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Car production is a complex process in which a finished car is made step by step. The path covered by VW Caddy and VW Transporter to be able finally to ride off the assembly line goes through the Body Building Department, a modern Paint Shop and Assembly Department. The process involves other departments as well as thousands of people and scores of robots.
Body Building Department
The base of a future car is made in the Body Building Department. High precision, safe processes and strict quality control all contribute to developing a safe and stable car.
The bodies produced in the Body Building Department are made in two halls – one is in the Plant in Antoninek in Poznań and the other in the Plant in Swarzędz.
Paint Shop
Most of the paint processes are made with specialist equipment and robots. Only the inside of the car cabin and places difficult to access are painted manually. Safety of the employees are guaranteed with the application of water-soluble paints, protective clothing, helmets with breathing apparatus and strictly controlled air flow in the spray booths. Ostrich feathers are used at one place. Their exceptional anti-static properties are used to clean the body surface. Special overalls have to be worn by the employees and all visitors to the paint shop in order to protect the air against microfibers from clothes.
Assembly Department
A car leaves the assembly line every 109 seconds and the average time of car assembly from entering the assembly line until permit to leave the plant is about 12 hours. About 3 000 elements and sub-assemblies are assembled at the lines. In order to facilitate work on the assembly line, there are 3 robots and 25 manipulators such as e.g. a manipulator to install the entire header panel, seats or the cockpit. However, most of the assembly operations are performed manually and therefore the staff is the critical element. The workers perform their tasks with due diligence, reliably and much devotion thus contributing to achieving the objectives, such as production of the planned number of top quality cars.
Logistics Department
About 1,000,000 parts are required to build 700 cars every day – the parts have to be supplied in appropriate quantities, at the right place and at the right time. Planning timely delivery of supplies of all the parts is a great challenge. The parts are delivered to Volkswagen Poznań from 800 various suppliers from Poland, Europe and the world. The parts are delivered to the factory in 600 various containers, loaded onto 130 trucks and 10 railway cars that daily arrive at our factory. The ability of analytical thinking is not sufficient to manage all the deliveries. Additionally one needs imagination, perfect organisation and coordination as well as some experience. German discipline and Polish fantasy additionally contribute to the work of each logistic employee at Volkswagen Poznań.
Quality Assurance Department
We have to be sure that each car leaving our factory is top quality. At Volkswagen Poznań like in the entire company, this is the most important thing – from designing through commissioning to series production. The Quality Assurance Department sees to it that quality is always of top level. Therefore, it is almost at every step where various controls, tests, measurements, audits, resistance tests are performed with respect to various weather and climatic conditions. Production processes are subject to ongoing monitoring for stability and efficiency. Remedial measures are developed for each questioned process or error.
Pilot Production Department
It is here that work is performed on implementing new technological solutions in our cars while all structural errors are eliminated. The employees of the department are involved in production planning with respect to costs, time and investments. The Pilot Production Department monitors implementation of technological modifications throughout the production cycle which requires collaboration with all other areas of our company. It is here that training of our employees is planned so that new solutions could be applied to series production.
Production Planning Department
Plans have to be accurate to be able to produce 670 cars daily. The task of the department is to ensure appropriate and timely planning of the production process as well as project implementation and commissioning of production systems required to implement and manufacture new products. Additionally, it is here that modifications to the production process are made subject to the required product quality, better accessibility of equipment, appropriate working conditions, environment protection and productivity. The department additionally supervises technical negotiations with suppliers, orders for machinery, equipment and materials required for the production process.
Facilities Maintenance Department
The department supervises and inspects over 3000 devices operating in the production process round the clock. Additionally, administration and maintenance of several dozen of programmers, support of the internal Ethernet network, connecting the plans in Poznań and Swarzędz of over 300 km. This requires continues education, training in programming, diagnostics, emergency strategies and preventive measures. In no other place the saying “time is money” may not be understood more literally like at a production line – therefore, in case of any disturbance an immediate reaction is so important. Each day of an employee is different and poses new challenges.
Foundry
The foundry in w Poznań is one of very few plans of this kind located in a city centre. It is a very modern plant with production having no impact on the environment. This is confirmed with an environmental certificate ISO 14001. The foundry as a supplier to motor industry also meets the requirements of the international technical specification ISO/TS 16949. Our fast development, commencement of production of new details and our ambitions to become the “Best of Benchmark” among the foundries within our company make the foundry area subject of dynamic transformations: reconstruction, implementation of new technologies and numerous new investments.
Environment Protection Department
Sustainable development requires modern efforts in the economic, social and ecological spheres. Volkswagen Poznań is a company that approaches the problems of environment protection with responsibility, that takes all available measures to minimise its impact on the environment. The staff of Volkswagen Poznań are proud of their achievements in environment protection while realising the challenges they have to face in the future.
Public Relations Department
It is best to work in a friendly environment – this is the objective of the PR Department. A small group of people takes care of relations with neighbours, not only providing information on the operations of the company but also organising numerous projects for the inhabitants of Poznań and Swarzędz. Obviously, all such operations are part of the brand strategy Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, being cohesive with the image of the company. Additionally we organise tours of the Body Building and Assembly Departments for those who are interested in learning about our production process.
Financial Department
It may seem that the Financial Department is a place in companies where each day looks the same. Boredom at VWP? Impossible! The financial area is very well developed and the work is really fascinating for persons who are interested in economy due to its variety. Many programs and projects are under way and they may be summarised as follows: "We must be better!” Work is under way on such areas as accounting, customs and tax regulations, property insurance, Controlling involved e.g. in budgeting, financial analyses, development of investment plans and taking care of the company’s financial liquidity.
HR Department
The employees of the department work for all the other departments and almost 6500 members of their staff. This work requires openness to people and interest in ongoing self-education. It is the employees, their safety and health that are in the focus of attention. The HR Department is responsible for: processing and advising in personnel processes, recruitment of staff involved directly and indirectly in production; development of incentive systems, development program, organisation and consultancy with respect to training, courses, workshops, factory protection, health and safety, fire protection and health services.