BMW kicks off ‘Neue Klasse’ vehicle production in Hungary
The BMW plant in Debrecen has been producing test vehicles for the first model of the ‘Neue Klasse’, which will be the iX3, since November 2024. However, in the case of final assembly, this has not yet taken place on the final assembly line. This is now changing with its commissioning. The processes and systems can now be optimised for around six months before the switch from pre-series to series production.
In assembly, the individual components and systems are installed in the painted body. In the case of Debrecen, not only is it the first assembly line for a new architecture within BMW, but according to the company, the ‘Neue Klasse’ in particular should open up new possibilities in assembly. “More efficiency thanks to modularisation, fewer different connecting elements and simplified installation of the wiring harness,” BMW lists, for example. Cockpit assembly also ensures greater speed.
The car manufacturer also goes into a little more detail on these points: the classic, large wiring harness has been divided into several parts in the ‘Neue Klasse,’ which can be installed separately. This makes the “zonal wiring harness architecture,” as BMW calls the development, more ergonomic to install and even lighter overall: it manages to make do with 600 metres fewer cables and brings a weight saving of 30 per cent compared to the previous generation.
The modularisation of components has also been optimised. When an assembly is pre-assembled from several individual parts, connecting elements are required. And according to BMW, the number of these has been ‘drastically’ reduced in the ‘Neue Klasse’. “This in turn reduces the number of different plugs, screws and clips. All of this makes assembly significantly more simple,” writes the Munich-based company.
The aforementioned cockpit assembly should be so compact that pre-assembly can take place directly on the main assembly line and the cockpit can be installed directly into the vehicle just a few metres further on. Nevertheless, full flexibility and variety are to be retained, according to BMW. The choice of equipment and material options should therefore not be reduced. While the zonal wiring harness architecture and modularisation are new, the cockpit pre-assembly on the main assembly line at BMW is not without precedent: The Lydia plant in China functions in a similar way. The Lydia plant was the inspiration for many of the structures and processes in assembly. The plant in China was opened in 2022 and was the first BMW site to be planned and simulated entirely in the virtual world from the outset. The hall for the assembly line and the entire conveyor system in Debrecen are identical.
When planning the new production site in Hungary, the BMW Group focussed on a completely virtual structure. In Debrecen, for example, many ideas and tried-and-tested structures from the Chinese plant in Lydia or the Leipzig plant can be found in assembly. Digital planning and the ‘Neue Klasse’ vehicle technology also make it possible to carry out various quality checks digitally on the assembly line. Following the initial deployment in Debrecen, this approach is also to be implemented at other locations – for example, from 2026 at the Munich plant, where the ‘Neue Klasse’ i3 sedan is to be built.
“Our highly efficient and ergonomic assembly line immediately started running without any issues,” says Hans-Peter Kemser, Head of BMW Group Plant Debrecen. “We achieved this thanks to virtual planning and tests, as well as the outstanding collaboration between our new, highly motivated employees in Debrecen and our experts within the BMW Group’s global production network.”
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