Ferdinand Porsche founded a company called "Dr. Ing. HC F. Porsche AG" in Austria in 1931. Initially, the company offered technical development of cars, but did not produce them themselves. However, at the direction of the German government, she was forced to take part in the development of a “car for the people,” which led to the creation of the Volkswagen Beetle, one of the best-selling automobiles of all time. The company's firstborn, the Porsche 64, was released in 1939, and in many ways resembled the Beetle.
The first post-war car, the 356, also initially had many components in common with the Volkswagen Beetle. This was due to a lack of components in post-war Germany. However, gradually, as production was established, Porsche replaced borrowed components with parts of its own production. By 1954, the car began to be equipped with completely original components.
Ten years later, after several race victories and with the need to replace the aging Porsche Roadster 356 model, the company released the Porsche 911, a sports car with a rear-mounted, air-cooled six-cylinder engine.
The 911 has become Porsche's most popular and iconic car – successful on both the race track and the highway. Far more than any other car, the 911 determined the fate of the Porsche brand. The 911 is still in production, but after several generations of modifications, all that remains of the original car is the basic configuration of a coupe with a rear-mounted six-cylinder engine and a similar silhouette to the 1964 car.
Ferdinand Piech, responsible for the development of powertrains for Porsche cars (including the very successful 911, 908 and 917), created his own design office. This division developed the five-cylinder in-line diesel engine that later appeared in Audi cars.
Porsche AG CEO Dr. Ernst Fuhrmann planned to discontinue the 911 model during the 1970s and replace it with the 928 sports wagon. However, the popularity of the 911 model helped it survive much longer than planned. In 1990, Porsche entered into a cooperation agreement with Toyota to study and apply the Japanese method of production management. In addition, Toyota assisted Porsche in the development of hybrid technologies.
The companies joined forces in 1969 to produce the 914 and 914-6 models. In 1976, the 912E and 924 contained a number of Audi components. The Cayenne shares its entire chassis with the 2015 Volkswagen Touareg and Audi Q7.
Corporate restructuring
In August 2009, Porsche and Volkswagen reached an agreement under which the two companies' automotive technology businesses would merge to create the "Integrated Automotive Group."
Production and sales
The company is at the top of its game and claims to have the highest profit per unit of any car company in the world.
History of development
The company’s emblem is a coat of arms containing the following information: red and black stripes and deer antlers are symbols of the German state of Baden-Württemberg (the capital of Baden-Württemberg is the city of Stuttgart), and the inscription “Porsche” and a prancing stallion in the center of the emblem remind The brand's native Stuttgart was founded as a horse farm in 950. This logo first appeared in 1952, when the brand entered the US market, for better recognition. Before this, the 356 simply had "Porsche" written on its hood.
HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT
1931-1948: from ideas to mass production
By the time the first car was released under his own name, Ferdinand Porsche had accumulated considerable experience.
In 1931 the enterprise Dr. ing. h. c. F. Porsche GmbH, of which he was the founder and leader, had already worked on projects such as the 16-cylinder Auto Union racing car and the Beetle, which became one of the best-selling cars in history.
In 1939, on the eve of the Second World War, the very first Porsche 64 was developed, in which the features of the future Porsche 356 model were already discernible. To build this example, Ferdinand Porsche used many components from the famous Beetle.
Ferdinand Porsche Jr. continued his father's business. Having received his education and the first skills of independent work, he moved to Stuttgart to work in the company his father had just created.
During World War II, the company was engaged in the production of military products - staff vehicles and amphibians. Porsche also took part in the development of the Tiger tanks.
1948-1965: first steps
Since the end of 1945, when his father was imprisoned in France, Ferdinand Jr. moved the family business to the Austrian city of Gmünd, and also independently headed the production.
Together with Karl Rabe, Ferdinand assembled a prototype of the Porsche 356 and began preparing the model for its mass production. In June 1948, this example was certified for public roads. Like nine years ago, units from the VW Beetle were again used here.
The first production cars had a fundamental difference - the engine was moved behind the rear axle, which made it possible to reduce the cost of production and free up space for two additional seats in the cabin.
The main points in the design remained the same (rear-engine and rear-wheel drive), but it was already a modern sports car with classic body lines in the spirit of the Porsche 356. The author of the design was Ferdinand Alexander "Butzi" Porsche, Ferry's eldest son. Initially, instead of the 911 index, another one was supposed to be used - 901. But the combination of three digits with a zero in the middle was reserved for Peugeot. The car began to be called 911, but the numbers 901 did not disappear anywhere: this is how the 911 began to be called according to the in-plant nomenclature (1964-1973).
In 1966, a modification of the Porsche 911S Targa entered the production line.
After production of the 356 series convertibles ended in 1965, they did not appear in the company’s lineup until 1982.
1972-1981: reign of Ernst FuhrmannIn 1972, the legal status of the company changed from a limited liability partnership to an open (public) one. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche KG ceased to be a family business, and was now called Dr. ing. h. c. F. Porsche AG(full name Doktor Ingenieur honoris causa Ferdinand Porsche Aktiengesellschaft - Joint Stock Company of the Honorary Doctor of Engineering Sciences Ferdinand Porsche) is a German automobile manufacturing concern.
After the restructuring, F. Porsche's grandson, Ferdinand Piech, moved to Audi, and then to Volkswagen, where he eventually rose to the position of general director of the concern.
First President Porsche AG became Ernst Fuhrmann, who had previously worked in the engine development department. One of his first decisions in his new position was to replace the 911 series with the 928, a classic layout with an 8-cylinder engine. During his reign, another front-engine car was put on the assembly line - the Porsche 924.
After its debut at the 1974 Paris Motor Show. modifications of the "Turbo", the development of the 911 line (by that time the modernized 930 series had gone into production) (1973-1989) actually stopped until the early 80s, until Fuhrmann was removed from his position. But cars continued to be produced: the last front-engine models left the plant in 1995.
At the same time, the Porsche 911 Carrera model, somewhat lighter in price, appeared. In 1997, it was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and it became clear that it had a lot in common with its younger brother, from the almost identical front ends with teardrop headlights and similar interiors to the common engine design. Such decisions made it possible to reduce the cost of development and production, since in those years the financial resources of the brand were still very limited.
1998 was a year of losses and gains. In the summer, the last “air” 911 left the gates of the Zuffenhausen plant. Over the entire history, 410 thousand of these were produced; the contribution to this figure of the 993rd is 69 thousand. At the same time, Porsche celebrated its 50th anniversary. And in the same year, in March, at the age of 88, Ferdinand Anton Ernst (Ferry) Porsche died. Porsche Cayenne
Manufacturer country: Germany
"PORSCHE"(Dr. Ing. h. c. Ferry Porsche AG), German automobile company. The headquarters is located in Stuttgart.
The company was founded by the famous designer Ferdinand Porsche Sr. as a design bureau in 1931 in Germany. The Type 22 racing car was developed for the Auto-Union company in 1936. After the successful racing Auto-Union, the first versions of the future “people's car” for all times were born - the famous Volkswagen Beetle, which had other name - Type 60.
In 1937, the “Third Reich” needed a racing car to participate and, of course, win in the Berlin-Rome marathon, scheduled for September 1939. It was then that the Porsche project received the support of the National Sports Committee. Work was in full swing.
It was for this event that on the same “Beetle” base, or rather “KdF” (name before 1945), three Porsche prototypes “Type-60K-10” were built with an engine boosted to 50 “horses” ( instead of the standard 24 hp). But the war prevented the release of this model.
The war years were devoted to the fulfillment of government orders - the production of staff vehicles, amphibians, tanks and self-propelled guns.
In post-war Germany in 1948, the company launched the first car under the name “Porsche” - a small sports Porsche 356 with a forced Volkswagen engine and a streamlined coupe. Without having time to take its first steps, the car was able to win the race just a week after its “birth”. Production Porsche 356 cars were already rear-engine. "356" was produced until 1965 and served as the basis for the Carrera model.
Considering the advantages and good results shown in 1951 by the “356” model, Ferry is trying to build a pure sports car. It became the Porsche 550 Spider in 1953. It was this car that repeatedly won one victory after another. Thanks to his participation (and victory) at the Carrera Panamericana auto race in Mexico in 1953, the custom began to call the company’s fastest models by this name.
By 1954, the first Spider appeared with a straight windshield and a soft top.
The very first Porsche Carrera was released in 1955. In addition, this modification received a power plant entirely developed by Porsche specialists. The same “heart” was transplanted into the “550” model. After which laurels began to fall on the creators of the machine.
The coming year 1956 brought two events at once: an updated version of the “356th” appeared - model “356A”; a more “calm” modification “550A” appeared in the sports series.
Two years later, a completely new racing model, the Porsche 718, was born, both externally and internally. At the end of 1958, the much-loved Spider came to an end. Its place was taken by the more powerful model “356D”.
In 1960, the last version of the “550s” dynasty was released - the “718/RS” model. In parallel, there was a closed version of the joint development of Porsche and the Italian Abart.
As for production cars, the most important step in the development of the range of models was the Porsche 356B, which was easily recognizable by its high bumpers with large vertical “bulls”. The car had three modifications. The most powerful is “Super 90”.
In 1961, the 356 GS Carrera model successfully competed in the Gran Turismo class. In the spring, the last and fastest car from the Carrera family appeared - Carrera-2.
In 1963, a few more changes were made, resulting in the 356C model.
For about 15 years, the Porsche 356 was one of the most prestigious sports cars in the world. However, over time, it also became less and less consistent with modern requirements. Something completely new was needed, to match the times. This car turned out to be another masterpiece of Ferdinand Porsche - the world famous Porsche 911. Ferry's son, Ferdinand Alexander, took part in the creation of this car. The new car was first shown to the public at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963.
In the world of sports, there has also been a worthy replacement. The successor to the RS Spider and 356 GS Carrera models was the 904 GTS, which had the features of a racing car. These features were continued in the next model - “906”, created in 1966. In turn, it was the ancestor of a large series of cars that achieved many successes in prototype competitions in the late 60s (models “907”, “908” and “917”) and were distinguished by exceptional reliability and good style.
In 1965, a cheaper modification of the Porsche 912 with a 4-cylinder Super 90 engine was released.
In 1967, the Porsche 911 Targa finally went on sale. Buyers were now offered a coupe, a “Targa” model (index “T” in the model name), a luxury model labeled “E” and a modification “S” - especially for the USA, where the company returned again after a year-long absence.
In 1975, the Porsche 924 model was released, which was considered the most economical sports car in the world.
In March 1977, the “928” model was released (already with an “8-cylinder” engine of 240 hp), which also managed to become the “Car of 1978” in Europe.
In 1979, a more powerful model “928S” appeared with a 300 hp engine. The speed of the car reached 250 km/h, which was 20 km/h higher than the maximum speed of the “924th” model.
In 1981, the Porsche 944 became a further development of the 924 model. 220 hp also affected the speed - 250 km/h.
Three years later, at the Frankfurt Motor Show, a prototype of another masterpiece of minds was presented - the “959” model. Having collected everything possible and impossible, it personified the most modern sports car from Porsche.
Throughout the decade, the class of prototypes was replenished with new successful models: “936”, “956” and “962”, which repeatedly collected laurels in the “24 Hours of Le Mans” race, “959” reigned in the “Paris - Dakar” marathon. .
To add variety and, to an even greater extent, to increase popularity, the Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet was introduced to the auto community in 1988.
At the end of the 80s, the 911 Spider model appeared. Three decades passed before the name “spider” was revived. As for the turbo version, it saw the light of day already in the new decade, or rather in 1991.
In 1992, the Porsche family was replenished with another model with a front engine - the 968. It replaced the entire 944 range, which had ceased production by this time.
Another gift from the Porsche designers was the debut in 1993 at the Frankfurt Motor Show of a new generation of the 911 model - type 993. Two years later, a Porsche appeared with a 408-horsepower boxer turbo engine. In the same year, the “928” and “968” models, which did not live up to expectations, completed their journey.
In 1995, the Porsche model range was replenished with the unusual at first glance Porsche 911 Targa with a glass roof that retracts electrically under the rear window.
In order to consolidate its post-crisis position in the sports car market and in the class of “inexpensive” cars, Porsche introduced a completely new type of car in 1996 - the Boxster model. The model has a soft (automatically folding) top. If desired, you can get the option with a hard top. Finally, a “cheap” competitor to the great “911” has appeared.
July 15, 1996 was a significant day in the history of the company: the millionth Porsche was produced. It was “911 Carrera” in police performance.
As for the company's experimental development area, its concept cars, there were very few of them. Firstly, this is the Porsche Panamericana (1989) with a completely new body “a la Targa”, which has found its application in the modern 911 model with the same body, then the Porsche Boxster ( 1993), which subsequently influenced the birth of the production version, and the “C88” project (1994), which personified yet another idea of a “people’s car” for the PRC.
The “highlight” of 1999 is the GT3 (in the 996 body), which replaced the spartan RS. The GT3 now dominates all road car and club racing. In terms of dynamics, this model comes close to the great “turbo” - 4.8s.
Next year is the triumph of the new turbo based on the 996 model. With a modest 420 hp. it reaches “hundreds” in 4.2 s. And it confirms its direct relationship to the rank of supercars.
The latest new product is the Carrera GT. It's more of a prototype like the 959. The ten-cylinder V-twin engine made of light alloy accelerates to hundreds in less than four seconds, and to 200 km/h in ten seconds. Think about these numbers for a second!
PORSCHE (Dr. Ing. h. c. Ferry Porsche AG), German automobile company. The headquarters is located in Stuttgart.
The company was founded by the famous designer Ferdinand Porsche Sr. as a design bureau in 1931 in Germany. The Type 22 racing car was developed for the Auto-Union company in 1936. After the successful racing Auto-Union, the first versions of the future “people's car” for all times were born - the famous Volkswagen Beetle, which had other name -Type 60.
In 1937, the “Third Reich” needed a racing car to participate and, of course, win in the Berlin-Rome marathon, scheduled for September 1939. It was then that the Porsche project received the support of the National Sports Committee. Work was in full swing.
It was for this event that on the same “Beetle” base, or rather “KdF” (name before 1945), three Porsche prototypes “Type-60K-10” were built with an engine boosted to 50 “horses” ( instead of the standard 24 hp). But the war prevented the release of this model.
The war years were devoted to the fulfillment of government orders - the production of staff vehicles, amphibians, tanks and self-propelled guns.
In post-war Germany in 1948, the company launched the first car under the name “Porsche” - a small sports Porsche 356 with a forced Volkswagen engine and a streamlined coupe. Without having time to take its first steps, the car was able to win the race just a week after its “birth”. Production Porsche 356 cars were already rear-engine. "356" was produced until 1965 and served as the basis for the Carrera model.
Considering the advantages and good results shown in 1951 by the “356” model, Ferry is trying to build a pure sports car. It became the Porsche 550 Spider in 1953. It was this car that repeatedly won one victory after another. Thanks to his participation (and victory) at the Carrera Panamericana auto race in Mexico in 1953, the custom began to call the company’s fastest models by this name.
By 1954, the first Spider appeared with a straight windshield and a soft top.
The very first Porsche Carrera was released in 1955. In addition, this modification received a power plant entirely developed by Porsche specialists. The same “heart” was transplanted into the “550” model. After which laurels began to fall on the creators of the machine.
The coming year 1956 brought two events at once: an updated version of the “356th” appeared - model “356A”; a more “calm” modification “550A” appeared in the sports series.
Two years later, a completely new racing model, the Porsche 718, was born, both externally and internally. At the end of 1958, the much-loved Spider came to an end. Its place was taken by the more powerful model “356D”.
In 1960, the last version of the “550s” dynasty was released - the “718/RS” model. In parallel, there was a closed version of the joint development of Porsche and the Italian Abart.
As for production cars, the most important step in the development of the range of models was the Porsche 356B, which was easily recognizable by its high bumpers with large vertical “bulls”. The car had three modifications. The most powerful is “Super 90”.
In 1961, the 356 GS Carrera model successfully competed in the Gran Turismo class. In the spring, the last and fastest car from the Carrera family appeared - Carrera-2.
In 1963, a few more changes were made, resulting in the 356C model.
For about 15 years, the Porsche 356 was one of the most prestigious sports cars in the world. However, over time, it also became less and less consistent with modern requirements. Something completely new was needed, to match the times. This car turned out to be another masterpiece of Ferdinand Porsche - the world famous Porsche 911. Ferry's son, Ferdinand Alexander, took part in the creation of this car. The new car was first shown to the public at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963.
In the world of sports, there has also been a worthy replacement. The successor to the RS Spider and 356 GS Carrera models was the 904 GTS, which had the features of a racing car. These features were continued in the next model - “906”, created in 1966. In turn, it was the ancestor of a large series of cars that achieved many successes in prototype competitions in the late 60s (models “907”, “908” and “917”) and were distinguished by exceptional reliability and good style.
In 1965, a cheaper modification of the Porsche 912 with a 4-cylinder Super 90 engine was released.
In 1967, the Porsche 911 Targa finally went on sale. Buyers were now offered a coupe, a “Targa” model (index “T” in the model name), a luxury model labeled “E” and a modification “S” - especially for the USA, where the company returned again after a year-long absence.
In 1975, the Porsche 924 model was released, which was considered the most economical sports car in the world.
In March 1977, the “928” model was released (already with an “8-cylinder” engine of 240 hp), which also managed to become the “Car of 1978” in Europe.
In 1979, a more powerful model “928S” appeared with a 300 hp engine. The speed of the car reached 250 km/h, which was 20 km/h higher than the maximum speed of the “924th” model.
In 1981, the Porsche 944 became a further development of the 924 model. 220 hp also affected the speed - 250 km/h.
Three years later, at the Frankfurt Motor Show, a prototype of another masterpiece of minds was presented - the “959” model. Having collected everything possible and impossible, it personified the most modern sports car from Porsche.
Throughout the decade, the class of prototypes was replenished with new successful models: “936”, “956” and “962”, which repeatedly collected laurels in the “24 Hours of Le Mans” race, “959” reigned in the “Paris - Dakar” marathon. .
To add variety and, to an even greater extent, to increase popularity, the Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet was introduced to the auto community in 1988.
At the end of the 80s, the 911 Spider model appeared. Three decades passed before the name “spider” was revived. As for the turbo version, it saw the light of day already in the new decade, or rather in 1991.
In 1992, the Porsche family was replenished with another model with a front engine - the 968. It replaced the entire 944 range, which had ceased production by this time.
Another gift from the Porsche designers was the debut in 1993 at the Frankfurt Motor Show of a new generation of the 911 model - type 993. Two years later, a Porsche appeared with a 408-horsepower boxer turbo engine. In the same year, the “928” and “968” models, which did not live up to expectations, completed their journey.
In 1995, the Porsche model range was replenished with the unusual at first glance Porsche 911 Targa with a glass roof that retracts electrically under the rear window.
In order to consolidate its post-crisis position in the sports car market and in the class of “inexpensive” cars, Porsche introduced a completely new type of car in 1996 - the Boxster model. The model has a soft (automatically folding) top. If desired, you can get the option with a hard top. Finally, a “cheap” competitor to the great “911” has appeared.
July 15, 1996 was a significant day in the history of the company: the millionth Porsche was produced. It was “911 Carrera” in police performance.
As for the company's experimental development area, its concept cars, there were very few of them. Firstly, this is the Porsche Panamericana (1989) with a completely new body “a la Targa”, which has found its application in the modern 911 model with the same body, then the Porsche Boxster ( 1993), which subsequently influenced the birth of the production version, and the “C88” project (1994), which personified yet another idea of a “people’s car” for the PRC.
The “highlight” of 1999 is the GT3 (in the 996 body), which replaced the spartan RS. The GT3 now dominates all road car and club racing. In terms of dynamics, this model comes close to the great “turbo” - 4.8s.
Next year is the triumph of the new turbo based on the 996 model. With a modest 420 hp. it reaches “hundreds” in 4.2 s. And it confirms its direct relationship to the rank of supercars.
The latest new product is the Carrera GT. It's more of a prototype like the 959. The ten-cylinder V-twin engine made of light alloy accelerates to hundreds in less than four seconds, and to 200 km/h in ten seconds. Think about these numbers for a second!
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Translation - Natalia Konoshenko, portal "Manufacturing control"
Based on materials from Heiner von der Laden “Typical Porsche: No superfluous parts”
Porsche is famous for its reliable and high-quality cars and is today considered the most profitable automaker in the world. What is the key to its success in such a competitive and innovative environment as the automotive industry?
Porsche is known for its commitment to a philosophy of continuous improvement. Despite the well-organized production, its managers never rest on their laurels and are never completely satisfied with the result. And this applies not only to designers developing elite premium sports cars, but also to employees of any other department. This uncompromising commitment to excellence can be seen in the way Porsche's production lines are organized in Leipzig and Zuffenhausen, the area north of Stuttgart, Germany, where the Panamera and Cayenne are assembled.
Competitive advantage
Porsche's competitive advantage lies in its streamlined production system and competent logistics, which allows it to synchronize the entire production cycle, including the supply of materials and shipment of finished cars, and work with virtually zero inventory. Thanks to this, Porsche can safely be called a manufacturer with minimal inventories in Europe. For example, at the Leipzig plant, the stock of materials and components in the warehouse does not exceed a volume sufficient for 0.8 working days! But even here, according to the company, it is still far from ideal.
The company came to the decision to liquidate inventories in 2009 with the launch of its fourth series, namely the Panamera. This became a sign of the beginning of a new era and the birth of a new logistics system for the enterprise. Now only the components necessary for a specific stage of production were delivered to the workshops, directly to the assembly site, and only at the time when they were needed, and the entire movement of material flows was organized in strict coordination with the production process.
Lean manufacturing tools can only be effective in the complex automotive environment if all participants in the process, including suppliers, share the same operating principles and follow established rules. Management of logistics processes plays a big role here in order to make the movement of materials as stable and reliable as possible.
When assessing the benefits of the Porsche Production System, the biggest beneficiaries are the customers themselves, who are guaranteed delivery of their ordered vehicles on time. But Porsche also benefits by reducing logistics costs tenfold. And eliminating inventory in turn means that less capital is tied up in inventory, more work space is freed up, and production efficiency soars.
Production Features
A special feature of production at the Porsche plant in Leipzig is that cars of different series are assembled on the same assembly line. Moreover, even cars of the same series sometimes have quite significant variations. It follows that the system must work flawlessly, while maintaining a certain amount of flexibility. The main challenge is to keep inventories of materials and components low, despite the high variability of designs, without losing the ability to operate with a large number of combinations of parts. Of course, there is a certain risk in this: the company has to learn to function without a strategic reserve of materials and components in case of unforeseen circumstances, which means it is necessary to exclude the very possibility of these unforeseen circumstances. To achieve this, the company develops a clear sequence in which material orders must be filled several days in advance and requires suppliers to fulfill them accurately. An order with precise quantities and delivery dates serves as the starting point for the entire production chain, at the end of which a brand new Panamera or Cayenne will roll off the production line.
Suppliers are provided with all the necessary information to carefully organize and control the flow of materials. This is ensured through the use of a standard consignment note developed by the German VDA. In addition to the number of parts required, the document also specifies the exact time by which the order must be delivered to the Porsche plant. Meeting deadlines is mandatory for both suppliers and companies providing transport services. Given such strict requirements, only those companies that can demonstrate impeccable punctuality and precision in execution become Porsche partners.
The Porsche production system also benefits supplier companies, who, with accurate orders, can in turn reduce their inventories and operate with shorter delivery times and much greater efficiency. Ideally, suppliers run their own production system in sync with Porsche's, as in the case of the company's engine assembly plant in Zuffenhausen, for example. This way, the client and the customer can work in perfect harmony with each other.
At Porsche, nothing is left to chance. In an effort to optimize supply, the company has developed a closed loop for transporting parts in smaller, easier-to-handle containers: trucks that deliver containers with parts immediately pick up empty ones. This “milkman principle” is followed throughout the entire production chain. Having arrived at the plant, the containers are moved onto a cart and immediately transported to their destinations, according to the information indicated on the labels, strictly in the required sequence.
When evaluating the Porsche production system, it is possible to highlight the fundamental principles.
Materials are delivered to the Porsche plant in Leipzig hourly. Trucks travel between the transit point and the plant according to a carefully calibrated schedule and arrive at their strictly defined “window”. The loading of the vehicle is calculated in advance based on the route and orders that need to be delivered, and a clearly calculated circulation of empty and loaded trucks allows you to optimize transportation and quickly unload full containers and load empty ones. Cars leave the plant within a few minutes.
The flow of materials is organized with a minimum of technological transitions. Materials are immediately loaded from the truck onto a cart and sent to the task-specific parts selection area. Empty containers are returned during the same process operation. There is no intermediate storage.
The movement of structural elements occurs in a clear sequence. The production system links all of the company's plants: a transport trolley with parts moves around the engine assembly plant in Zuffenhausen, stopping at strictly defined points just at the moment when the part is needed by the workshop worker. From Hannover to the Porsche plant in Leipzig, Panamera bodies, on which painting work has already been carried out, are delivered by freight trains, and finished engines from Zuffenhausen, in turn, are delivered to Leipzig strictly in time for their installation in the car. Unloading is fully automated and the parts are sent straight to production. The punctuality of arrival is recorded by an electronic counter using a GPS positioning system.
Standardized processes help avoid errors when selecting parts for jobs. The consistency of the logistics system with the production cycle makes it easy to select the parts needed for each specific operation. The required containers are delivered to the conveyor at the right time, and an LED indicates which components are needed.
What is not needed at the moment does not enter the assembly line. Each necessary part has its strictly defined place on an ergonomic trolley, which delivers them to the assembly shop workers. Careful assignment of tasks and the surgeon-nurse principle, which allows parts to be fed exactly at the right time, eliminate errors and increase the efficiency of the assembly line.
Logistics without warehousing requires precise process planning. Together with orders, suppliers receive not only an indication of delivery time, but also the management information necessary to organize the flow of materials. In order for deliveries to be organized accurately, it is necessary that the supplier company has accurate data on volumes and delivery times and strictly adheres to them.
Flexibility and the “Christmas tree” principle make it possible to debug mixed production of models. With the Gran Turismo Panamera and the Cayenne sports utility vehicle assembled on the same production line, the company needs to maintain a high level of flexibility. To prevent errors during assembly, the line is supplied with parts according to the herringbone principle.
Thanks to the company's perfectly streamlined production cycle, which operates synchronously with all logistics processes, Porsche is able to minimize costs, constantly improve its efficiency and significantly reduce the number of product defects and equipment downtime. The system works like a clock.
Application . The proposed images demonstrate the production cycle of the plantPorschefor engine assembly in Zuffenhausen
Museum Porsche, Stuttgart, Germany
