New BMW M3 Coupe (E92) - In Depth

Page 1: Short story
Page 2: Concept
Page 3: Power unit
Page 4: Chassis & suspension
Page 5: Design
Page 6: Body
Page 7: Safety
Page 8: Features
Page 9: Production

Production

Exclusive Quality Built in Flexible Production Friendly to the Environment.

Integration in one-line production at BMW Plant Regensburg.
Powder clear paint: even greater brilliance, less chemicals.
CFP roof: exclusive production at BMW Plant Landshut.

The BMW Group’s premium products are the result of a highly efficient production system based on mature and sophisticated job processes, ultra-modern technology, and the skills of highly trained employees.

The new BMW M3 is built for the world market at BMW Plant Regensburg, where the production of this new high-performance sports car once again underlines the great flexibility of BMW’s production processes: Although each individual BMW M3 is tailored to the customer’s personal wishes and requirements, and the carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic roof uses a high-tech material never seen before in large-scale production, the complete process of building the car is fully integrated into the course of production at BMW Plant Regensburg. The new BMW M3 is therefore built in a so-called single-line system together with other models such as the BMW 3 Series Saloon, Coupé and Convertible, as well as the BMW 1 Series.

High standard of flexibility and full integration into BMW’s worldwide production network.

Such combined production on one single line offers significant benefits, enabling the Plant to respond quickly to fluctuations in the market by adjusting its production figures. This, in turn, requires highly efficient production planning based on the consistent use of information technology.

A further important feature is that as many job and operation packages as possible are standardised, carefully planned logistics ensuring an optimised flow of the individual job processes. In the case of the new BMW M3, this means a significant increase in just-in-time and just-in-sequence operations versus the former model.

Yet a further point is that Plant Regensburg maintains numerous interfaces to the BMW Group’s worldwide production network, receiving components such as the side panels of the new BMW M3 made of a special synthetic material from Plant Landshut, which also builds the roof in carbon-fibre. At Plant Landshut lightweight production experts build the roof out of several layers of this valuable high-tech material first pre-moulded in a dry process and then treated with resin in the RTM (resin transfer moulding) process, and subsequently finished in a special coat of clear paint.

BMW already produced a carbon-fibre roof in the past in a limited edition for the BMW M3 CSL. The next step was the production of a carbon-fibre roof for the BMW M6 in larger numbers, before moving on to the new BMW M3, with a further increase in production capacities to a volume quite unique with this kind of technology the world over.

Engine production using know-how from Formula 1.

The crankcase for the 309 kW/420 hp V8 power unit of the new BMW M3 is also built in Landshut. The light-alloy foundry at BMW Plant Landshut is indeed a further example of the highly specialised and exceptionally efficient production processes within the BMW Group, also producing highly complex components for the BMW Sauber F1 Team’s Formula 1 power units.

The V8 power unit of the new BMW M3 is assembled at BMW’s Engine Plant in Munich, where approximately 400 individual parts and components are put together on the special engine line to form this high-performance engine.

On account of the enormous loads experienced within this high-speed power unit, the demands made of surface quality and production tolerances are very great indeed. Some components, for example, are finished to an accuracy of up to 1?1000th of a millimetre, just 1?50th the thickness of a human air.

New assembly line for all V-engines.

The V8 power unit is assembled on a new assembly line at BMW Plant Munich in a highly flexible two-shift process. The decision to use a new assembly line is the answer by BMW’s planning specialists to the ever-increasing need for greater flexibility, with the new system allowing a fast response in optimising operations to an increasing standard.

Precisely this is why all BMW V-engines will be assembled on this line on the medium term, meaning not just the new V8 power unit for the BMW M3, but also the V10 for the BMW M5 and the BMW M6, the V8 diesel and the eight- and twelve-cylinder gasoline engines for the BMW 5 and 7 Series.

Given the wide range of different engines and components, BMW’s associates in production must show maximum flexibility as well as profound product knowledge and skills. Hence, all associates working on the new assembly line are experienced specialists trained in BMW engine production. Ergonomic workbays, rotating and swivelling production facilities and handling units for heavy loads help them in their work, since superior product quality calls not only for qualified workers, but also for optimum working conditions.

One example is the use of electronically controlled power screwdrivers on all critical bolted connections, with application parameters being matched individually to each engine and recorded in an appropriate database to guarantee consistent bolt application and tightening qualities even after years of ongoing work.

Profound know-how is also essential on the two-piece crankcase with its specific sealing technology, a sealing compound being injected into a groove extending round the entire sealing surface. Then, as soon as the compound comes out at the other end, it is hardened by ultra-violet light, while the compound remaining within the groove hardens in the course of the assembly process.

Both the coolant and oil cavities are subsequently checked by quality control for any leaks, with each engine finally being tested at its regular operating temperature on the test bed.

Data transfer for consistent assurance of quality.

The engines are fitted on special holders or, respectively on driverless system carriers incorporating a data control unit with the most important production data. During the assembly process the data carrier records important, quality-relevant data such as tightening torques and saves that information in a database.

The data carriers also serve to activate the appropriate program on the automotive belt-tightening units for each type of engine. The exchange of data at the assembly stations with integrated tools, in turn, ensures that the production associates use the right tools and apply the right tightening torque.

Monitors are also used at workbays involving particularly complex operations, showing the associate which of the colour-coded crankshaft bearing shells is to be placed in position at what point and at what time. Key components such as the cylinder heads or connecting rods are also coded, allowing them to be traced for reasons of quality assurance from their original delivery to the Plant via the Machining Shop all the way to Final Assembly.

Skilled craftsmanship remains essential.

Despite all this technical assistance, experience, care and craftsmanship on the part of the associate are absolutely essential particularly in pre-assembly of the valve drive and crankdrive systems. Similarly, setting the kinematics on the variable VANOS camshaft spread unit and synchronising the eight individual throttle butterflies calls for a high standard of finesse.

Precisely this is why BMW now focuses even more than before on the competence and skill of each associate in engine production. Quite simply because the human being is more flexible than any machine.

Intelligent interaction of efficient automation and the competence of skilled associates is likewise the key to supreme quality in production in body assembly at BMW Plant Regensburg. This is where the BMW M3 for the first time takes on its particular shape and contours, with up to 700 panels and metal parts being put together to form individual modules and assemblies in a process requiring 5,500 welding spots.

The next step is to assemble the floorpan, side frame, doors, engine compartment lid, side panels and the rear lid to form the complete body of the car. The carbon-fibre roof, on the other hand, is not fitted until after the paint application process, since the roof of the new BMW M3 comes in a visible carbon-fibre look and is covered merely by a coat of clear paint.

More than 95 per cent of all operations and processes in body assembly are automated, highly specialised associates programming, supervising and maintaining the technical facilities. Together with the Paintshop, the Body Assembly Shop has the highest degree of automation throughout the entire Plant.

The Paintshop is also one of the most modern facilities of its kind the world over, with car bodies going through a multi-stage paint application process on the fully automatic paintwork line at BMW Plant Regensburg.

The first step is to clean the body, after which it is dipped into a cathodic bath, with the first layer of paint being applied on the electrostatically charged body. Following the sealing process and application of the filler, the third layer of paint applied on the body is the topcoat with the colour desired by the customer.

The final layer is the powder clear paint serving to protect the surface of the car, giving the colour genuine “depth” and adding particular brilliance.

Introducing powder paint, BMW has made a significant breakthrough in promoting this particularly clean and environmentally-friendly technology neither requiring solvents nor producing any effluent.

Plastic side panels also painted “online”.

The front side panels on the BMW M3 are made of an innovative high-tech thermoplastic material. And BMW’s engineers have succeeded in enhancing this material to such a high standard that it can be painted “online”, going through the entire paint application process together with the body of the car, despite the high temperatures required in treating the surfaces.

Clearly, the big advantage is that this avoids the need for a separate assembly process.

The thermoplastic side panels reduce the overall weight of the car by 3 kilos, again contributing to the ideal axle load distribution of the new BMW M3, a further improvement of fuel economy, and an even higher standard of agility on the road.

Assembly: following the customer’s requests.

The last process in building a new BMW M3 is the assembly phase made up of some 100 individual steps. Depending on the car, several thousand modules, in some cases pre-assembled, are fitted into the vehicle in this process.

Integration of the body and the drivetrain – a process referred to as the “wedding” – is fully automatic. Most of the other operations, on the other hand, require highly qualified, individualised manual work. So to offer the associates in production optimum working conditions, ergonomics on the assembly lines at BMW Plant Regensburg have been further optimised, conveyer lines moving along with the assembly process and adjustable for both height and angle enabling the associates to perform most operations in a pleasant upright posture.

Available at the customer’s request: when is the new car to be built?

For more than five years, the BMW Group has been successfully applying the Customer-Oriented Sales and Production Process enabling the customer to modify the specifications of his car up to just six days prior to the start of assembly, without any effect on the date of production and delivery. This kind of flexibility is absolutely unique in the world of motoring.

Production at BMW Plant Regensburg: efficiency and specialisation.

BMW Plant Regensburg has been building cars for more than 20 years. At the beginning there was just one assembly hall, while today the production plant is one of the most modern and, in particular, most flexible car production plants in the world. More than 10,000 associates, among them some 300 apprentices, are employed in the Press Shop, Bodyshop, Paintshop, Assembly, and Logistics.

Apart from the BMW M3, BMW Plant Regensburg also builds BMW 3 Series Saloons, Coupés, and Convertibles, as well as the BMW 1 Series.

A further special activity is the production and equipment of special BMW 3 Series for the police, fire brigade and emergency doctors.

In all, Plant Regensburg built some 300,000 cars in 2005.

The production of particularly exclusive and sporting cars also has a long tradition at BMW Plant Regensburg: As early as in 1994, a team of specialists in the Regensburg Bodyshop built racing car bodies, integrating the roll cage, quick-action car jacks, weight boxes and instrument panels into BMW motorsport cars.

Yet a further activity in the 1990s was to build super touring cars for European motorsport, and to prepare car bodies for series-based Group N racing.

In the year 2000 Plant Regensburg developed and built a BMW Z3 Coupé especially for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, and on the basis of the predecessor to the new BMW M3 the specialists in Regensburg also built the BMW M3 GTR racing car for the American Le Mans Series (AMLS).

Today, in addition to series production, the specialists in Regensburg build racing bodyshells based on the BMW 3 Series for the WTTC World Touring Car Championship.