September 2009

KS Aluminium-Technologie GmbH and Porsche work with continuous control loop

An excellent cooperation

The long-standing and highly innovative cooperation between KS Aluminium-Technologie GmbH (ATAG) in Neckarsulm and the sports car maker Porsche can now look back on a successful first year with the new project: Following the inauguration of the new finish-machining hall in 2007, ATAG and Porsche jointly launched a new concept in the spring of 2008 – this concept consists of a continuous control loop from casting through to finish-machining and final inspection including dispatch, all of these operations taking place under one roof. In three-shift operations on two-levels, annual production rates of 120,000 engines are possible for Porsche.

ATAG boss Horst Binnig is very satisfied with the new project: "This strategic step towards precision machining is probably the greatest achievement by our Neckarsulm facility in recent years. The successful introduction of new technologies and methods and naturally also the implementation of related requirements by our work force and management are proof of the motivation and commitment of our employees."

Joachim Rogalski is the ATAG manager responsible for this new project and has been in charge since the first plans were mapped out in 2005. Ever since then, Porsche and the Neckarsulm-based engine block specialist have cooperated highly effectively on the concept of "casting and machining under one roof". 48 year-old Rogalski recalls: "Starting with the Porsche boxer six-cylinder engine, we have since managed to win the related orders for all Porsche engine blocks. This major investment project – encompassing the manufacture and delivery of finish-machined engine blocks that are ready for installation – meant that ATAG had to extend its production depth very considerably."

Step by step, the project reflects the implementation and optimization of the TPM (Total Productive Management) philosophy; it constantly mirrors ongoing innovations with regard to the core competencies associated with the casting and machining of engine blocks that have made ATAG an acknowledged system supplier for the premium auto sector and others, too. One obvious sign of TPM is the total cleanliness in the modern production halls. According to Porsche, the standard of cleanliness and tidiness that is immediately evident to the visitor has made ATAG an absolute benchmark in this area.

Project manager Rogalski: "When the production hall had been built in November 2006, Grob-Werke GmbH & Co. KG located in Mindelheim with whom we have been cooperating as a development partner for over ten years now, delivered the first tools and machines. Only ten months later we started with the PV series on the assembly line for the Porsche 9A1 boxer engine on the ground level. The hall was officially inaugurated in May 2007 and the second assembly line for the new generation of Porsche V-engines was taken into operation a few months later."

Tailored to optimized production and material flow, the two assembly lines are located on two separate levels in the building: the Porsche 9A1 line for the boxer engine covers an area of around 6,400 m² on the ground floor, while another 3,500 m² are available for the G1 line for Porsche's V6 and V8 engines on the upper level.

Looking at the changes that have taken place, Rogalski observes: "The aluminum smelting plant for low-pressure castings that are partly delivered in a molten condition and stored (screwed airtight) at 800°C in a furnace with 2.5 tons capacity, as well as the low pressure casting facility used to be relatively far apart; the core molding facility also used to be accommodated in a separate building. Today, all of these operations are part of a continuous process chain in one building. Automated transport systems with conveyor belts and robotic systems transport the engine blocks from one station to the next without any time losses; activities like loading onto fork-lift trucks and loading/unloading at various production stations have all become superfluous."

Many production processes are subject to continuous improvement (CIP) and work steps have become much more transparent in recent years. By applying a matrix, each engine block is registered immediately after casting and controlled throughout the production process thanks to the production data management system.

An online production overview on large display panels and individual control panels show employees the actual status of the engine block being manufactured as well as other operational data (such as total output, trends and malfunctions). Thanks to the completely "transparent" life cycle, stock keeping has been optimized and capital tied up is likewise kept at efficient levels: immediately after finish-machining, the engine blocks are loaded onto trucks and driven to the customer so that intermediate storage is no longer mandatory and is limited to the minimum amounts agreed with the customer.

ATAG expert Rogalski sums up: "Our cooperation with Porsche can be seen as a perfect example of comprehensive simultaneous engineering (SE); the complete project is accelerated and optimized due to the parallel performance of individual development steps. Furthermore, the close cooperation between engineering, sales, quality assurance and controlling departments of the customer and ATAG, and the highly disciplined teamwork meant that we achieved our joint targets quickly and implemented the new project very successfully. Indeed, the level of confidence between our two companies is so good that all project members react immediately and without hesitation – no matter what problem or question they may be confronted with."

Short distances, speedy decisions – Porsche's employees were (and are) generally in situ at the Neckarsulm plant within one hour – and close teamwork have benefited the positive cooperation, prompting Porsche's motor specialist Holger Klumpp, technical manager for the 9A1 engine, to make the following comparison: "The new production hall and its ATAG team working there are as precise and quick as a sports car made by Porsche."