Continental, a renowned technology company, is leading the way in transforming automotive component production into a digital experience. They’ve established the “Digitalization of the Industrialization Process in the Automotive and Supplier Industries” (DIAZI) project, a three-year initiative, in collaboration with eight distinguished IT and optimization entities, including universities and startups.
Sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, this venture seeks to metamorphose production plants by implementing digital planning, simulation, and operation. The overarching goal is to enhance the efficiency, flexibility, and affordability of contemporary automotive factories, ensuring they stay in tune with rapid development timelines, intricate supply networks, and evolving consumer demands.
The culmination of DIAZI’s efforts will significantly refine the automotive industry’s industrialization procedures, championing sustainable mobility. Thomas Ebenhöch, the head of operations for the User Experience (UX) segment in Continental Automotive, lauds DIAZI’s strides. He highlights that as the pioneering company in this project, Continental is cultivating an innovative approach to sustainable and efficient manufacturing processes in the auto industry. Their vision of the “digital factory” is materializing, harnessing the power of digital simulations, artificial intelligence, and cloud-based data management to expedite market innovations.
Key Points
- Continental is at the forefront of the DIAZI project, aiming to digitalize automotive production processes.
- Partnering with eight key IT and process optimization organizations.
- The project is set to revolutionize the way production lines are planned, simulated, and operated, pushing for greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
- The “digital factory” concept revolves around a completely digitalized production environment.
Bottom Line
The German automotive and supplier sectors stand to gain immensely from this digital revamp. The project underscores the essence of a holistic, digital-first approach to fine-tuning industrialization, especially amidst the backdrop of rising customer expectations and swift development cycles. By capitalizing on AI, the initiative enables continuous process improvement, precise productivity forecasts, and downtime reductions. Such advancements have widespread implications for the entire automotive domain, emphasizing cross-company collaborations as seen in DIAZI. Notably, the preliminary outcomes of this initiative have showcased immense promise, with Continental’s clientele already reaping the rewards of accelerated production of innovative display solutions.
