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                    <title><![CDATA[BMW Group Newsroom Global]]></title>
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                    <pubDate>Fri, 08 Aug 2025 09:00:00 +0200</pubDate>
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                        <title>Automotive Lean Production Award for the cockpit production at the BMW Group plants Landshut and Wackersdorf.</title>
                        <link>https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/automotive-lean-production-award-for-the-cockpit-production-at-the-bmw-group-plants-landshut-and-wackersdorf/</link>
                        <guid>https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/automotive-lean-production-award-for-the-cockpit-production-at-the-bmw-group-plants-landshut-and-wackersdorf/</guid><pp:caseid>769169</pp:caseid><pp:summary><![CDATA[+++ Award in the category "Supplier" for outstanding interaction of lean management, digitalization, and innovative power +++ Martin Frensch, Senior Vice President of Body, Exterior Trim and Interior in the purchasing and supplier network at BMW Group: "Lean before Digital is our guiding principle for efficient and forwardlooking production." +++]]></pp:summary><description><![CDATA[<div class="imported-article"><p>
  <strong>+++ Award in the category "Supplier" for outstanding
    interaction of lean management, digitalization, and innovative power
    +++ Martin Frensch, Senior Vice President of Body, Exterior Trim and
    Interior in the purchasing and supplier network at BMW Group:
    "Lean before Digital is our guiding principle for efficient and
    forwardlooking production." +++</strong></p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <br /></strong>
  <strong>Landshut/Wackersdorf.</strong> The cockpit production at the
  BMW Group plants in Landshut and Wackersdorf will be awarded with the 
  Automotive Lean Production Award in the category "Supplier".
  The  jury was impressed by the outstanding ensemble of lean
  management, digitalization, and innovation in the interior components
  production at the BMW Group. The award will be presented at the 19th
  Automotive Lean Production Congress on November 25 and 26, 2025, in
  Poznań, Poland.<br />
  <br />
  <strong>Smart production of cockpits: increased flexibility and
    efficiency in the production and supply chain.</strong>
  <br />With highest precision, employees at the BMW Group plants in
  Landshut and Wackersdorf manufacture interior components for the BMW 1
  Series, 2 Series, 3 Series, 4 Series, 5 Series, and 7 Series, as well
  as the BMW iX. Every day, several thousand instrument panels and glove
  boxes leave the two component plants. "Technological know-how,
  highly automated production processes, AI-supported quality controls
  as well as lean value streams form the foundation for efficient work
  in this field of production," explains Wolf Duwenkamp, Vice
  President Purchasing, Quality, Production Cockpit and Door Panels at
  the BMW Group plants in Landshut and Wackersdorf.<br />
  <br />
  <strong>Excellent processes, digital transformation and highest
    quality standards.</strong>
  <br />The production process at the cockpit production of the BMW
  Group plants Landshut and Wackersdorf is based on the PULL principle.
  The workstations where sequencing begins are optimally supplied
  through self-regulating control loops, ensuring a smooth material
  flow. The digital transformation of employee roles, such as the mobile
  operator, demonstrates the close collaboration between humans and
  machines and brings out additional benefits. Automated end-of-line
  inspections using AI-supported camera systems, allow an early
  detection and elimination of potential sources of error.<br />
  <br />“Lean before Digital is our guiding principle for an efficient
  and forward-looking production in the component manufacturing. The
  combination of excellent processes, digital transformation, and the
  highest quality standards forms the foundation of our success. By
  sharing our knowledge, we actively contribute to the global
  supplier qualification, ensuring robust industrialization of all
  partners,” explains Martin Frensch, Senior Vice President of Body,
  Exterior Trim and Interior in the purchasing and supplier network at
  BMW Group. “To remain competitive, we must continuously question and
  develope ourselves. The Automotive Lean Production Award shows that we
  are benchmark, which is something to be proud of,” Frensch adds.<br />
  <br />
  <strong>About Automotive Lean Production – Award & Study.</strong>
  <br />The goal of the joint project by AUTOMOBIL PRODUKTION and Agamus
  Consult is to demonstrate how the European automotive industry
  leverages the potentials of lean and digitalization. For 19 years,
  companies – both OEMs and suppliers – have been participating in a
  benchmark study, facing international competition for the prestigious
  Automotive Lean Production Awards with the guiding  principle
  “Learning from the best!”.<br />
  <br />In the event of enquiries please contact:</p>
<p>
  <br />
  <strong>BMW Group, Corporate Communications</strong></p>
<p>
  <br />Carolin Seidel, Press Spokesperson BMW Group Plant
  Landshut<br />Email: Carolin.Seidel@bmwgroup.com, Phone: +49 151 601 90340<br />
  <br />Stefanie Schindler, Communications BMW Group Plant
  Landshut<br />Email: Stefanie.Schindler@bmw.de, Phone: +49 151 601 41977<br />
  <br />Saskia Graser, Head of Communications Regensburg and
  Wackersdorf Email: Saskia.Graser@bmw.de, Phone: +49 151 6060 2014<br />
  <br />Dr. Annika Biss, Communications BMW Group Plant
  Wackersdorf<br />Email: Annika.Biss@bmwgroup.com, Phone: +49-151-601-52588<br />
  <br />Media website: <a href="https://pressclub.bmwgroup.net/pressclub/ssob/cp/https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en">https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en</a><br />Email: presse@bmw.de<br />
  <br /></p>
<p>
  <strong>BMW Group Plant Landshut<br />
    <br /></strong>At BMW Group Plant Landshut, around 3,800 employees
  produce light metal cast engine, suspension and body structure
  components, electrical and electronic components, plastic components
  for the vehicle exterior, carbon body components, cockpit and
  equipment features, engines and propeller shafts. Plant Landshut is
  the BMW Group’s largest component plant and supplies components to all
  BMW Group vehicle and engine plants worldwide – and therefore for
  virtually every BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicle, as well as for BMW
  Motorrad. Component production at BMW Group Plant  Landshut is
  characterised by digitalisation, a focus on sustainability and a
  commitment to responsible use of resources. With its forward-looking
  technologies, BMW Group Plant Landshut assumes the role of innovation
  driver in the technological transformation of the automotive sector
  and its supplier industry. At the Technology Centre adjacent to the
  plant, specialists from a wide range of disciplines are brought into
  development processes for new vehicles in the early stages and help to
  actively drive sustainable development of future vehicle models. BMW
  Group Plant Landshut is a socially responsible, innovative and
  attractive employer for the region of Landshut and Lower Bavaria.<br />
  <br />
  <a href="https://www.bmwgroup-werke.com/landshut/en.html">https://www.bmwgroup-werke.com/landshut/en.html</a>
  <br />
  <br /></p>
<p>
  <strong>BMW Group Plants Regensburg und Wackersdorf<br />
    <br /></strong>The BMW Group vehicle plant in Regensburg has been in
  operation since 1986 and is one of more than 30 BMW Group production
  locations worldwide. Every workday, around 1,400 vehicles of the BMW
  X1 and BMW X2 models roll off the production line at Plant Regensburg,
  destined for customers around the globe. Different types of drive
  trains are flexibly manufactured on a single production line – ranging
  from vehicles with internal combustion engines to plug-in hybrids and
  fully-electric models.<br />
  <br />BMW Group Plant Regensburg was recognised as “FACTORY OF THE
  YEAR” 2024 in the category “excellent large-series assembly” of the
  prestigious industrial competition. As it implements the BMW iFACTORY,
  the BMW Group is focused on digitalisation of the Regensburg plant
  site to create a digital and intelligently connected factory. It is
  already possible to experience in virtual form what the factory will
  look like a few years from now. Production of models for the NEUE
  KLASSE, BMW’s next generation of vehicles, will ramp up in Regensburg
  in the second half of the decade.<br />
  <br />The BMW Group plant in Wackersdorf is home to cockpit production
  and parts supply for overseas plants. With the opening of a new
  battery testing centre and commissioning of the first phase in autumn
  2024, the location has also become a key facilitator for
  electromobility. An entirely new area of expertise for the site is the
  door and flap production centre for Rolls-Royce.<br />
  <br />The BMW Group core staff at the Regensburg and Wackersdorf
  locations in eastern Bavaria consists of around 9,250 employees,
  including around 350 apprentices.<br />
  <br />
  <a href="https://pressclub.bmwgroup.net/pressclub/ssob/cp/www.bmwgroup-werke.com/regensburg/de.html">www.bmwgroup-werke.com/regensburg/en.html</a>
  <br />
  <br />
  <br />
  <strong>The BMW Group<br /></strong>
  <br />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
  services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30
  production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in
  more than 140 countries.<br />
  <br />In 2024, the BMW Group sold over 2.45 million passenger vehicles
  and more than 210,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in
  the financial year 2024 was € 11.0 billion on revenues amounting to €
  142.4 billion. As of 31 December 2024, the BMW Group had a workforce
  of 159,104 employees.<br />
  <br />The economic success of the BMW Group has always been based on
  long-term thinking and responsible action. Sustainability is a key
  element of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy and covers all products
  from the supply chain and production to the end of their useful life.</p>
<p>
  <br />
  <a href="https://pressclub.bmwgroup.net/pressclub/ssob/cp/www.bmwgroup.com">www.bmwgroup.com</a>
  <br />LinkedIn: <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/">http://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/</a><br />YouTube:
    <a href="https://www.youtube.com/bmwgroup">https://www.youtube.com/bmwgroup</a><br />Instagram:
    <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup">https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup</a><br />Facebook:
    <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bmwgroup">https://www.facebook.com/bmwgroup</a><br />X:
    <a href="https://www.x.com/bmwgroup">https://www.x.com/bmwgroup</a></p>
<p> </p><div class="import-contacts-wrapper"><div class="import-contact">Press Contact: Carolin Seidel<br>Tel: +49-151-601-90340<br>E-mail: <a href="mailto:carolin.seidel@bmw.de">carolin.seidel@bmw.de</a></div></div></div>]]></description><category><![CDATA[Locations,Regensburg,Wackersdorf,Production Plants,Research &amp; Development,Production,Landshut]]></category>
            <pubDate>Fri, 08 Aug 2025 09:00:00 +0200</pubDate>
            <pp:lastModified>Fri, 08 Aug 2025 07:00:00 +0000</pp:lastModified>
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                        <title>BMW Group Plant Landshut focuses on digitalization in component production.</title>
                        <link>https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/bmw-group-plant-landshut-focuses-on-digitalization-in-component-production/</link>
                        <guid>https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/bmw-group-plant-landshut-focuses-on-digitalization-in-component-production/</guid><pp:caseid>769057</pp:caseid><pp:summary><![CDATA[Plant Manager Thomas Thym: "Behind every digital car there must also be a digital factory" +++ AI-driven data analysis, digital process control, and networked production +++ Computed tomography system for precise quality control +++ Automated quality control and logistics in cockpit production]]></pp:summary><description><![CDATA[<div class="imported-article"><p>
  <strong>Landshut. </strong>The BMW Group is consistently improving
  digitalization in the production of its components. From AI-driven
  production management and smart logistics processes to data-based
  quality controls – the #Landshut plant, the company's largest
  component manufacturing site, utilizes state-of-the-art technologies
  and thus plays a central role as an innovation hub within the
  automotive and supplier industries.</p>
<p>At the BMW Group plant in Landshut, for example, the company uses
  AI-supported data analysis to detect anomalies in data traffic at an
  early stage and ward off cyberattacks. In addition, digital process
  control and networked production facilities are used to increase
  productivity and improve quality.</p>
<p>Thomas Thym, Head of the BMW Group Plant Landshut: "We not only
  implement technical progress, but also actively shape it in order to
  secure our competitiveness in the long term. Behind every digital car
  there must also be a digital factory."</p>
<p>
  <strong>Shopfloor Digital in Component Manufacturing: Connected
    Production for Greater Transparency<br /></strong>A key component of
  the BMW Group's digitalization strategy is the
  "Shopfloor.Digital" transformation program. The goal is to
  harmonize manufacturing processes and IT systems worldwide across all
  30 production sites. To achieve this, the company is building a
  modern, cloud-based IT architecture and relying on process automation
  and AI solutions. As a component manufacturing site, the Landshut
  plant is a key component of this transformation program. "We view
  complexity as an opportunity and use the data we gain to continuously
  improve our processes," explains Franz Heigl, Head of
  Digitalization of Component Manufacturing.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lean Management: Digital Tools for Lean
  Processes<br /></strong>At the same time, the BMW Group is driving
  forward the digitalization of its lean management approaches. This
  includes a digital process map in the production areas, a digital
  disruption process, and value stream management. To ensure the
  organization's common alignment, the goal development process serves
  as an effective leadership and steering tool, enabling goals to be
  broken down to their basics and translated into concrete challenges.
  "Our goal is to focus on the essentials in our day-to-day
  business and prioritize value-creating activities," says Heigl.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Smart production, smart logistics: Connected supply and
    production chains for greater flexibility and
  efficiency<br /></strong>The BMW Group is also consistently pursuing
  its digitalization initiative in logistics and manufacturing. With the
  help of sensors, real-time data, and AI-driven processes, the Landshut
  plant is optimizing its supply chains, material flows, and production
  processes. This will enable the production sites to be even more
  closely connected with suppliers to avoid bottlenecks and conserve resources.</p>
<p>One example of this is the production of the <a href="https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en">BMW
    Energy Master</a>, the central control unit of the high-voltage
  battery for the Neue Klasse vehicles. Comprehensive inline monitoring,
  including AI-based camera systems, as well as 100% end-of-line system
  testing in a cleanroom environment meet the highest quality standards.
  The Landshut plant will supply all battery assembly plants worldwide
  with the BMW Energy Master in the future, where the control unit will
  then be mounted on the high-voltage battery in a final assembly step.</p>
<p>The Landshut plant also relies on automation and digitalization in
  the production of cockpits. During the final quality control, around
  50 quality features are checked in just 30 seconds. This is followed
  by fully automated packaging and transport of the parts. This involves
  autonomous transport systems that move independently from the starting
  point to the destination without relying on an external control system.</p>
<p>In the Landshut plant's light metal foundry, the automaker is
  currently producing aluminum housings for the Neue Klasse electric
  engines in a pre-series production run. High quality standards are
  applied in the manufacture of our products. To ensure these standards
  are consistently met, modern technologies are used, such as inline
  computed tomography (CT). Every single electric motor housing
  manufactured at the Landshut plant undergoes a fully automated CT
  scan. Within just 42 seconds, 2,400 individual images are captured and
  reconstructed into a 3D model of the component. In contrast to the
  majority of applications in the medical field, quality control here is
  fully automated using artificial intelligence. This allows the
  powerful CT technology to be integrated extremely efficiently into the
  production process while simultaneously ensuring the quality of the parts.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Quality in the Supply Chain: Supplier
  Qualification<br /></strong>To ensure high quality standards in
  production, the BMW Group is also focusing on digitalization in its
  supply chain. At the ZDSC (<strong>Z</strong>ero
  <strong>D</strong>efect <strong>S</strong>upply
  <strong>C</strong>hain) Campus, suppliers receive interactive training
  on topics such as shop floor management, production systems, and
  digitalization. The goal is to work with partners to establish a
  stable production system with a "zero-defect mentality." In
  this way, the BMW Group actively involves its partners and suppliers
  in the digital transformation.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AI LAb<br /></strong>The AI ​​LAb is a new innovation and
  collaboration space that enables all employees at the BMW Group
  Landshut Plant to try out and learn new AI-based technologies using
  application-oriented examples. The application examples cover a broad
  spectrum of AI applications: The <a href="https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/innovation/technology-trend-radar.html">Technology
    Trend Radar</a> provides a structured overview of direct and
  indirect AI applications, sorted by technology and maturity level.
  With PowerApps, employees can create their own digital applications
  without programming knowledge, thus digitizing processes and
  automating tasks. The AIQX (Artificial Intelligence Quality Next)
  computer system enables the automation and optimization of quality
  assurance in production using AI.</p>
<p>On May 14 and 15, 2025, the Landshut plant presented its already
  implemented, networked and data-driven production of components at the
  "Smart Factory Day".</p><div class="import-contacts-wrapper"><div class="import-contact">Press Contact: Carolin Seidel<br>Tel: +49-151-601-90340<br>E-mail: <a href="mailto:carolin.seidel@bmw.de">carolin.seidel@bmw.de</a></div></div></div>]]></description><category><![CDATA[Locations,Production Plants,Production,Logistics,Landshut]]></category>
            <pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2025 09:00:00 +0200</pubDate>
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                        <title>BMW Group expands use of 3D-printed, customised robot grippers</title>
                        <link>https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/bmw-group-expands-use-of-3d-printed-customised-robot-grippers/</link>
                        <guid>https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/bmw-group-expands-use-of-3d-printed-customised-robot-grippers/</guid><pp:caseid>768595</pp:caseid><pp:summary><![CDATA[+++ Fast, economical, and versatile with additive manufacturing +++ New bionic gripper at BMW Group Plant Landshut saves further weight +++ Innovative bionic gripper for entire floor assemblies at BMW Group Plant Munich +++ More than 400,000 parts produced worldwide using 3D printing+++]]></pp:summary><description><![CDATA[<div class="imported-article"><p>
  <strong>Munich.</strong> With more than 30 years of experience, the
  BMW Group is a pioneer in the field of additive manufacturing, better
  known as 3D printing. 3D printers have been used from as early as 1991
  to produce individual vehicle parts and components, initially for
  concept cars, prototypes and race cars, then later for production
  models. The BMW Group now also manufactures many work aids and tools
  for its own production system in various 3D printing processes. From
  tailor-made orthoses for employees, and teaching and production aids,
  to large, weight-optimised robot grippers, used for such things as
  CFRP roofs and entire floor assemblies. At the “Additive Manufacturing
  Campus” in Oberschleißheim, the BMW Group’s central hub for
  production, research and training in 3D printing, more than 300,000
  parts were “printed” in 2023. Furthermore, over 100,000 printed parts
  were produced per year across all the plants that form the global
  production network, from Spartanburg and the German plants to sites in Asia.</p>
<p>“The increasing use of additive manufacturing in the BMW Group
  production system has many benefits. For example, we are able to
  quickly, economically, and flexibly produce our own production aids
  and handling robots, which we can individually adapt to specific
  requirements at any time, as well as being able to optimise their
  weight. Less weight allows higher speeds on the production line,
  shorter cycle times and reduced costs. Plus, smaller robots can be
  used in the medium term, which also cuts CO<sub>2</sub> emissions and
  costs,” says Jens Ertel, Head of BMW Additive Manufacturing.</p>
<p>“As well as the direct additive manufacturing procedure, the BMW
  Group has also been using sand-based 3D printing to create moulds for
  many years at its site in Landshut. This technology is typically used
  to manufacture prototype casts, as well as for the large-scale
  production of components for high-performance motors. Another very
  attractive field of application is now that of large production aids,”
  says Klaus Sammer, Head of Product and Process Planning for Light
  Metal Casting.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Printed moulds for the production of aluminium cylinder heads
    in large-scale production</strong></p>
<p>Additive manufacturing processes have been used on a daily basis for
  a long time at BMW Group Plant Landshut. For many years, these have
  included moulds for the manufacturing of aluminium cylinder heads,
  which are printed three-dimensionally using the sand casting process.
  Here, sand is repeatedly applied in thin layers and stuck together
  using binders. This makes it possible to create moulds for the
  manufacturing of very complex structures, which are then filled with
  liquefied aluminium.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Using 3D printing to manufacture large robot grippers for CFRP roofs</strong></p>
<p>For a number of years, the BMW Group’s Lightweight Construction and
  Technology Centre in Landshut has been using a particularly large
  gripper element, which was made using the 3D printing process.
  Weighing around 120 kilograms, the gripper for a robot can be
  manufactured in just 22 hours and is then used on a press in the
  production of all CFRP roofs for BMW M GmbH models. The press is first
  loaded with the CFRP raw material. The gripper is simply rotated 180
  degrees to remove the finished roofs. Compared to conventional
  grippers, the version manufactured using 3D printing was roughly 20
  percent lighter, which in turn extend the operating life of the robots
  and also reduced wear and tear on the system, as well as cutting
  maintenance intervals. The combined use for two steps also reduced the
  cycle time. A unique feature of the robot gripper is the ideal
  combination of two different 3D printing processes. While the vacuum
  grippers and the clamps for the needle gripper to lift the CFRP raw
  material are made using selective laser sintering (SLS), the large
  roof shell and bearing structure are manufactured using large scale
  printing (LSP). LSP can be used to produce large components
  economically and sustainably. The process uses injection moulding
  granules and recycled plastics, while CFRP residual material can also
  be used and recycled. Compared to the use of primary raw materials,
  CO<sub>2</sub> emissions when manufacturing the gripper are roughly 60
  percent lower.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Further weight savings, courtesy of new generation of bionic grippers</strong></p>
<p>In the summer of 2023, a new, even lighter generation of gripper was
  introduced. To achieve this, the previous gripper concept was analysed
  and optimised topologically – the birth of the bionic robot gripper.
  This combines the roof shell from the LSP printer with SLS vacuums and
  a bionically optimised bearing structure. For this, a mould with
  printed cores is used in the sand casting. This mould is then cast
  with the intricate aluminium structure. The new gripper is a further
  25 percent lighter than its predecessor, meaning the entire process of
  manufacturing a CFRP roof of the BMW M3 can be performed with just one
  robot, rather than three as was previously the case. Nowadays, double
  grippers manufactured individually within the BMW Group, courtesy of
  3D printing, are used for all CFRP roofs at BMW Group Plant Landshut.</p>
<p>
  <strong>New 3D-printed gripper also used in chassis construction in operation</strong></p>
<p>The BMW Group also employs grippers produced using the 3D printing
  process in chassis construction – for example, grippers printed with
  the LSP process for dealing with doors at BMW Group Plant Regensburg.
  “With an optimised bearing structure produced using 3D printing, we
  were able to increase the rigidity of the gripper when handling door
  elements at the plant in Regensburg, while at the same time reducing
  weight. In subsequent projects, it is then possible to use robots with
  a low bearing capacity, which helps to cut costs,” says Florian
  Riebel, Head of Door and Flap Production in Regensburg.</p>
<p>However, the company is now taking it one step further at BMW Group
  Plant Munich. As of recently, the first examples of a bionic robot
  gripper have been used at the parent plant. This gripper can hold and
  move the entire floor assembly of a BMW i4. For the floor assembly
  gripper, 3D printing is used to create a sand casting mould, which is
  filled with liquid aluminium. The bearer is optimised in terms of
  weight and maximum load capacity, and weighs with all additional
  add-on elements a mere 110 kilograms. That makes it roughly 30 percent
  lighter than the previous, conventional model. Manufacturing using
  sand casting and aluminium makes it possible to represent intricate
  load-optimised structures. This results in maximum weight reduction
  and thus makes it possible in the medium term to use smaller and
  lighter heavy-duty lifting robots, which require less energy and thus
  reduce CO<sub>2</sub> emissions. Markus Lehmann, Head of Plant
  Engineering and Robotics at BMW Group Plant Munich: “At the Munich
  plant, we are continuously expanding the use of production aids
  created through additive manufacturing. When it comes to the field of
  gripper and handling systems, we use 3D printing to equip our
  established grippers with individual, printed attachments and are
  already replacing complete gripper systems with highly-integrated and
  weight-optimised bearing structures. When handling the full BMW i4
  floor assembly, this allowed us to reduce the weight of the complete
  gripper by 30 percent – 50 kg – and thus to extend the service life of
  our facilities.”</p>
<p>
  <strong>Use of innovative software solutions in additive manufacturing</strong></p>
<p>Intricate and bionic structures are designed and calculated using
  special generic software tools, such as Synera. BMW iVentures had
  strategically invested in this software, previously known as Elise.
  Synera allows fast and efficient optimisation and is now used in many
  development areas within the BMW Group. It is particularly worth using
  the software in 3D printing, as topologically optimised, bionic
  structures can virtually be printed one to one, thanks to the high
  degree of flexibility of the 3D printing process. This makes it
  possible to exploit the full potential for lightweight construction.
  The BMW Group’s Additive Manufacturing Campus is home to a team of
  design and construction specialists, who compare a diverse range of
  software solutions and use them to design components. The knowledge is
  then passed on throughout the company via the Additive Manufacturing
  Campus. In the case of gripper design, special workflows have been
  developed and implemented, which allow the calculation and
  construction of the bearing structure to be largely automated, and
  thus fast and efficient.</p><div class="import-contacts-wrapper"><div class="import-contact">Press Contact: Benedikt Torka<br>Tel: +49-151-601-32455<br>E-mail: <a href="mailto:benedikt.torka@bmwgroup.com">benedikt.torka@bmwgroup.com</a></div></div></div>]]></description><category><![CDATA[Locations,Regensburg,Production Plants,Research &amp; Development,Production,Landshut,Munich]]></category>
            <pubDate>Thu, 23 May 2024 14:00:00 +0200</pubDate>
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                        <title>Harnessing the power of the desert sun:  BMW Group sources aluminium produced using solar energy</title>
                        <link>https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/harnessing-the-power-of-the-desert-sun--bmw-group-sources-aluminium-produced-using-solar-energy/</link>
                        <guid>https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/harnessing-the-power-of-the-desert-sun--bmw-group-sources-aluminium-produced-using-solar-energy/</guid><pp:caseid>767272</pp:caseid><pp:summary><![CDATA[Aluminium produced using solar energy will meet almost half the annual requirements of the light metal foundry at Plant Landshut +++ Triple-digit million-euro contract with Emirates Global Aluminium to supply 43,000 tonnes of aluminium in 2021 +++ BMW Group also plans to source aluminium produced with green power long-term, with CO2 savings of around 2.5 million tonnes by 2030 +++ Wendt: “Will reduce CO2 emissions in the supplier network by 20% by 2030” ++]]></pp:summary><description><![CDATA[<div class="imported-article"><p>
  <strong>Munich.</strong> The BMW Group will begin sourcing aluminium
  produced using solar electricity with immediate effect. This marks an
  important milestone on the road to the company’s goal of lowering
  CO<sub>2</sub> emissions in its supplier network by 20% by 2030. Since
  producing aluminium is highly energy-intensive, the use of green power
  – such as solar electricity – offers considerable potential for
  reducing CO<sub>2</sub> emissions. That is why the BMW Group also
  plans to source aluminium produced with green power in the long term –
  enabling it to avoid approx. 2.5 million tonnes of CO<sub>2</sub>
  emissions over the next ten years. This is equivalent to about three
  percent of the CO<sub>2</sub> targets the company has set for its
  supplier network.</p>
<p>“We aspire to lead the way in sustainability and implement our
  sustainability goals in a systematic manner. We will be able to meet
  over 50% of our CO<sub>2</sub> targets for the supplier network, just
  by using green power. The use of solar electricity for producing
  aluminium is a major step in this direction,” said Dr. Andreas Wendt,
  member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Purchasing
  and Supplier Network.</p>
<p>The aluminium produced using solar power is processed in the light
  metal foundry at BMW Group Plant Landshut to manufacture body and
  drive train components, including those needed for electric drive
  trains, for instance. Sourcing 43,000 tonnes of solar aluminium valued
  in the three-digit million euros will supply nearly half the annual
  requirements of the light metal foundry at Plant Landshut.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Use of green power key to reduce CO<sub>2</sub> emissions</strong></p>
<p>The trend towards e-mobility means that a much larger percentage of a
  vehicle’s lifecycle CO<sub>2</sub> emissions now comes from upstream
  added value in the supplier network. In an electrified vehicle,
  CO<sub>2</sub> emissions from the use phase are much lower, but
  producing battery cells or aluminium is very energy-intensive. Without
  corrective measures, CO<sub>2</sub> emissions per vehicle in the BMW
  Group supply chain would increase by more than a third by 2030. The
  company not only wants to stop this trend, but also reverse it – and
  even lower CO<sub>2</sub> emissions per vehicle by 20% from 2019 levels.</p>
<p>The BMW Group has therefore already agreed with suppliers for its
  current fifth-generation battery cells that they will only use green
  power for producing battery cells.</p>
<p>The BMW Group is now taking the next logical step by sourcing
  aluminium produced with green power. Because, as e-mobility takes off,
  aluminium will become increasingly important as a lightweight material
  that can partially offset the heavy weight of the batteries in
  electrified vehicles. However, producing aluminium is extremely
  energy-intensive. Generating the electricity needed to produce primary
  aluminium, i.e. aluminium obtained directly from the mineral compound
  alumina, is alone responsible for about 60% of the global aluminium
  industry’s greenhouse gas emissions. The use of solar electricity is
  therefore an effective lever for reducing the CO<sub>2 </sub>emissions
  associated with aluminium smelting.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Solar park in the desert supplies green power for aluminium
    production </strong></p>
<p>The BMW Group already has a long-standing supply relationship for
  primary aluminium with Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA). EGA has now
  become the first company in the world to also use solar electricity
  for commercial production of aluminium, which it will initially supply
  exclusively to the BMW Group. EGA sources the electricity used to
  produce the aluminium destined for the BMW Group from the Mohammed Bin
  Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in the desert outside of Dubai, which, in
  the final stage of development, is set to become the world’s largest
  solar park. It is operated by the Dubai Electricity and Water
  Authority, which has the electricity it produces sustainably certified
  by third parties, ensuring that it can supply EGA with power that is
  traceable and transparent.</p>
<p>Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of EGA, said: “We are
  delighted to have the BMW Group as our first customer for low-carbon
  CelestiAL aluminium from EGA. Aluminium is light, strong and
  infinitely recyclable. That is why it plays such an important role in
  the development of a more sustainable society and in making modern
  life possible. But how sustainably the aluminium is produced is also
  important. Solar aluminium is a step in the right direction – it uses
  a natural and abundant source of energy in our desert environment to
  produce a metal that is vital to the future of our planet.”</p>
<p>Wendt adds: “In EGA, we have found a strong partner who values
  sustainable development just as much as we do. It is a special honour
  for us to be the first customer to receive aluminium produced using
  solar electricity. Aluminium plays an important role in e-mobility and
  using sustainably produced aluminium is tremendously important to our company.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Innovative production processes: <br />light metal foundry at
    BMW Group Plant Landshut</strong></p>
<p>The light metal foundry is the largest production unit at BMW Group
  Plant Landshut and the company’s only European manufacturing facility
  for light metal casting. Last year, the more than 1,600 employees at
  the light metal foundry at BMW Group Plant Landshut produced a total
  of 2.9 million cast components. The scope of production includes
  engine components such as cylinder heads and crankcases, components
  for electric drive trains and large-scale structural components for
  vehicle bodies.</p>
<p>The light metal foundry is one of the most state-of-the-art foundries
  in the world. Its innovative and sustainable production processes have
  won numerous awards. The light metal foundry also works with shaping
  sand cores, among other methods, to manufacture cast parts. The sand
  cores are produced using inorganic binders – making the casting
  process virtually emission-free. Five different casting methods are
  used for standard production of cast components. The most suitable
  casting method is selected, depending on the component concept,
  technological requirements and production volume.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Certification by Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI)</strong></p>
<p>The light metal foundry at BMW Group Plant Landshut was already
  certified for its sustainable use of aluminium back in December 2019.
  It meets the standards of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI),
  an international non-profit organisation supported by environmental
  and industrial associations, NGOs, aluminium producers and processing
  companies. ASI aims to maximise aluminium’s contribution to a
  sustainable society and defines sustainability criteria for an
  environmentally and socially responsible aluminium value chain.
  Through this initiative, following an audit by an independent third
  party, the BMW Group received confirmation that its light metal
  foundry handles aluminium in a conscious and responsible manner.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Responsible use of natural resources</strong></p>
<p>In addition to using green power to produce aluminium, the BMW Group
  is also taking additional steps to safeguard reserves of critical raw
  materials. For instance, the BMW Group has set itself the goal of
  significantly increasing the percentage of recycled raw materials,
  so-called secondary material, by 2030 and using raw materials multiple
  times in a circular economy. The use of secondary material reduces
  CO<sub>2</sub> emissions substantially compared to primary materials
  and also conserves natural resources.</p>
<p>At the same time, the BMW Group is establishing carbon footprint as a
  new contract award criterion for its supply chain and already began
  implementing this for the tenders with the biggest carbon footprint in 2020.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>These measures are already delivering results in the BMW iX (power
  consumption combined: < 21 kWh/100 km in the WLTP* test cycle;
  CO<sub>2</sub> emissions combined: 0 g/km): Relying on renewable green
  power to produce battery cells, in combination with increased use of
  secondary material, reduces CO<sub>2</sub> emissions in the BMW iX
  supply chain by 17%, compared to the same vehicle produced without
  these measures.</p>
<p>The BMW Group aims to have more than seven million electrified
  vehicles on the roads by 2030 – two thirds of them fully-electric. For
  this order of magnitude, BMW Group Purchasing is working with
  suppliers to ensure not only that the supply chain can manage the
  growth in volumes, but also that it can implement the requirements for
  sustainable development. In this way, BMW Group Purchasing is making a
  vital contribution to the company’s transformation towards e-mobility.</p>
<p>
  <strong> </strong></p>
<p>
  <strong>About Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA)</strong></p>
<p>EGA is the world’s largest producer of “premium aluminium” and was
  the first company headquartered in the Middle East to join the
  Aluminium Stewardship Initiative. EGA has supplied the BMW Group with
  primary aluminium since 2013.</p>
<p>EGA is an integrated aluminium producer, with operations ranging from
  bauxite mining to refineries and electrolysis, all the way to
  production of cast primary aluminium.</p>
<p>In 2019, EGA sold 2.6 million tonnes of cast metal. EGA is the only
  aluminium producer in the United Arab Emirates – making it the
  fifth-largest aluminium-producing country in the world.</p>
<p>With more than 400 customers in over 50 countries, EGA is one of the
  largest suppliers of foundry alloys to the automotive industry
  worldwide. EGA is certified to IATF 16949:2016, the latest global
  standard established by the automotive industry, which aims to ensure
  even more rigorous quality management in the global automotive supply chain.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>If you have any questions, please contact:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Corporate Communications</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sandra Schillmöller, Corporate Communications, Communications
  Purchasing and Supplier Network</p>
<p>Email: Sandra.Schillmoeller@bmwgroup.com , Telephone: +49-89-382-12225</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Saskia Eßbauer, BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs,
  Communications Landshut</p>
<p>Email: Saskia.Essbauer@bmw.de, Telephone: +49-871-702-3232,</p>
<p>
  <strong> </strong></p>
<p>Eckhard Wannieck, head of Corporate and Culture Communications</p>
<p>Email: Eckhard.Wannieck@bmw.de, Telephone: +49 89 382-24544</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Media website: <a href="https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en">https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en</a></p>
<p>Email: presse@bmwgroup.com</p>
<p>
  <strong> </strong></p>
<p>
  <strong> </strong></p>
<p>
  <strong>Contacts at Emirates Global Aluminium</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Simon Buerk, Senior Vice President Corporate Affairs</p>
<p>Email: <a href="mailto:sbuerk@ega.ae">sbuerk@ega.ae</a>, Telephone:
  +971 56 311 1536</p>
<p>
  <strong> </strong></p>
<p>
  <strong> </strong></p>
<p>
  <strong> </strong></p>
<p>
  <strong>The BMW Group</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>In 2020, the BMW Group sold over 2.3 million passenger vehicles and
  more than 169,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the
  financial year 2019 was € 7.118 billion on revenues amounting to €
  104.210 billion. As of 31 December 2019, the BMW Group had a workforce
  of 126,016 employees.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>www.bmwgroup.com</p>
<p>Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup</p>
<p>Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup</p>
<p>YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupView</p>
<p>Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup</p>
<p>LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/</p><div class="co2emission"><div class="co2emission-headline">CO2 EMISSIONS & CONSUMPTION.</div><div class="co2emission-text"><p>
  <strong>BMW iX:</strong> Power consumption combined: < 21 kWh/100
  km in the WLTP* test cycle; CO<sub>2</sub> emissions combined: 0
  g/km.<br /> *Data on driving performance, energy consumption and range
  is provisional and based on forecasts.</p></div></div><div class="import-contacts-wrapper"><div class="import-contact">Press Contact: Sandra Schillmoeller<br>Tel: +49-151-601-12225<br>E-mail: <a href="mailto:sandra.schillmoeller@bmwgroup.com">sandra.schillmoeller@bmwgroup.com</a></div></div></div>]]></description><category><![CDATA[Sustainability,Research &amp; Development,Sales &amp; Finance,Production,CO2 Emissions,Landshut]]></category>
            <pubDate>Tue, 02 Feb 2021 06:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
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