8 engine. A total of 5,703 units of the BMW Z8 were manufactured between 2000 and 2003 at a dedicated production facility established especially for this vehicle at the BMW plant in Munich.

BMW Group Classic will be saluting these anniversaries in a variety of events and publications during the course of 2019. In the meantime, the Press Department of BMW Group Classic is providing more detailed information on the topics outlined above.

Munich/Regensburg. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has today named BMW Group Plant Regensburg a ‘Lighthouse of the Fourth Industrial Revolution’, acknowledging its pioneering role in the digitalisation of industrial production. The honour was bestowed after an in-depth selection process which saw the WEF examine around 1,000 production facilities in various industry sectors. A total of seven plants have today joined the circle of ‘Factories of the Future’.

The BMW Group Production System is closely based on the Strategy NUMBER ONE > NEXT. The wide-ranging technological opportunities raised by the digital transformation in particular are being integrated into production to positive effect. According to the WEF, especially by using the custom BMW Group Intranet-of-Things platform, the Regensburg Plant cut the time to deploy all new applications by 80% leading to a significant reduction in logistics costs.

Manfred Erlacher, Plant Director at BMW Group Plant Regensburg: “The creativity and experience of our associates are the key drivers of effective innovations and consequently of our production system as well. Once a smart solution is successfully implemented, it soon spreads to other areas of production and other BMW Group sites.”

It is these solutions that make the increasing complexity of production manageable at all: high-performance production systems are enabling the BMW Group’s 30 production and assembly plants in 14 countries to deliver a global daily output of around 10,000 vehicles. These comprise more than 40 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce model variants, a great many of them individually configured. The decision by the WEF to induct the Regensburg Plant into its community of ‘Lighthouses of the Fourth Industrial Revolution’ provides confirmation of the success of the many digital solutions in the BMW Group Production System.

The smooth integration of new, digital applications into production IT is supported first and foremost by the BMW Group Intranet-of-Things platform. This offers employees a wide range of digital tools and accessories which they can combine to create their own plug-and-play solutions. It’s an approach that keeps people firmly in the focus of value creation and offers them even more scope to shape their own workstations.

Dr. Christian Patron, Head of Innovation, Digitalisation and Data Analytics: “The recognition of Plant Regensburg as a Lighthouse motivates us to continue on our chosen pathway. Effective digital solutions and structural decisions provide us with clear strategic guidance and, along with the overarching BMW IoT platform, they are key factors in our success. The capacity of our associates to shape developments and integrate new solutions into production is fundamental to what we do.”

The digitalisation of the BMW Group Production System is largely taking place in the fields of innovative automation and assistance systems, additive manufacturing, smart data analytics and smart logistics.

To find out more, see our press releases:

BMW Group Harnesses Potential of Innovative Automation and Flexible Assistance Systems in Production:

https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

A million printed components in just ten years: BMW Group makes increasing use of 3D printing:

https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Smart Data Analytics: BMW Group relies on intelligent use of production data for efficient processes and premium quality:

https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Connected, flexible, autonomous: BMW Group expands use of innovative technologies in production logistics:

https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

A glimpse of the future: BMW Group uses virtual reality to design future production workstations:

https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Munich. The BMW Group is increasingly relying on innovations from the fields of digitalisation and Industry 4.0 in production logistics. This will ensure the company’s global production network continues to receive the parts it needs in a timely and reliable manner in the future. The focus is on applications such as logistics robots, autonomous transport systems at plants and digitalisation projects for an end-to-end supply chain. Staff can control logistics processes from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets and use virtual reality applications to plan future logistics. Innovations coming out of many pilot projects are being implemented worldwide in logistics at BMW Group plants.

“Logistics is the heart of our production system. Our broad spectrum of ground-breaking projects helps us run increasingly complex logistics processes efficiently and transparently,” according to Jürgen Maidl, head of Logistics for the BMW Group production network. “We are taking advantage of the wide range of available technological innovations and working closely with universities and start-ups. We are already working with tomorrow’s Industry 4.0 technologies today.”

Around 1,800 suppliers at more than 4,000 locations deliver over 31 million parts to the 30 BMW Group production sites worldwide every day. Digitalisation and innovations help the company organise logistics more flexibly and more efficiently. At the same time, almost 10,000 vehicles coming off the production line daily must be delivered to customers around the globe. Digitally connected delivery, so-called Connected Distribution, ensures that these transport routes are also more transparent.

Connected Supply Chain: Full data transparency in the supply chain

The BMW Group supply chain relies on a global supply network and close cooperation with numerous logistics service providers. The Connected Supply Chain (CSC) programme significantly increases supply chain transparency. It updates the plants’ material controllers and logistics specialists on the goods’ location and delivery time every 15 minutes. This transparency enables them to respond immediately if delays appear likely and take appropriate steps early to avoid costly extra runs.

Autonomous transport systems both inside and outside

Autonomous transport systems such as tugger trains or Smart Transport Robots are increasingly used to transport goods within production halls.

To allow tugger trains to now also be used for the sophisticated process of supplying assembly lines, as part of a pilot project, BMW Group Plant Dingolfing has developed an automation kit, which enables conventional tugger trains of any brand already on hand to be upgraded to autonomous tugger trains. The capabilities of these driverless tugger trains go beyond automation of earlier solutions.

Another future technology is also being piloted alongside autonomous tugger trains at the Dingolfing plant. A Smart Watch supports logistics staff during the container change process and announces approaching tugger trains via a vibration alarm. The employee can also read which containers should be unloaded and send the tugger train on to its next destination by tapping the display.

The BMW Group is also pioneering the use of autonomous transport systems outdoors. As part of a pilot project, the BMW Group is using an autonomous outdoor transport robot for the first time at its Leipzig plant to bring truck trailers from where they are parked to the unloading and loading bay on their own. A mobile platform drives underneath the trailer, connects it and steers it through the plant. The so-called AutoTrailer, with a payload of up to 30 tons, navigates by laser, without additional guidelines or markings, through the plant’s outdoor areas. Sensors and cameras provide a 360° all-round view, which forms the basis of the safety concept.

The huge potential of this transport system is particularly evident at the BMW Group’s largest plant in Spartanburg, where about 1,200 of these trailer-shunting manoeuvres take place every day.

Back in 2015, the BMW Group joined forces with the Fraunhofer Institute IML to develop the first self-driving Smart Transport Robots (STR) for transporting roll containers through logistics areas within production halls. The second generation is now in operation at BMW Group Plant Regensburg. The flat robots carry roll containers weighing up to one ton and transport them autonomously to where the goods need to be. They calculate the ideal route independently and move freely through space. A built-in battery module from the BMW i3 powers the STR for a whole work shift.

Loading and unloading of goods containers:
Robots take over arduous tasks and relieve staff

After delivery to the plant, the goods are transported to the assembly line in containers and parts containers of various sizes. For the tiring job of reloading containers from pallets onto conveyor belts or into storage, employees will be assisted in the future by logistics robots specially developed for this purpose. Four different types of robots, referred to as "Bots" by logistics experts, are currently being tested or have already been integrated into series production.

The lightweight robots take on different jobs: they can take full plastic boxes from the pallet in the incoming goods area and place them on a conveyor system, they do unload tugger trains and place boxes loaded with goods on a shelf, they collect various small parts from appropriate supply racks and they stack empty containers on pallets before they re-enter circulation.

Using artificial intelligence, the robots can detect and process various different containers and determine the ideal grip point.

Smart devices support logistics staff in paperless logistics

Gloves with integrated scanners and displays, data glasses and smart watches are increasingly used to support logistics employees. The transition to paperless logistics, with digitally labelled containers and shelves, opens up new areas of application for mobile devices. Glove scanners read the electronic label and indicate the exact contents of the small load carrier on a small display that can be worn on the arm.

Virtual reality and artificial intelligence

The use of virtual reality already plays an important role in planning logistics spaces. In a virtual environment, planners can quickly and efficiently lay out future logistics areas completely and assess how much space is needed, for instance. Planning is based on 3D data representing the real structures of a logistics hall. For the past several years, the BMW Group has been capturing its plants in digital form with millimetre accuracy, using special 3D scanners and high-resolution cameras. This creates a three-dimensional image of the structures, so that manual recording on site is no longer needed. When planning future logistics areas, BMW Group experts can now combine existing data with a virtual "library" of shelves, lattice boxes, small load carriers and around 50 other widely-used operating resources.

Connected Distribution:
Vehicle delivery transparency from plant to showroom
Like delivery of parts to plants, the transport of vehicles to the dealership is now also digitally and transparently traceable. The former Connected Distribution pilot project was fully integrated into series production this year. The system uses the same IT built into BMW Group vehicles to track the location of finished vehicles once they are ready to leave the plant. The vehicle transmits its current geolocation and status to the logistics centre via a mobile connection every time it is switched off.

Focus on sustainability: Natural gas, electric and future hydrogen trucks will reduce CO2 emissions

Logistics can help the BMW Group achieve its sustainability goals. The focus here is on continuous expansion of CO2-efficient modes of transport. More than 60 percent of all new vehicles now leave production plants by rail.
Nevertheless, it is still necessary to use trucks on certain in- and outbound logistics routes. To reduce emissions from these truck journeys, the BMW Group is already using natural gas and electric trucks in cooperation with logistics service providers. The aim is to reduce truck emissions by 40% by 2030 and to be completely emission-free by 2050.

Munich. Virtual reality is increasingly finding use in BMW Group production. A few months before production of the new BMW 3 Series ramped up in Munich, BMW Group planners have completely laid out individual workstations in a virtual world. This includes cockpit preassembly, for example, where the cockpit is put together before being installed in the vehicle. For the first time, building, systems, logistics and assembly planners, together with production employees, were able to assess the whole of the new production area in virtual reality and test new procedures in 3D.

Matthias Schindler, responsible for Virtual Planning and Implementation in Production at the BMW Group: “Virtual reality technology has enabled us to set up cockpit preassembly workstations quickly and efficiently. Time-consuming trial installations that replicate the workstation in its actual dimensions were no longer needed. And the fact that all the specialists involved – from logistics experts to systems planners to production employees – were easily able to exchange ideas in the early stages was an important added benefit for the team. We were more transparent, more flexible and faster overall.”

Production of the existing cockpit continued during preparations without any constraints, since planning only took up space in the virtual world. Being able to work with the same data and software also saved specialist departments and production staff a lot of time. Because it is so easy to use, experts were able to assess how much space the new system needed, for example, quickly and easily and incorporate production employees’ know-how in planning from the beginning. Following a brief introduction and without any specialised knowledge, the team of representatives from different specialist areas was able to launch the project immediately. The software handles complex calculations for real-time rendering of all objects in virtual-reality glasses and simulations.

The basis for this kind of planning is digitalised 3D factory data. For the past several years, the BMW Group has been capturing the real structures of its plants in digital form with millimetre accuracy, using special 3D scanners and high-resolution cameras. This creates a three-dimensional image of production in the form of a so-called cloud diagram. Time-consuming, digital reconstruction of real structures and manual recording on site are no longer needed. Whether planning future workplaces or entire assembly halls, BMW Group departments can now combine existing data with a virtual "library" of shelves, lattice boxes, small load carriers and around 50 other widely-used operating resources.