Since July 5th, the Mercedes-Benz plant in Gaggenau has been supplying components for the battery-electric trucks eActros 300/400 and eEconic to the Wörth site.
With the opening of the technology centre, the plant continues its path of competence building in process development and prototype construction of truck-specific “truck-e-fied” electric motors.
For the inauguration, Andreas Gorbach, member of the Daimler Truck Board and responsible for Truck Technology, Yaris Pürsün, Head of Global Production of Drive Components at Daimler Truck, Thomas Twork, Site Manager Mercedes-Benz Gaggenau, and Michael Brecht, Chairman of the General Works Council of Daimler Truck AG, along with other guests gathered at the Gaggenau plant, the competence centre for electric drive components within the technology network of Daimler Truck’s Powersystems plants.
Twork states: “The Gaggenau plant is in the midst of transformation. The opening of our technology centre represents a significant milestone.”
“Here, we will develop innovative technologies and associated production processes around the electric motor,” he adds.
State-of-the-art machines for prototype assembly of electric motors
Efficient manufacturing processes are crucial for the success of electromobility.
Therefore, the technology centre at the Gaggenau site includes a range of state-of-the-art machines specifically designed for the production of electric motors.
Together with Gehring Technologies GmbH, the site aims to advance the prototype assembly of so-called “truck-e-fied” electric motors, as well as the development and testing of innovative production processes.
For example, a special winding technology – the so-called Hairpin technology – enables the production of coils with higher efficiency compared to conventional and more complex wire winding techniques.
Coils are a central component of electric motors.
About the technology centre
Last year, the space requirement in the hall was first determined, and the setup of the technology centre was simulated.
This allowed for optimal hall layout before the large equipment was delivered earlier this year.
The current approximately 20 employees at the technology centre have a total area of 900 square meters at their disposal.
In addition to office and meeting rooms, there is also a so-called clean room: a room with special cleanliness requirements and stable temperatures, for example, for conducting measurements.
The employees at the technology centre are divided into two core teams: one focuses on the industrialization and assembly of electric motors, while the other team simultaneously generates knowledge about the components.
This includes all units associated with an HV cable, as well as the HV charging cables themselves.
Furthermore, this team also deals with the development of various charging concepts.
In addition to knowledge acquisition, knowledge transfer is also ensured: To disseminate the knowledge generated at the technology centre, there is also a learning workshop integrated into the premises.
This offers the opportunity not only to model electric motors but also to conduct training sessions for apprentices starting from September this year.
Subsequently, training will also be offered for other internal departments.
Moreover, within Daimler Truck, the technology centre serves to make topics such as high-voltage components and electric drive systems tangible.
“The technology centre is part of the vision that we, together with the company and the Powersystems plants, have agreed upon with the General Works Council for the location. Building up development and production know-how in new technologies is a prerequisite for a possible in-house production of components for the electric powertrain,” states Brecht.
“With a potential own production, for example, of electric motors, we could secure jobs and positively shape the transformation from the employees’ perspective,” he adds.
About the Mercedes-Benz Gaggenau Plant
The Mercedes-Benz Gaggenau plant was founded in 1894 as “Firma Bergmann’s Industriewerke in Gaggenau” and is the world’s oldest automobile plant.
In addition to transmissions, the site produces planetary axles and portal axles, as well as passenger car components, including converters.
The Mercedes-Benz Gaggenau plant is currently evolving into a competence centre for electric drive components and the assembly of hydrogen-based fuel cell units.
Together with Gehring Technologies GmbH, the site aims to advance the prototype assembly of so-called “truck-e-fied” electric motors, as well as the development and testing of innovative production processes.
With around 4,600 employees, it is both the largest employer in the city and the largest training company in the region.
Vocational training also has a long tradition: for over 100 years, more than 10,000 young people have completed their training at the oldest automobile plant.
