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The BMW Group is advancing the digitalization and automation of its production processes as part of the BMW iFACTORY framework. Since 2022, the company has been testing Automated Driving In-Plant (AFW) for new vehicles at its Dingolfing plant, the largest in Europe. With successful CE certification, this pilot project has now entered series operation, enhancing efficiency and streamlining production across facilities.
Key Highlights
- Expansion to multiple plants: Leipzig plant also set to adopt AFW, with Regensburg, Oxford, and Debrecen following by 2025.
- Autonomous driving capabilities: Vehicles drive autonomously over a one-kilometer route from assembly to finishing.
- Collaboration with Embotech AG: Leveraging startup expertise to implement state-of-the-art cloud architecture and LIDAR infrastructure.
- Future technology rollouts: Plans to expand automation to testing and outdoor distribution zones.
Milan Nedeljković, a member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production, explained, “Automated Driving In-Plant optimises our production process and delivers significant efficiency gains for our logistics. That is why we will be swiftly rolling out this technology throughout our production network.”
The automated driving technology is not limited to Dingolfing. It has also been deployed for the MINI Countryman and other BMW models at the Leipzig plant. In Dingolfing, vehicles drive fully autonomously without a driver for over a kilometer, from assembly halls through a short test course to the plant’s finishing area. This complex process is enabled by a robust LIDAR infrastructure, touted as the largest in Europe, and a sophisticated externally generated environment model. The cloud-based system ensures that regardless of each vehicle’s equipment, their automated movement is handled seamlessly.
Plant Leipzig aims to introduce automated driving for 90% of the BMW and MINI models built there, and the technology will be further rolled out to Regensburg and Oxford by 2025. The Debrecen facility in Hungary will also implement this technology from the official launch of series production.
Looking forward, BMW plans to extend Automated Driving In-Plant to other areas of production, such as through testing zones and outdoor distribution areas. This evolution will support the increasing integration of on-board technology to assist external sensors in the long term, contributing to continuous advancements in the production process.
Milan Nedeljković added, “Over the next ten years, we will log several million test kilometres with Automated Driving In-Plant in our production network alone. In this way, the BMW Group is once again setting a new benchmark for automation and digitalisation of its production processes – while paving the way for future applications in the field of autonomous driving.”
The BMW Group’s commitment to in-house technological advancement and efficient production processes illustrates its forward-thinking approach to automation and autonomous driving solutions, not only enhancing production efficiency but also pushing industry standards to new heights.
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