Photo: Valmet Automotive
The manufacturing of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class has started at Valmet Automotive in Uusikaupunki, according to the production plan. The manufacturing agreement stipulates production of over 100.000 Mercedes-Benz A-Class vehicles in the years 2013 to 2016 by Valmet Automotive.
Preparations for the Mercedes-Benz A-Class production started in July last year, as Daimler AG and Valmet Automotive announced their cooperation. In the course of these preparations, Valmet Automotive has engineered and constructed a completely new, modern body shop dedicated to the A-Class production. The body shop has around 200 robots and the automation level exceeds 90%. Changes have also been made to the multiproduct lines of the paint and assembly shops.
The production of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class employs all of Valmet Automotive’s current manufacturing personnel. During 2013-2014 Valmet Automotive will hire around 300 new car builders. The personnel have been trained for the A-Class manufacturing for several months, and 100 Valmet Automotive people have studied the engineering and work methods at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt, Germany. Mercedes-Benz production experts have been working in Uusikaupunki to support the project at Valmet Automotive.
– The launch of manufacturing of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class is an important milestone in the history of Valmet Automotive. Daimler is the inventor of the automobile and one of the world’s most successful automotive companies, and we are pleased to be part of the success story of the A-Class as their manufacturing partner, says Risto Hukkanen, SVP Manufacturing Services, Valmet Automotive.
– We have found the ideal partner for this project with Valmet Automotive. As a production specialist, Valmet Automotive reliably fulfills the high requirements in terms of processes and especially quality which globally apply to the production of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, says Andreas Renschler, member of Daimler AG’s Board of Management responsible for Manufacturing and Procurement Mercedes-Benz Cars & Mercedes-Benz Vans.