Trucks in media heaven: Production starts in the most modern truck plant in Europe

The new assembly plant of MAN Nutzfahrzeuge Group in the Polish town of Niepołomice / Complex roof construction for flexible media use / 15,000 trucks per year roll off the line / Assembly system from Wampfler AG sets standards throughout Europe

Weil am Rhein, March 2008. In the Polish town of Niepołomice near Krakow, the most modern truck plant in Europe has started production. This makes operator MAN Nutzfahrzeuge Group one of the largest employers in the region. By mid-2010, the company will employ some 650 people in what is now its third plant in Poland. Vehicles in the heavy product line MAN TGA Worldwide are primarily produced, which are intended for the growing economies in Eastern Europe, Russia, South Africa, and Middle East. A maximum of 15,000 units should roll off the line every year, fully assembled. Well-integrated into the international production group, the plant receives axles, driver cabs, and engines from German and Austrian factories.

The cornerstone for the complex, highly flexible assembly process in Niepołomice was laid by Wampfler AG in Weil am Rhein. MAN entrusted the South-Germany-based specialist with the complete planning and provision of media supply for the assembly line in the areas of compressed air and electrical power. All points in the process are now accessible by modern crane technology to allow for the efficient assembly of all components. “In close collaboration with MAN Nutzfahrzeuge Group, we developed a modular design for the hanging and supply of all assembly tools in their respective line segments with the power they require,” explained project manager Daniel Schlösser. The so-called “media heaven” guarantees the operator of the assembly system in Neipołomice the highest variability in all areas of the assembly line. Continuous flow production of trucks can be carried out at a speed of five to twelve meters per minute.
This brings MAN Nutzfahrzeuge Group a production increase from 85,000 to 100,000 units per year. In addition to the delivery of all system components, Wampfler also handled the coordination of the overall project.

“Media heaven” guarantees high flexibility

The “media heaven” developed by Wampfler in Niepołomice – a complex roof construction – works with W5-traxX media rails. These integrate a compressed air pipe into an aluminum profile, supplying all moving assembly tools. Energy guiding chains carry compressed air, electrical power, and data to the consumers. There is an optional possibility of extending the plant with a contact-free distance measurement system, which would simultaneously provide the exact position of the carts and automatic data collection in the assembly area.

“Wampfler has created a system for us which gives us the maximum in flexibility. The high load capacity and rigidity of the media heaven means we can use crane systems, handling technology, lighting and the compressed air media supply systems wherever needed. That means we're not stuck with the original equipment later, but can always flexibly adapt to changing requirements. Wampfler acted here as our general contractor, planning, coordinating, and assembling everything from the steel framework to the lamp controls and the stationary compressed air supply,” says MAN plant manager Marc Sielemann.