“Our investments and the opening of the new, multifunctional competence centre are the next big step in consistently and sustainably preparing the Kvasiny site for the developments in the automotive industry,” says Michael Oeljeklaus, ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Production and Logistics. “The plant will play a crucial role in achieving our production goals, which we have defined as part of our 2025 strategy.”
Frank Schreier, Head of Quality Assurance at ŠKODA AUTO adds: “Thanks to state-of-the-art technology, our new quality centre enables us to test and analyse our vehicles to even more stringent standards. We are constantly working to ensure and consistently improve quality at all levels.”
All the areas for vehicle tests and analyses are now under one roof in the new competence centre – for example, the acoustic laboratory, odour laboratory and vibration test stands. The shorter distances between the individual departments accelerates the inspection processes, allowing the respective results to be evaluated more quickly.
In the water chamber, climate conditions varying from fine drizzle to tropical downpours can be simulated with more than 50 litres of water per square meter at over 30 degrees Celsius. In addition, the test centre features a state-of-the-art “silent cabin”, where acousticians can monitor disruptive driving noise. Vibrations of the entire vehicle can be simulated with the “shaker”, and there is also a laboratory dedicated to dynamic tests.
The competence centre also includes a state-of-the-art logistics centre, which is now fully operational after taking just nine months to construct. The plant’s logistics area covers approximately 1500 square meters – around one third of the total floor space – where, for example, parts for the construction of pre-series vehicles will be stored. The training facility is 800 square metres.
At the logistics training centre, skilled workers are trained in handling small and large load carriers (KLT/GLT), automated guided vehicle systems (AGVs) and trailers with E-frames. The range of additional practice-based training opportunities includes, for example, the handling of in-plant IT systems, as well as the areas of shelf and block warehouse logistics, goods in and out, ergonomics and various pick-by solutions. One of the training rooms provides the conditions for a virtual training.
The state-of-the-art complex covers almost 10,000 square meters of floor space – approximately one and a half football fields. In addition to numerous office and group workspaces, the facility also offers social rooms for the employees, as well as health stations and cloakrooms.
The ŠKODA AUTO plant in Kvasiny is currently undergoing the most comprehensive modernisation and expansion in its history. During the SUV campaign, which began with the ŠKODA KODIAQ, the car manufacturer has so far invested around seven billion Czech crowns into modernising production processes. Over the coming years, the production capacity of the Kvasiny plant will increase to more than 300,000 vehicles per year. Currently, the ŠKODA models SUPERB, KODIAQ and the compact SUV ŠKODA KAROQ are produced at this location. In 2019, the ŠKODA SUPERB PHEV – ŠKODA AUTO’s first plug-in hybrid model – will be launched in Kvasiny.
As one of the largest employers in the Hradec Králové region, ŠKODA AUTO is also investing in the regional infrastructure and promoting the attractiveness of the location through its diverse social programme.
