From the logistics supply centres, the parts for the new Macan are delivered to assembly with cyclic precision. The aluminium and steel sheet metal parts for the Macan are delivered to the “Body shop supply centre”, while parts for all three model series arrive at the “Assembly supply centre”. The logistics concept that was introduced for the first time with the Porsche Panamera in 2009 was also applied to logistical processes for the Macan. Michael Weihrauch, Head of the Logistics business unit, comments: “As much as possible, we adapted the lean and efficient logistics strategy for Assembly to the Body shop supply centre, but it was also further developed.” That is why many solutions are identical in the two supply centres: Most of the shipping containers are the same, and the majority of the processes and the IT system with its underlying logistical processes are identical. But there are differences as well. Michael Weihrauch cites a few examples: “Large parts such as the side panels are unloaded directly from the trailer to the tugger trains, and they are immediately transported to the body shop stations. There is no such direct delivery in assembly. And there are processes in assembly that we do not find in the body shop. They include the entire just-in-sequence supply of assembly with vehicle-specific modules.”

Body shop, paint shop, assembly. Since the body must first be manufactured and painted in the Macan production sequence, the “Assembly supply centre” comes into play later – after the paint shop.

Parts warehousing eliminated. Step no. 1 in Leipzig in producing the Macan is delivery of the individual body parts by lorry to the “Body shop” supply centre. They are steel and aluminium sheet metal parts, which are produced at external press shops, but are not assembled there. Rather, the individual parts for the underbody, side walls, bonnet and boot lid, roof or doors are delivered to Leipzig by the lorry. There is no conventional warehousing; Porsche eliminated that. Michael Weihrauch: “In many body shop supply centres, parts are warehoused for several days of production. In contrast, we at Porsche prefer very small buffers and transparent processes. Thanks to our logistics chain, we can make do with a buffer of less than one day.” Weihrauch adds: “We receive large-volume parts in specified cycles by direct shipping from the supplier, and they are transported directly to production stations by tugger train. So there are no warehouses or intermediate buffers.”

Tracking ensures stable process flows. Michael Weihrauch: “Porsche relies on very precise tracking of materials.” Tracking, that is the process of determining the up-to-date status of material movements and parts deliveries at a precisely defined time point. Weihrauch: “Together with our shipping service provider, the Fenthols company, we currently track material directly from the shipping point.” When informed that parts are to be picked up by the shipping service provider, the supplier must actively report that the material is available. This is done at least one day before the material is picked up at the supplier. If the supplier does not provide active feedback, then the situation is immediately discussed with the supplier. This process chain lets Porsche reduce its safety stock, because the process sequence is one hundred per cent stable.

Six enormous delivery bays for six large lorries. The process flow begins in the 10,000 square metres supply centre of the body shop when parts are delivered by lorry. Like an airline pilot, the driver steers into one of six large gates that are equipped with gigantic side unloading doors. This means that as many as six articulated lorries can be unloaded at the “Body shop supply centre” simultaneously. Already waiting in the gates are two trains known as tugger trains – one for the new goods and one loaded with empty containers. The tugger train with containers of new goods generally takes the parts directly into the facility. Forklifts transfer the containers from the lorry to the tugger trains. However, in the supply centre itself – like in other areas of the plant – forklifts are no longer used. Michael Weihrauch explains: “We want a forklift-free body shop. That is because the forklift needs wider traffic aisles, it has a lower load capacity, and there is always a higher risk of accidents. Furthermore, the tugger train used by Porsche does not just pull one container, but instead as many as four containers.”

60 different parts containers but a single container technology. The containers themselves are available in a wide variety of versions and sizes; one characteristic that they all have in common is that they can also be moved without a forklift or tugger train thanks to the Porsche container technology used here. Even 800 kg containers can be moved very ergonomically by hand. 18 container versions were designed for automatic parts removal – robots can grasp the parts directly from them. This is done, for example, in the containers that hold the bonnets manufactured from aluminium. At the Volkswagen press shop in Bratislava, these parts were also automatically placed into the containers by robots.