Mercedes-Benz Malaysia achieves production milestone

By LEE PANG SENG | 5 September 2019




PEKAN: Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) recently built 100,000 of its vehicles, including the commercial range that accounts for a small percentage, in Pekan over a span of 15 years.

That in itself attests to the confidence that the locally assembled range of Mercedes-Benz passenger car range has garnered among Malaysian premium car owners.

Of course, this level of acceptance wouldn’t have been possible without the quality assembly procedures and machinery, not forgetting the stringent quality controls and checks, which have been put in place at the Pekan plant in Pahang.

The plant currently produces five Mercedes-Benz models – C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, GLC and Mercedes-AMG – with 13 variants.

In celebrating the output of the 100,000th Mercedes-Benz car, MBM also announced the roll-out of the left-hand drive C 180 for the Philippine market.

A Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Pekan plant staff showing the differences between the front assembly for the left-hand drive (left) and the right-hand drive C-Class.
A Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Pekan plant staff showing the differences between the front assembly for the left-hand drive (left) and the right-hand drive C-Class.


This is acknowledged as a first for the region for this German carmaker and the Pekan plant in particular as recognition of its high quality assembly procedure that meets export market expectations.

A third celebration came in the opening of a new three-line assembly section that would progressively take over from the two-and-a-half assembly operation, which is still running.

President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Dr Claus Weidner says at the Pekan plant media visit that the company is working towards a sustainable business strategy in Ambition 2039.

The target is a carbon-neutral car fleet in 20 years or having the transformation being fully achieved within fewer than three production cycles.

Understandably, to do this Mercedes has to aim for carbon-neutral production and the goal is a carbon-neutral car in Europe by 2022, with other plants to follow in gradual progression.

By doing so, Dr Weidner says this would inspire ‘our customers for carbon-neutral mobility’.

On the company’s current status in Malaysia, he says: “As the leading premium brand, Mercedes-Benz is committed to continuously redefine the mobility landscape of Malaysia.

“We achieve the highest engineering standards in producing locally assembled vehicles, without compromising on the safety, technology, design or quality.

“The roll-out of our 100,000th locally assembled vehicle testifies to a growing trust and demand of Malaysians in Mercedes-Benz products.

MBM vice-president (production plant) Patrick Baur with the left-hand drive C 180 for the Philippine market.
MBM vice-president (production plant) Patrick Baur with the left-hand drive C 180 for the Philippine market.


On the newly initiated export programme, he says:

“In support of the country’s international trade industry within the SEA (Southeast Asia) region, we would begin exports this year.

“The export of our best-selling limousine, the C-Class, to the Philippines allows us to extend our expertise and enhance Mercedes-Benz Malaysia’s brand image regionally.”

He adds: “As we set to expand our production volumes, we have undertaken technological upgrades at our plant to enhance our ability to cater to a more robust production portfolio and contribute towards an increased market share of Mercedes-Benz vehicles locally and regionally.”

MBM vice-president (production plant) Patrick Baur says the respective assembly procedures would be moved over to the new premises in stages from the existing lines without affecting car production.

He added that Mercedes-Benz’s CKD (complete knock down) programme in Pekan sees a fairly comprehensive local content supply chain.

Two major parts suppliers are located beside the 80-hectare plant premises at the Pekan Industrial Park; the ZF Chassis Systems supplies the front and rear axles and sees 110 ‘shipments’ per month, and Yanfeng Automotive Interior Systems that oversees the supply of cockpit assembly, door panels and door modules with 380 ‘shipments’ monthly.

This is supported by 700 containers of CKD kits from Daimler AG Germany a month; 110 ‘shipments’ of seat assembly from Lear Automotive in Tanjung Malim, Perak; and 44 monthly ‘shipments’ of harnesses from DEM Draexlmaier Automotive System in Ipoh, Perak.

The logistics service provider is Sitics Logistics Solution, which is also located in the Pekan Industrial Park and makes 530 ‘trips’ a month to the Mercedes assembly plant.

Among the plant upgrades is the new door sub assembly that sees new processes and tools; this new concept allows for varying output flex line that is capable of attending to multiple models, thus enabling quick and flexible model changes.

New tools in this section are the special design manipulators that are featured with the latest technology in the CKD network and are compatible to all Mercedes-Benz models.

This Pekan plant employs the Warenkorb Logistic Concept that is described as Mercedes’ new just-in-sequence process to achieve the highest efficiency and best quality.

Using its specialty knowledge in the Mercedes-Benz production system (MPS), the trolleys are designed and produced in-house as part of the plant’s continuous improvement process.

Another interesting procedure is the New Marriage Concept CKD that is part of the Assembly Shop Technology; this is described as the latest in CKD technology for the ‘marriage’ of the vehicle powertrain to the body.

The new method sees the entire powertrain of the vehicle being lifted in a single process to improve production cycle time tremendously as well as improve quality.

EC Tools with electrical transducers are used in this process to ensure that all safety relevant tightening are safely and securely carried out.

Having produced hybrid vehicles since 2014, MBM also continuously train and educate its staff on the high tech environment and safety relevant processes.

And just relevant is the fact that each vehicle is put through a four-stage control system executed at various points of the assembly line.

Mercedes-Benz says that all its 1,300 well-qualified local engineers and manufacturing employees with knowledge on innovative technologies and latest methods of quality control are ‘empowered’ to ensure all vehicles produced adhere to the stringent requirements set by Mercedes-Benz Cars.

The best testimony to a job well done is clearly seen in that more than 80% of the Mercedes-Benz range currently sold here are rolled out from the Pekan assembly plant.

 


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