BMW gears up for growth with new engine plant in Shenyang

BMW Brilliance Automotive entered a new phase of local production on Friday as its new engine plant in Shenyang started production of the automaker's latest turbocharged engines.

With the bringing together of core technologies, the BMW Group has for the first time integrated the complete engine production process from casting and machining, to assembling and testing at one plant. It is one of the most advanced and sustainable engine plants worldwide.

Oliver Zipse, a member of the management board of the BMW Group, said in an interview: "It's part of our localization strategy. The two plants in Shenyang, Tiexi and Dadong, are big enough that a complete engine factory is worthwhile."

The BMW Brilliance Automotive engine plant in Shenyang, Liaoning province, serves as the BMW Group's first competence center outside of Europe, and its fourth after those in Germany, Austria, and United Kingdom.

With it, BMW has been realizing the full localization in China of the core engine components, such as cylinder head, crankcase, crankshaft, connecting rod, cam shaft, to assemble the latest generation of BMW 3- and 4-cylinder engines.

"We have a network of engine plants in Germany. Here the new engine plant has all the knowledge of that network realized with the latest data. We have taken the next step here in China with the latest technology," Zipse said.

Olaf Kastner, president and CEO of BMW Group Region China, said: "With the strategy of 'In China, with China and for China,' the new engine plant has created about 2,000 high quality positions in Shenyang, and it will also help the city's economic development."

The new staff members have expanded the BMW team in China to 17,000, with 16,000 in Shenyang.

"Manufacturing its most advanced engines in China with its latest core technologies shows BMW's confidence in the Chinese market and its commitment to its localization strategy," said Anton Heiss, president and CEO of BMW Brilliance, at the opening ceremony for the engine plant.

Technology innovations

"We have taken the latest foundry technology from the Landshut plant, and developed it further. It is now more secure, and has no heat emissions," Zipse said.

For instance, the liquid aluminum used for the crankcase is now transported underground in the new plant, instead of transported by forklift as in Landshut plant in Germany.

The foundry at the new engine plant is the first in China to use an environmentally friendly water-soluble inorganic binder, resulting in almost zero emissions in the binding process.

"It is also a sustainable new engine plant," added Zipse. "For instance, to save energy, all the heat is collected and used for winter heating."

The foundry boasts the world's most advanced smelter, which can reduce the energy consumption by 20 percent, and 90 percent of the used sand can be recycled for the sand core process; which means 30 tons of sand can be recycled per day.

Thanks to the latest technologies applied in the new engine plant, it is a green production benchmark for the group.

Another innovative technology patented by the BMW Group is the wire arc spraying applied to the production of cast-aluminum crankcases, which produces less internal friction in the engine and reduced engine weight resulting in reduced fuel consumption.

In the machining workshop, production processes are highly automated and self-correcting machinery ensures each component is machined to exact specifications.

"We are manufacturing to extreme tolerances. The accuracy required is one-fourth the thickness of a human hair," said Heiss.

The machining workshop also innovatively recycles and reuses process water, and discharges no waste water at all.

In the assembly workshop, the production lines are highly flexible, meaning different engines can be made at the same time. To ensure zero-defect production, all engines are 100 percent cold tested and leak tested. Every single technological and test parameter is recorded and traceable for each engine; and the data will be saved for 25 years.

More importantly, the production lines are highly ergonomic. The latest conveyor system allows operators to adjust the height to the most comfortable position for them.

The new engine plant is located in close proximity to both BMW Brilliance's vehicle plants. This leads to an optimized production flow.

"From the start of casting till the engine is assembled in the car, it takes half as many days as it takes in Germany, for example. That's a big time saving," said Heiss.

When an assembly plant, such as the Tiexi plant, is in need of an engine, it can be collected in just 83 minutes.

Global consultancy firm KPMG's 17th Global Automotive Executive Survey released on Jan 18 expects BMW to be a groundbreaking innovator over the next five years, and to be the most innovative carmaker until 2025.

The German company is also seen as a leader in electric mobility, as it has been developing a strong subbrand i, with the introduction of the i3 and i8 models.

"A new high voltage battery center is now being constructed within the new engine plant. In the future, it will provide batteries for the plug-in hybrid cars of BMW Brilliance," said Heiss.

"So far, a total of 1.3 million BMW have been made in China. From the first day of initiating local production, we are committed to quality," he added.

With China the biggest auto market, BMW Brilliance is going to expand the local line-up from current three to six models in the near future.

Contact the writers at haoyan@chinadaily.com.cn and lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 01/25/2016 page19)