The rotors for the asynchronous motors will in future be VW manufactured by the forming technology department in Hall 2 and the foundry. In addition, a high-voltage battery housing will be produced there in one piece in the future. According to VW, the component previously consisted of 122 individual parts. “The complex casting process takes place on a three-plate mold with a sprue from the center, which represents a further development compared to the previous large castings. The successful collaboration with the battery developers of the components and the cross-production concept of the foundry and assembly in Hall 2 underline the innovative strength of the location,” says the statement.
The North Hesse plant also focuses, among other things, on the further development of power electronics. In the Power Electronics Competence Center, which was opened around a year ago, pulse inverters and thermal management for batteries will be developed and these components will no longer be purchased from suppliers. A next important step in the transformation at the site is the phase-out of exhaust system production and the simultaneous expansion of stator assembly for electric drives.
“Volkswagen Group Components is increasingly developing into a key provider for e-mobility. Kassel is an example of successful transformation,” says Thomas Schmall, Chief Technology Officer and CEO of Volkswagen Group Components. “The location is gradually building up new key competencies in electric drive systems and large-scale casting. In this way, the Group Components locations contribute their part to the future strategy of the Volkswagen Group.”
“The goal is to further establish ourselves as a central driver of electromobility in the group,” adds Jörg Fenstermann, plant manager at the Volkswagen Group Components site in Kassel. “Our employees already bring their know-how and all their skills with them. The location strategy continues to rely on proven products, researches new technologies and focuses on quality, productivity and competitiveness.”
The new APP550 engine is also being built at the Kassel factory. According to insiders, there were problems ramping up production, which is why significantly fewer electric motors are being manufactured at the site than would be technically possible. For this reason, Volkswagen cut production at the electric car factory in Zwickau in January, among other things.
