Daimler AG’s Romanian subsidiary Star Transmission is to assemble the new Mercedes-Benz 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic transmission
from 2016.
The new assembly plant in
Sebes, near Alba, following an investment of €300 million, will
supplement the company’s production operations at the Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim
plant. Some 500 new jobs will be created.
Markus
Schäfer, divisional board member Mercedes-Benz cars, production and supply
chain management, said: “The new plant is also an important contributing factor
in the economics and the flexibility of the Mercedes-Benz international production
network. With this set-up we will successfully satisfy continued increases in
demand for automatic transmissions."
"Within
Mercedes-Benz' global production network for passenger cars the Untertürkheim
engine and transmission plant serves as a centre of competence," said Peter
Schabert, head of production powertrain and head of the Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim
plant. "From here the experienced production team has shared its know-how over
several months with Romanian employees as part of a special qualification
programme. Teamwork in the international powertrain team strengthens our
competitiveness on a sustainable basis."
Automatic
transmissions from Mercedes-Benz are manufactured at both the Mercedes-Benz
Untertürkheim plant and within Star Transmission, with the 9G-TRONNIC
transmission having been produced and assembled at the Untertürkheim parent plant
since 2013.
Star
Transmission
Star Transmission plant in Cugir,
south-west of Alba, was founded in 2001 and makes gearwheels, shafts as well as
machined components for engines, transmissions and steering systems. Its
technology centre handles both production of prototypes and acts as a training
base.
The
Sebes location began assembly of five-speed automatic transmissions last year,
and followed that this year with the 7G-DCT dual-clutch transmissions to
provide additional capacities beyond the manufacturing operations previously
concentrated exclusively in Stuttgart.
The
company now employs a total workforce of more than 1,200 people.
With
aid from the Romanian government, Star Transmission is one of the first
Romanian companies to offer a dual education system modelled after the German
state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.
The
aim of the dual education system is to offer young people in the Alba region a
good career outlook while at the same time ensuring the development of young
talents for Star Transmission.
Since
last September the plant has been training young people in the technical
professions, and to further improve working conditions for employees, Star
Transmission has been offering a health programme.
The
Mercedes-Benz cars powertrain production network comprises several locations in Germany, and is being expanded with
international production sites as part of the Mercedes-Benz 2020 growth
strategy alongside and increased production of Mercedes-Benz vehicles close to
markets and customers.
The
central location, the Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant, manufactures engines,
transmissions and axles at a total of six sub-plants. The Berlin plant
manufactures engines and powertrain components while the Hamburg plant produces
axles and various other components. The subsidiary MDC Power manufactures
engines in Kölleda, Thuringia.
China
last year saw the start-up of engine production for the Beijing Mercedes-Benz
cars and vans manufacturing operations at BBAC, a joint venture between Daimler
and Chinese partner BAIC.
This
year in the US, Daimler and Nissan will begin joint production of four-cylinder
gasoline engines based on Mercedes-Benz design at the Nissan plant in Decherd,
Tennessee, as part of a strategic cooperation between Daimler and the
Renault/Nissan alliance. Among others, the engines are destined for the future
production of the C-Class at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Daimler
claims its 9G-Tronic automatic transmission is the world's first nine-speed automatic transmission with a torque
converter. It is designed for premium vehicles. For example, the E 350 BlueTEC,
available in saloon and estate versions, is equipped with the new transmission
as standard behind the 185 kW (252 bhp) V6 diesel engine. It has an average
NEDC fuel consumption of 5.3 l/100 km.
Commercial vehicles
Meanwhile, Beijing Foton
Daimler Automotive Co., Ltd. (BFDA), a 50-50 joint venture between Daimler and
Chinese manufacturer Foton Motor, recently completed the 150,000th jointly-produced
Auman branded trucks.
Since
the first Auman truck rolled off the production line at its production facility
in July 2012, the company has improved its position in the world’s largest
truck market. In 2013, BFDA sold 103,300 units, equalling
a 34 per cent year-on-year growth rate, the highest growth among China’s top
five medium- and heavy-duty-truck manufacturers.
BFDA
plans to expand its production footprint in China with construction of a new Mercedes-Benz
heavy-duty engine plant targeted for later this year. The plant will make OM457
engines to be installed in other Auman products to further diversify BFDA’s
product portfolio. ∎
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