Autoneum expands production in China with four plants

November 10, 2017 - Switzerland

Autoneum, a market leader of vehicle acoustics and thermal management systems from Switzerland, has announced that with four additional plants, the company is significantly expanding its production capacities in China. With virtual reality applications, its customers benefit from optimum production planning and highly-efficient production processes.

High-volume orders from European, US-American, and Chinese customers made it necessary to boost Autoneum’s production capacities in China, the largest automotive market in the world. At the new plant in the Eastern Chinese city of Yantai (Shandong Province), series and just-in-time production of inner dashes and carpet systems has already started. Around 250,000 vehicles of Chinese vehicle manufacturers will be supplied with components from Yantai each year.

A particular area of focus at this new plant, Autoneum’s seventh in China, will be sustainable production processes: Production waste in the form of mixed fibre fleece and polyester will be recycled and re-used in the manufacture of components.

Autoneum CEO Martin Hirzel said, “With the regional market launch and production of lightweight components for various types of drives, Autoneum is supporting the expansion of electromobility in China, reductions in traffic-related CO2 emissions and thus sustainable mobility in the highest-volume automotive market in the world.”

The new plant in Yantai represents merely the start of a significant capacity extension by Autoneum in China. In just a few weeks, series production of carpet systems, inner dashes and wheelhouse outer liners will also get underway for US-American and Chinese vehicle manufacturers at Autoneum’s new plant in the city of Changsha (Hunan Province). Annual production capacity for the Changsha plant will amount to some 1.4 million components.

A plant located in Pinghu (Zhejiang Province), some 100 kilometres southwest of Shanghai, is still under construction along with a production facility in Shenyang Tiexi (Liaoning Province) in the country’s northeast. Starting in the fall of next year, Autoneum will produce underbody systems for European and Chinese vehicle manufacturers in Pinghu. In 2018, Shenyang Tiexi will likewise supply models produced by German customers with heatshields, hoodliners, and carpet systems. (GK)