Mechanical Technology — July 2015
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Special report
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with the W204 in the assembly line was made
height-adjustable to suit the optimum working
height of each individual workstation, making
the mechanical operations much more ergo-
nomic. New rolling road and wheel alignment
equipment was also introduced.
Along with the announcement that the
W205 C-Class would be manufactured in
South Africa came the need to completely
overhaul the manufacturing process in line
with the new technologies that were required,
hence the R5.00-billion investment. The
new C-Class also saw MBSA employees
being groomed to work with this advanced
production technology and R68-million was
channelled into training initiatives, resulting
in over 1 400 training interventions. This
included assignments to various international
plants and, to date, 20% of our employees
have spent significant amounts of time work-
ing in overseas plants,” adds Van der Merwe.
“Producing the one-millionth Mercedes-
Benz passenger car is a remarkable achieve-
ment for us. It is the result of the collective
work effort that has been displayed by
everyone involved with the company over a
long period of time. Certainly, this would have
not been possible without the dedication of
our employees. The production of this unit is
simply the start of a new, even brighter era for
us. We will maintain our levels of excellence
and even surpass the accomplishments of the
past,” he continues, referencing the various
accolades that the East London plant has
received. These include six consecutive JD
Power Initial Quality Survey awards from the
US-based global market research company, as
well as being consistently recognised locally
by Ipsos as the best passenger car plant in
South Africa. “As far we are aware, we are the
only plant in the world to have been awarded
six consecutive JD Power awards,” Van der
Merwe suggests.
The cutting-edge production technologies
linked to the new C-Class include compo-
nents and processes such as aluminium skin
panels, complex laser welding, roll forming
for complex structural profiles, advanced
rear axle carriage assemblies, aluminium
pre-treatment and natural fibre pressings. All
these technologies have also empowered the
local automotive supply industry.
Last year, the East London plant produced
more than 45 000 vehicles in the eight-month
ramp up period since the production launch
of the new C-Class in May and, by the end
of 2014, had employed more than 3 000
people.
Passion to be the best
Van der Merwe touts the dedication and
passion of the plant’s employees and healthy
labour relations as one of the key factors in
the success story of the company. “Our atten-
dance rate at the plant, sitting at close to 99%
for the last five years, shows the dedication
of the people who physically incorporate their
own energy and commitment into every car
that leaves our premises,” he states.
“There is a myth in South Africa about an
unproductive, uncommitted, difficult to man-
age workforce. This needs to be debunked,”
Van der Merwe says. “It is leadership’s task
to bring excellence and commitment to the
workplace, so that employees are willing to
go the extra mile because they share a vision
and a stake in the company’s success. We
need to be implementing continuous improve-
ment processes within our industries and to
continue to push costs down – and there is
absolutely nothing that stands in the way
of this in the South African manufacturing
environment!” he exclaims.
The strength of this culture was particu-
larly evident in 2013, when one of the longest
automotive industry wage strikes in 20 years
hit the country. The solid foundation set over
the years at MBSA saw workers return to the
production lines with renewed vigour imme-
diately after the strike ended, committed to
realising a full catch-back of all volumes lost
during the strike.
This healthy relationship also ensures that
the Mercedes-Benz East London plant is on
par in terms of quality, delivery and cost with
the mother plant for C-Class production in
Bremen, Germany.
“Mercedes-Benz South Africa prides itself
in being a pioneer in the automotive sector
and looks forward to producing another mil-
lion units,” Van der Merwe concludes.
q
The first Mercedes-Benz passenger car, a W121
Nap Vista Blue Mercedes-Benz 190, came off the
line of the then Car Distributors Assembly (CDA)
plant in East London more than 57 years ago.