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Digital transformation pays off at Mercedes-Benz
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Industry 4.0, the concept of cyber-physical integration in manufacturing, has become a new trend and a national strategy in China as the nation pursues industrial upgrade. German carmaker Mercedes-Benz is a role model in introducing Industry 4.0.
“Digital transformation is in full swing at Mercedes-Benz. We are transitioning from car manufacturer to networked mobility provider,” said Dr Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, before the recent Frankfurt Motor Show.
“It’s about nothing more and nothing less than the complete networking of the entire value chain — from research and development, through production to marketing and sales,” he said.
Digital prototyping started in the 1970s with about 1,000 elements for computer renderings. It now can handle 80 million elements with faster speed, more precision and more diversity for new cars. Through digital simulation, passive safety can be improved; aerodynamics performance can be evaluated even before wind-tunnel experiment.
Concept IAA, an intelligent aerodynamic concept car Mercedes-Benz presented at the auto show, took less than 11 months to design, compared with two years in conventional method. It is a record holder in aerodynamics with a Cd figure of 0.19 in the form of a four-door coupé. The car can automatically switch between its two characters when speed reaches 80km/h and triggers a large number of aerodynamic measures to alter its form.
The company said digitalization also makes production more flexible and more connected. Mercedes-Benz uses multi-tasking mobile robots on the assembly lines to perform different tasks without the need to modify or stop the production line. In the future, holistic automation and control technology and company-wide standard modules will enable better communication between plants and bind them into a close-knit network for greater efficiency.
Retailing, too, is embracing digitalization. One of the latest innovations is Lifestyle Configurator, an enhanced version of the classic vehicle configurator for consumers to enter their individual preferences in furnishings, travel destinations or sporting disciplines to find a Mercedes-Benz car as the best match.
“In marketing and sales, digitization brings us first and foremost the opportunity to address our customers’ desires even more individually. The new Lifestyle Configurator shows us that the digital and real customer worlds will continue to merge at Mercedes.”” he said.
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