the automotive modular design - volkswagen group platform strategy/policy
DESCRIPTION
This presentation analyses the Volkswagen group platform strategy/policy to reduce cost and time to market: - Platform concept – design and process as defined by Volkswagen group. - Volkswagen Group Platforms – Platform policy, production data, by segment and model family, with a forecast until 2017 - Standardisation to reduce cost – concept, scaling process, parts and tools standardisation. - Advantages and dangers of a modular construction.TRANSCRIPT
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The Automotive Modular Design
An innovative approach to reduce cost and time to market
A thinking based on the Volkswagen group platform
strategy/policy
Jamel Taganza Vice-President
Michel Costes President
Jean-Michel Prillieux Market director
Introduction
Automotive industry is a very competitive one. Competition has still increased over the last 10 years with an enhanced globalisation. In order to face this competition, carmakers: Develop their offer by:
• Adding versions to their range of models (e.g. SUV, crossovers, …) • Adapting the design of the cars to the specific demand of the different countries where they sell their
products. Decrease the cost of their products by:
• De-contenting them every time that the de-contented products are sufficient for the targeted customers • Decreasing the price of the products:
- By using a systemic approach. - Standardise as much as possible to produce mass volume parts at low cost.
Platform is at the core of the know-how of the carmaker.
Designing sets of efficient platforms at an optimised cost provides those of carmakers which control technologies with very significant advantages versus competition. Many efforts are deployed to develop and engineer optimised platform
The concept of platform varies from one carmaker to the other one. In all cases the platform is an ensemble composed of:
The underbody (which is the structure of the platform).
The systems that are attached to this underbody and that contribute to the mechanical properties of the car, as the suspensions and the powertrain. Considered systems are not the same from one carmaker to another
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Platform concept
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Platform concept
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Platform and underbody: design
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Platform
Body shell
Platform and underbody: process
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Platform and underbody: process
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Volkswagen Group Platforms
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Platforms to be build for a large number of vehicles
Volkswagen Group: several brands – many vehicles in each brand
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VW Platform policy
MQB (transversal engine)
MLB (longitudinal l engine)
Production in Europe
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From platforms by segment to broader concept
2005 : platforms by segment (in general one platform for each segment)
vehicles which will be produced from MQB platform in 2017 MQB: Modularer QuerBaukasten – Modular Transverse Matrix (Construction Box)
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From platforms by segment to broader concept
• 2017 : platforms over segments (same platform for different segments) – MQB example
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Standardisation to reduce cost
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The design of a platform needs a systemic approach. The car must comply with a lot of constraints
Design
• Static (torsion, bending, acoustic)
• Dynamic (front, rear and side crash, small shock, pedestrian safety)
• Mass
• Roominess
Process
• Installed tooling: flexibility
Minimum cost
For cost reduction reasons, it is necessary to use a maximum of common parts over a wide range of
models and derivatives. Generally, some basis systems of the car are designed, and then adapted to comply with the specification of a maximum of models.
The attachment must also be standardised.
Platform concept
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Standardisation of general design
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Underbody A Underbody C
Underbody B
Attachment points
• Important design approach
• Standardisation of attachments of modules
• Standardisation of parts
• Assembly flexibility on a same line by using adequate pilot processes
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Scaling Process
Build models with different models on the basis of the same platform
Not multiply all the dimensions
But keep identical or similar the maximum of parts and keep identical the maximum of fixations (in particular holes used for assemblies)
Change the dimensions of a minimum of parts
Use the same toolings
Stamping tooling to produce parts on demand Example: central floor
Welding and assembly lines
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Parts standardisation
Underbody: around 100 parts from several grams to 10 kg (including around 30 parts> 1kg)
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Standardisation of position and attachments of modules
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Standardisation of tooling
Flexible factory
Up to 60 vehicles/hour
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Advantages and dangers of a modular construction
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Advantages and dangers of a modular approach
Advantages
Reduce
• Part cost
• The cost of the tooling is spread over a larger number parts
• Development cost
Decrease
• Time to market for new vehicles and/or new versions
Focus R&D on
• Less projects with more means
Dangers
MQB platform can be by default over-designed and over-engineered for some basic segment models (A or B).
Cost of adapting the MQB base to specific projects. It may be more costly to adapt the MQB platform to a new project than to redesign a new platform
First investment and replacement cost of the toolings to adapt them to the new concept
Quality problems due a non-optimised design (due to the MQB platform constraints)
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Postal address: 34 rue Camille Pelletan 92300 Levallois-Perret France Phone: + 33-952 96 06 68
Contacts: Managing director
Michel Costes [email protected]
Sales and marketing Jamel Taganza [email protected]