Škoda Transportation further invests into its ancillary plants to meet demands on efficient and environmentally-sound production

Škoda Transportation further invests into its ancillary plants to meet demands on efficient and environmentally-sound production

Škoda Transportation has invested around 80 million Czech crowns in the ancillary plants at Škoda factory premises in Plzeň. The investment was mainly aiming at increasing production capacities and boosting efficiency in the production of new trams, locomotives and trains. Opening of a new welding shop worth more than CZK 50 million and starting-up a new shop for adhesive bonding processes in the manufacture of vehicles, costs of which lie at around CZK 20 million, were the major events.

Plzeň, Czech Republic, 28-Mar-2017 — /EuropaWire/ — “Our company makes massive investments in further improvements on a continual basis. Over the past four years we have invested four billion Czech crowns in the research and development of new systems, technologies and procedures. Our largest recent investments at the Plzeň factory premises include the purchase of new welding robots, renovation and extension of testing tracks or construction of a new shop for the testing and adjustments of the vehicle bogies. New production buildings with modern facilities will naturally meet all demands on efficient and environmentally-sound production and provide a comfortable work environment for the employees at the same time”, says Tomáš Ignačák, Chairman of the Board of Škoda Transportation.

“New production shop will help increase the company´s capacities in the welding of vehicle carcasses and structures by about one third. We managed to adapt the buildings to new production requirements very quickly so that we were able to launch production as early as since February“, explains Jaromír Urbánek, Director of Technology at Škoda Transportation.

The new factory building now accommodates the existing welding shops from the other company´s premises in Plzeň. This measure has allowed the company to use the main assembly shop solely for the purposes of vehicle finishing operations and increase the capacity of the assembly process. The company plans to invest over CZK 10 million in the shop, among others in innovative technologies during the coming months.

“New welding shop allows, among other things, welding of structural units made of stainless steel in accordance with the latest requirements for the product quality and safety at work, while adopting a new arrangement pattern by separating the workplaces for the welding of stainless steel and standard, steels“, says Jaromír Urbánek.  According to his information, the new shop for adhesive bonding processes fully meets requirements for a certified workplace and it has been adapted to comply with stringent requirements of the planned European standard for the adhesive bonding process in the manufacture of rail vehicles. The new shops extending the company´s production capabilities also include modern spaces for the welding engineers and specialists.

The Škoda factory will newly accommodate a laboratory and spaces for test welding and testing here and there will be also spaces for the Škoda´s welding school there. “New machines and equipment will allow us, for example, to weld and evaluate samples in the development of new vehicles. The modern laboratory equipment facilitates evaluation of the technology tests and testing of the products,” adds Lukáš Jogl, Technology Development Specialist at Škoda Transportation. He points out great importance of the training tasks of the new centre. “This base will also serve for the training of our welders and their further education. Here we can examine the skills and knowledge of job seekers applying for the position of welders,“says Luke Jogl.

Škoda Transportation has recently significantly expanded its range of products. The contracts that are being currently developed at Škoda factory in Plzeň, include, among others, production of locomotives and push-pull trains for the German customer, namely Deutsche Bahn Regio. The company will shortly start delivery of unique ForCity Classic battery powered trams to Eskişehir, Turkey or low-floor trams for Chemnitz, Germany.

SOURCE: ŠKODA TRANSPORTATION a.s.

For more information:

Michal Tobrman
Škoda Transportation
731 462 730
michal.tobrman@skoda.cz