ŠKODA, part of Volkswagen Group, officially opened their new PXL II servo press line at its main plant in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic. The full operation of the company’s first stamping line for aluminum car body parts will commence in March, when up to 23,000 press car body parts will be produced daily for several models. The trial and optimization phase is now in full swing.
“The new press line is an important investment in the growth of the ŠKODA brand and the future of Mladá Boleslav plant,” said Michael Oeljeklaus, ŠKODA board member for Production and Logistics.
The construction work on the 11,600 sq m Hall 4 began in 2015, with investments amounting to €86.4 million. The PXL II press line is based on innovative servo technology. The energy needed to produce the press parts is generated directly in the press line’s 14 servomotors, compared to conventional mechanical press drives that use energy accumulated in a flywheel. Unlike other systems, the conversion energy from the PXL II line can be flexibly adjusted and regulated as required. Another advantage is that the energy released during pressing can be partially recovered. The new stamping line consumes up to 15% less energy in continuous operation compared to conventional systems, and also provides ease of use with changeover times reduced to just 3 minutes.
“The new press line is another important part of our ‘GreenFuture’ environmental strategy, which focuses on resource-saving and production as well as energy-efficient vehicles,” said Oeljeklaus. “The press is one of the most modern of its kind in Central Europe.”
In March 2017, ŠKODA’s press line will be in full operation. The investment has created 140 new jobs. The company will be operating the new press shop in twelve-hour shifts around the clock, seven days a week, with more than 1,000 employees.