Production at the BMW Group.

Additive manufacturing is where we employ cutting-edge methods like 3D printing to meet the challenges of increasingly demanding tailored production. Here, highly complex components are individually manufactured to the highest levels of quality and precision using industrial 3D printers. As all the features of the component are defined in digital code, this speeds up development, workflows and eliminates the need for traditional tools such as dies or molds entirely.

Additive manufacturing is a game-changer when it comes to series production and enables us to quickly, precisely and flexibly meet the diverse configuration wishes of our customers individual vehicle orders. The Additive Manufacturing Center at the Research and Innovation Center of the BMW Group in Munich already delivers some 140,000 unique prototype parts each year to our development departments. These range from design patterns and plastic supports to metal chassis components. The key advantage of using a fully digital process is that requested components are available just a few days after sending in the design data. In order to stay at the forefront of this field we are investing more than 10 million euros in our new Additive Manufacturing Campus near Munich. Scheduled to open in early 2019, this new dedicated facility will allow us to house our full range of 3D printing expertise under one roof.

Smart data analytics is where our expert teams analyse the huge amounts of data generated by our production to continuously optimise our processes. By intelligently monitoring data through our own Intranet of Things we are able to precisely plan and control all key elements of our production in real-time – and set new benchmarks in process improvement.

In automotive production, the tiniest change in one process can have a catastrophic knock-on effect. If one machine fails, the entire production line can be brought to a halt, leading to significant downtime and delays. Intelligent data monitoring and real-time analysis are therefore essential to proactively identify any problems whenever, or even before, they occur. Enabling fast reaction times and flexible process design, smart data analysis is the key to keeping our production running smoothly. And there is still tremendous potential for savvy data analysts to harness its power even further – and push the limits of what’s possible across our entire value chain. 

Our most important strategic focus is on leading the global transition towards E-mobility in the coming years. In 2017 we chalked up an important milestone on our way to sustainable mobility. As promised at the beginning of the year, more than 100,000 electric powered vehicles were delivered to our customers. This was only possible because of our highly flexible international production network, which already supports the manufacture of e-vehicles at ten locations worldwide. Through our investments in intensive R&D we continue to innovate in areas like battery cell development, which will be key to driving the future mass-market demand for e-vehicles. The BMW Group Plant Dingolfing is our skill centre for electric drive technologies and plays a crucial role in supplying our worldwide network with pioneering concepts in cross-product electric mobility.