Dürr shows strong growth in vehicle final assembly line

12/19/2002

• Systems orders received totaling more than 70 million euros
• Leading supplier with a comprehensive range

The new Final Assembly Systems business unit, formed at the beginning of 2002, is developing more and more into another of the mainstays of the Dürr Technology Group. Over the past few weeks Dürr Final Assembly Systems (FAS) has received international orders worth more than 70 million euros.

Volkswagen has named Dürr as General Contractor on a project to refit the existing final assembly line at its Mosel factory in Germany to handle the new Golf A5. The project includes modifying and extending the conveyor systems in the final assembly area, interlinking with material handling equipment to deliver wheels, seats and cockpits just-in-time and all assembly and fitting machines. In the area known as the "marriage station", where body shells and power trains are joined, Dürr will install a newly developed contact-free and wear-free power transmission that ensures a marked reduction in inspection and maintenance requirements.

Dürr Final Assembly Systems is also General Contractor for the installation of the marriage station and conveyor systems for a new final assembly line for Land Rover at Solihull, Great Britain. Here the task includes combining new conveyor elements with modified existing equipment to provide a new line. This new line will handle assembly of models with varying wheelbase lengths.

Modification to DaimlerChrysler's existing final assembly line at its US-Tuscaloosa (AL) plant, in preparation for the next generation M-Class, is currently being carried out alongside normal production. Planning and execution is being carried out jointly by German and American FAS companies.

Increased model variety and vehicle individuality are acting as impetuses to investment as are improvements of productivity, flexibility and quality standards. Dürr, as a leading supplier of turnkey solutions for vehicle final assembly with a product portfolio covering factory planning, a full range of related process equipment and conveyor systems, aims to participate more than most in this growing market.

In the first 9 months of fiscal 2002 Final Assembly Systems (FAS) registered an order increase of 45% to 345 million euros in comparison with last year's period. Integration of various Schenck companies into the business unit coupled with the continuing development of its four product lines, DSEngineering, Conveyor Systems, Final Assembly Products and Assembly Turnkey, provide the basis for further growth. Final Assembly Systems companies are based in 13 countries.