Ongoing Upgrade of Dacia Plants

As of 2015, Dacia Car Plant and Dacia Powertrain Plant implemented the Alliance Production Way (APW), the new production system of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. The automation level for the manufacturing processes is currently at 5%. It will reach 20% in the years to come. The upgrading investments made in the Mioveni industrial site amounted to approx. EUR 1.9 billion between 2000 and 2014, out of which Euro 18.5 million were used to improve working conditions. APW is the new common production system used in Renault-Nissan plants.

Since the beginning of 2015, the two plants on the Dacia industrial site in Mioveni (Dacia Car Plant and Dacia Powertrain Plant) have been applying the Alliance Production Way (APW) – the new common production system of the Renault-Nissan alliance. APW is aimed at reliably improving the profitability and competitiveness of the company.

Dacia Car Plant

In 2013, the Stamping Shop was equipped with the first automated press line for the manufacturing of large parts. This year, other three press lines were automatized to prevent safety risks and to lower touch up rates. The general assembly line in the Car body Shop is being equipped with a new automated system. The automation of the bodywork line allows the elimination of non-ergonomic welding stations. Some work stations currently use large welding pliers to get access to areas where the welding operations were more difficult to perform manually. In the future, manufacturing lines will include new technologies (i.e. plasma welding, VISIO control for bodywork geometry). The welding robots can perform more welding tasks than workers in a given period of time. The Trim and Chassis Shop was fitted out in summer 2014 with a line of variable height where bodies are adjusted according to the work station, to enable workers to assemble the parts in optimum ergonomic conditions. In various areas in the shop, conveyor belts were introduced. Moreover, the picking-kitting area, which prepares parts for individual vehicles, was broadened. All these changes were meant to facilitate the workers’ activities and to reduce idle times.

“There are visible transformations in each shop, whether it’s Stamping, Car Body, Painting or Trim and Chassis. The staff involved in the manufacturing processes, in areas with robots included, benefit from permanent training aimed at raising awareness of the importance of quality, safety at work, costs and dead- lines. 93% of the Dacia Car Plant production is exported. There are customers from different cultures, with different requirements. APW means being always synchronized with customers. In manufacturing processes, this translates to “no defects”. We gradually removed all safety risks from manual works stations, which involved challenging manual operation, and replaced them with robots. These changes are also positively reflected in the working conditions of our employees.” Cornel Olendraru, General Manager Dacia Car Plant

Dacia Powertrain Plant

In the assembly shop of the Energy Tce 90 engines, some of manufacturing processes are automated. Thus, parts handling, parts collection and engine compliance processes are all automated.

For instance, the work station at the end of the assembly line (photo Engine Shop) performs a series of VISIO checks (presence and reading of the label on the engine, accuracy of number of parts, assembly, etc).

“The employees adapted to the new technology trends. It wasn’t an abrupt, but a phased adaptation. A new job emerged: automation engineer – they program and supervise robots and automated manufacturing processes.”Philippe Nottez, General Manager Dacia Powertrain Plant

The shop producing the TL gearboxes (six gears) from the Powertrain Plant features innova­tive technologies: cutting edge 3D control systems, test benches for acoustic and vibration control, transfer machines for plant processes. The produc­tion of this shop is shipped to Dacia Car Plant for the Duster range, or is exported to other plants of the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

One of the basics of APW is to tap human potential by creating a safe and job friendly work­ing environment. A job friendly environment is where employees can achieve their quality and cost targets and deadlines safely, systematically, based on standard methods.

“Any employee can be a contributor to performance. We award monthly rewards to workers with effective ideas to improve their or other work areas, as well as workers with good results, open and committed. We recently decided to invite their families to the awards, which proved a very good idea: they are all nervous and motivated to show their spouses, children or parents where they work and what they do.”Philippe Nottez, General Manager Dacia Powertrain Plant

Employees are encouraged to take part in improving manufacturing processes or their own work stations by means of a system called Suggestions for Progress. These suggestions can be remunerated or not, according to the actual value they bring. Moreover, the best employees are rewarded for their results and work place attitude.

The upgrading investments in the Mioveni industrial site amounted to approx. EUR 1.9 billion between 2000 and 2014, of which Euro 18.5 million in improving working conditions.

The automation level for the manufacturing processes is currently at 5%. It will reach 20% in the years to come.

Summary

The multi-level upgrades at the Mioveni plants, consisting in the manu­facturing of sundry components and the introduction of new technologies, were accompanied by the training of staff. Moreover, the working condi­tions are constantly improving.

Quality at all levels and working stations, up to the final stage (which is actually a complex test bench) is the dominant policy.

There are various approaches to stimulate employees’ creativity to increase performance. Best proposals are rewarded by the management.