Faurecia recently unveiled a new $64-million data-driven manufacturing facility in Columbus, Indiana. The 400,000-square-foot facility will employ 450 people and produce a high-tech emissions-control product for the commercial vehicle industry.
The state-of-the-art facility's digital environment will feature a variety of new technologies, systems and processes, including laser scanning and early detection of variation; self-learning autonomous intelligent vehicles (AIVs); collaborative robots known as "cobots;" continuous data collection to help predict and prevent equipment failures; a completely paperless environment to keep employees connected and informed with real-time information; and an open-concept design with digital screens, laptops and smartphones to foster real-time collaboration and communication.
"This new facility represents a breakthrough for Faurecia in two ways: first of all, as a major step forward in the development of our emissions control business for commercial vehicles with an exciting new product for improved air quality," said Christophe Schmitt, executive vice president of Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies (FECT). "Secondly, this plant is our first comprehensive example of our manufacturing 4.0 initiative incorporating connectivity, automation, data processing and hardware to advance the manufacturing industry."
Headquartered in Nanterre, France, Faurecia is one of the world's largest automotive equipment suppliers with 103,000 employees in 34 countries at 330 sites and 30 R&D centers.
For more information, visit www.faurecia.com.
