Dacia Mechanical and Chassis Plant

Dacia Mechanical and Chassis Plant
Dacia Mechanical and Chassis Plant covers a wide range of activities: manufacturing of aluminium raw
parts, engine and gear box machining and assembling, part machining and assembling of front and
rear half-axles, pressing and welding of shafts and GMP (Moto Propeller Unit) frameworks for vehicles
in Dacia, Renault and Nissan brands produced worldwide.
As of July 1st 2014, Dacia Mechanical and Chassis Plant has 3,707 employees, out of which 27%
women.
The activities of the plant are performed in 16 buildings covering 18 hectares.
Dacia Mechanical and Chassis Plant is organized in four manufacturing departments (including 123
production lines):
- Aluminium
- Engines
- Gear boxes
- Chassis
Logistics and SPR Progress Plan functions are added, and they form the Manufacturing Direction. The
Maintenance Department and the Monozukuri Program are integrated into the Technical Direction.
The Quality and Human Resources tertiary functions are directly subordinated to the Executive
Director.
In ten years (2004 - 2013) approximately 1,750,000 K7x engines and 2,500,000 JHx gear boxes were
manufactured. Between 2008 and 2013 approximately 1,230,000 TLx gear boxes were produced.
Over 65% of the plant’s production is intended for export to plants within Renault and Nissan Groups.
Dacia Mechanical and Chassis Plant has applied since 2002 the Renault Production System (SPR) and
contributes to the industrial performance of Dacia Plant and of Renault Manufacturing and Logistics
Direction. The first Elementary Working Unit (UEL) within Renault Romania Group validated
at maturity level 4 within the UEL File is from UMCD.
Aluminium Department
The department’s activity is performed within a building of 13,050 square meters.
This sector, where more than 420 employees work, includes 2 foundry workshops for aluminium
under pressure, the largest foundry in the country and within Renault Group worldwide and two
maintenance workshops.
The sector has spectacularly evolved over the last few years, the investments made it possible to
gradually increase production capacities: from 1,000 tonnes in 2001 to 13,500 tonnes in 2011 and
24,000 tonnes in 2014.
In the foundry raw parts made of aluminium are produced for the gear boxes and engines
manufactured in UMCD and in other Renault plants in Europe, South America, Africa and Asia. The
types of cast parts are: cylinder casings, clutch and differential casings, mechanism casings, oil pans,
cylinder head covers, semels, brackets, water outlet boxes, sealing bushes, rockers etc. The
aluminium foundry at Dacia is a great advantage, as we produce raw parts internally. The weight of
these parts varies between 0.3 and 22 kg. Raw materials consist of aluminium alloy ingots provided
by suppliers in Romania, France and Italy.
The casting process is performed under pressure by means of 22 state of the art automated presses,
having capacities between 660 and 2,500 force tonnes, depending on the type of the cast part. For
large presses (≥1,050 ft), the entire technological process is automated: alloy temperature
adjustment, matrix thermal regimen, casting, part extraction, casting network detachment.
Cast parts are controlled in the quality laboratory where determinations are performed by
non-destructive methods for internal and surface health, X rays are used to determine chemical
composition of raw materials and parts, 3D (tri-dimensional) measurements are performed in order to
check part geometry etc.
At the end of 2012 and in 2013 two casting cells of 2,500 force tonnes received the Manufacturing
Permit. In 2014 the 3rd cell of the same category was installed and the 4th one is scheduled in May
2015. These cells produce cylinder carters for the 0.9 litre TCe (H4) engine. In order to implant these
new cells, the building was extended by 2,600 m2.
After casting, before machining, raw parts are blasted, ridges are eliminated and tightness is
controlled.
The 2 maintenance workshops ensure the maintenance of the machineries within the foundry and the
machining units, as well as for matrices and dies.
Gear Box Department
The activity of the department is performed in two buildings with 615 employees, with a surface of
48,420 m2 and is divided into two sectors, JHx gear boxes and TLx gear boxes.
The department is organised in seven workshops: six manufacturing workshops and one maintenance
workshop.
Within the JHx gear box sector parts are machined for the JH, TL4 and TL8 gear boxes and the 5 gear
JH gear boxes are assembled. The assembling line is semi-automated, with installed capacity of 910
boxes/shift.
The machining lines for box components are:
- JH differential boxes,
- TL4 differential boxes,
- TL8 differential boxes,
- planets,
- JH, TL4 and TL8 crowns,
- driving axles,
- fork axles.
The JH gear boxes manufactured at Dacia are mounted on Logan vehicles assembled in Dacia Vehicle
Plant and in the other Renault plants in the world.
Before supply, for quality assurance, all gear boxes are controlled on the two testing stands.
In this perimeter special processes are performed as well: thermal treatment, phosphate treatment,
blasting.
The TLx gear box sector is integrated from an organisational point of view within the Mechanical and
Chassis Plant, and it represents from a legal point of view the Renault Mécanique Roumanie (RMR)
plant. RMR was commissioned on May 13th, 2008. The plant was built taking into account Renault
standards, in compliance with quality management norms, ISO 9001, and with environmental
protection norms, ISO 14 001.
In this sector there are four manufacturing (machining and assembling) workshops and an Elementary
Working Unit to control teeth. In this perimeter components such as fixed pinions, sliding devices,
reverse motion sliding devices, free pinions, dog claw cone, primary and secondary shafts are
manufactured and TLx (TL4 and TL8) gear boxes and transfer modules are assembled. The TLx gear
box is a state of the art manual box and is the first common gear box for the Renault-Nissan Alliance.
It has six gear ratios and it can transmit a torque up to 240 Nm. It is adapted for the new gasoline
engines of 1.8 and 2 litres and diesel engines of 1.5 litres. Since October 2012 the production capacity
has increased by 30%, to 7,500 gear boxes manufactured each week.
In 2013 the project for increasing the capacity to 10,000 gear boxes manufactured was validated and
the manufacturing permit was forecast for the first quarter of 2015.
Part of the TLx gear box production is supplied to Dacia Vehicle Plant for the Duster range and more
than half of the production is intended for export to Renault plants in Russia (Avtoframos), Turkey
(Oyak), Brasil (Curitiba), Columbia (Sofasa), India (Chennai) and to Nissan plant in Great Britain
(Sunderland). The transfer module, associated to the TL8 gear box, is a mechanical component
necessary for the gear chain of a 4x4 vehicle, and it is produced only at Dacia. Between 2008 and the
end of December 2013 1,230,895 TLx gear boxes and 445,093 transfer modules were produced.
The tool sharpening and management activity is also located in this sector and it ensures the safety
stock for all tools used in the manufacturing process within UMCD.
The department benefits from innovative technologies: ovens for pre-oxidation before carbon and
nitrate treatment, state of the art 3D control installations, testing stands for vibrations and acoustic
control, cementation under press, transfer machines for machining.
In November 2012 the second Monozukuri Plateau within UMCD was inaugurated in this department.
This space, dedicated to the CV TL8 pivot product, is intended to favour the production of economy
ideas, by exposing all components of the box.
Engine Department
The department’s activity is performed in five buildings, covering 54,000 square meters.
The department mission consists of manufacturing and machining components for engines and
assembling gasoline engines, K7J (1.4 l) and K7M (1.6 l), equipping Logan and Sandero ranges, and
H4Bt (0.9 l) available on the new models: Logan, Sandero, Sandero Stepway and Clio 4.
In the 2 workshops for aluminium part machining, integrated on July 1st 2014 in the Engine
department, raw parts are processed, on high speed centres and on special and universal machines,
for gear boxes and engines manufactured internally and in other Renault plants.
The activity of manufacturing K7x engines is organized in three machining workshops, an assembling
workshop and a maintenance workshop.
The main manufacturing lines are:
- K7x tiller machining/assembling,
- crankshaft machining,
- cam axle machining,
- discharge collector machining,
- rocker axle machining,
- flyer machining
- cylinder head machining,
- engine assembling (daily production capacity installed is 1,600 engines, and the line is configured in
closed loop and with embarked memory).
Part of the machined parts is supplied to other mechanical plants within Renault Group (Brazil, Spain).
In July 2012 the manufacturing on other two lines started, H4 flyer and H4 crankshaft, parts produced
for the assembling line for H4 engines, and in 2014 parts will be also integrated for the new diversities
of H4 engine.
After assembling, before delivery, engines are controlled on six testing stands (100% control). The
target set is that for 1 million engines manufactured (the production over a 3 year period) to have
maximum 45 engines with defects.
In July 2012 the production of a new turbo gasoline engine started at Dacia Mechanical and Chassis
Plant, H4Bt (Energy TCe 90CP 0.9l), and Dacia is the first plant of the Group producing it worldwide.
The activity within the H4 Engine sector includes three workshops: engine assembling, cylinder casing
machining and maintenance. This engine benefiting from an innovative conception, 3 cylinders, 900
cubic centimetres, overfed and with aluminium cylinder casing, is considered to occupy the best
position in the market in terms of consumption, power/displacement and CO2 emissions.
Some of the parts integrated in the new propeller are cast and machined internally: distribution
casing, semel, cylinder head cover, cylinder casing, flyer and crankshaft.
Until November 25th 2013 almost 150,000 H4 engines were produced. Starting April 2014 the
manufacturing line was adapted for an annual capacity of 450,000 H4Bt400 engines and for
manufacturing new diversities (H4DA, H4Bt401 and H4Bt402). The investment associated to
industrializing the new engine amounts to euro 125 million, out of which 5 million are European funds.
The line is configured in a closed loop, it has a new concept of SCUBE (management system for the
assembling line), surveying the operation of all automatisms and it includes 60 manual posts and 13
automate posts.
In order to ensure engine quality, tests are performed both on the testing stand under cold conditions
and at the end of the manufacturing process, on the testing stand under hot conditions.
Located in the assembling line for H4 engine, the testing stand under cold conditions is the first
automated checking stand used in Dacia and the only one measuring the discharge and inlet pressure
on each cylinder, the oil pressure, the shaft phase shifting with inlet chambers and the vibration level.
In order to improve the working station ergonomics (all posts are quoted in green) and to increase
productivity, AGV’s (Automated Guided Vehicle) were implanted in the assembling line, transporting
parts between the kitting – picking area, located within the logistics activity and the assembling line.
The Monozukuri plateau contributes to generating ideas in order to optimize the total cost of the
product.
At present an average number of 960 engines/day are manufactured in the assembling line.
Chassis Department
The Chassis Department has 1031 employees, 8 manufacturing workshops and 1 maintenance
workshop. The activity is performed on a 31,050 square meter area and brings together two
manufacturing types. The first type is made of Pressing/Curbing-Forming-Washing and Welding for
spindles, arms, bases and frameworks within the Moto-Propeller Group (GMP). The Curbing – Forming
sector consists of 4 semi-automated manufacturing lines for the arms equipping the rear axle for
Duster, Logan and Renault Twingo ranges. The Pressing sector is made of four press lines of 250, MP
400 transfer and 800 tonnes and a progressive press providing the pressed parts necessary on the
welding lines, as well as subassemblies for Russia, Columbia and India. On the 4 presses 54
references are made, 20 of them on the 800 tonne press (ROTEM), for Duster, Twingo and Daimler
vehicles. Three washing machines ensure degreasing of all pressed components and of formed arms
for the welding lines.
Spindles are welded on 7 robotised and semi-robotised lines and frameworks are welded on 6 lines.
The welded spindles and frameworks are installed on Logan, Sandero and Duster models
manufactured in the Dacia Vehicle Plant and in other Group plants in Russia, Morocco, South Africa,
India, Columbia and Brazil, on Renault Twingo and Clio models, as well as the new Smart model
produced by Daimler.
For the new vehicle Smart (Edison), manufactured by Daimler-Benz since 2014, the department will
provide rear spindles (heavy and light versions), front frameworks (short and long versions) and
articulated rods. The manufacturing permit for Edison R4S (the new Twingo) was obtained in S17
(variant for Novo Mesto): a new progressive press of 800 tonnes, 24 ranges of deepening devices
specific to Edison, 2 welding lines, a flexible rock drill for machining spindle heads and 3 assembling
lines will manufacture chassis actuators (spindles, articulated rods and frameworks) for the Novo
Mesto (Renault) plant and the plant at Hambach (Daimler), a new client for UMCD. The Edison project
continues in 2014 by starting 4 welding lines which complete the capacity demand of approximately
300,000 vehicles/year, and in 2015 a new front framework version (long framework) will be
manufactured for equipping vehicles intended for the United States.
The main missions of the second activity type consist of machining components for the front
semi-axle and rear axle, cataphoresing welded parts and assembling front and rear semi-axles.
The manufacturing lines are:
- barrel machining,
- hub machining,
- disk machining,
- front and rear port-reversible claws machining for Logan, Duster and Twingo ranges (parts are
processed on machining centres with numerical commands),
- front semi-axle assembling for Logan, Sandero and Duster ranges (the front semi-axle is made of
disc, hub, port-reversible clay and other parts brought from the exterior),
- rear semi-axle assembling for the Duster range (assembled semi-axles are provided to Dacia Vehicle
Plant and to other Renault plants in Russia, Columbia, Brazil and India),
- spindle assembling for the entire Dacia range (Logan, Sandero and Duster), for Renault (Twingo, Clio)
and for Daimler (Smart) models,
- lower arm assembling for Logan and Duster ranges,
- rear framework assembling for Duster range and front frameworks for Daimler Smart,
- automate installation ensuring protection by cataphoresis painting of welded parts received from the
Welding sector and of parts from the first assembly (Dacia Vehicle Plant).
Key figures for 2013:
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16,701 tones of aluminium parts,
179,691 K7x gasoline engines (1.4 and 1.6 litres MPI),
128,409 H4 gasoline engines (0.9 litres TCe),
226,463 JH gear boxes (with 5 gears),
290,548 TLx gear boxes (with 6 gears), out of which 122,989 TL8,
123,115 transfer modules,
388,815 front axles,
111,037 rear axles,
665,036 GMP frameworks,
932,390 assembled spindles.
Source URL: http://www.daciagroup.com/en/about-us/dacia-industrial-site/dacia-mechanical-and-chassis-plant