TPV Group opening an advanced technology production-logistics center
TPV Group has only six months since the placement of foundation stone opened a new advanced technology production-logistics center at the business unit Velika Loka with a useable area of 7.300m2.
TPV is an advanced technology company operating as a development supplier in the automotive industry which means they are actively involved in designing, developing and manufacturing most modern vehicles. Over the last few years, they have won several new development and production business. In addition to exceptional development competencies needed to meet customers’ requirements, developing efficient production and logistics processes also represents a significant concern. This is why they are continuously in search of optimal and innovative technological solutions in the area of automation, robotization and flexibility of production and logistics processes.
All these reasons have led to invest in a new production-logistics center built on the principle of a smart factory. The production and logistics processes will be automated to the greatest extent by using new robots and automated guided vehicles, while the implementation of a production management information system will provide an on-line connection with other production and business processes within the company as well as our suppliers and customers.
At the business unit TPV Velika Loka where the new production-logistics center is located, TPV uses different technologies for mechanical joining of components which are produced by other TPV production sites or by their suppliers. Most parts produced at this production site are also cataphoresis or powder coated. As these are mostly TPV’s end products, location of the logistics center in Velika Loka is of exceptional importance for the company.
The new advanced technology production-logistics center has 7.300m2 of useable area. The total amount of investment is estimated at 20,3 million EUR and the work will proceed until 2020 when the center will glow in its final image. The investment includes exterior arrangement of the business unit, construction of a new building for production and logistics purposes, advanced technology production lines for new products, manufacturing execution system, system of automated internal logistics and digitized warehouse management system, and digitized connection with suppliers and customers.
Recruitment
As Marko Gorjup, Director – President of Management, said in his opening address »the production-logistics center will, in spite of significant importance of automation and digitization, not involve only robots and machines. The most important are and will always be people. In future, our employment needs will even increase due to new contracts to win, so more than 100 colleagues of different educational levels, profiles and knowledge are expected to join TPV Velika Loka by year 2020.” They will need more and more professionally qualified staff like operators, maintainers, engineers, quality personnel, logistics analysts, production planners, and project managers.
TPV – a smart factory
With the new digitized production-logistics center, TPV is moving even more decisively in the direction of a smart factory. TPV as a development supplier in the automotive industry, operates in a very demanding and competitive environment. In the automotive industry, a high level of automation and digitization is becoming necesary for the company’s existence and growth. The industry is developing towards smart factories and TPV Group is becoming part of this trend by upgrading the information and communication technology systems, increasingly automating production processes and smart logistics solutions which are an indispensable part of smart factories. The process of digitization and automation will help them reduce their production costs, increase productivity and manufacturing accuracy, reach higher quality of end products, reduce the possibility of human errors which all leads to a higher competitiveness of TPV on the market.
In the area of smart factories, TPV is not only a follower but an active player. Based on rich experience in automation of production logistics in their own production sites, they developed together with a start-up company IKU their own comprehensive and reliable automation solutions with automated guided vehicles, AGVs, and the automated guided vehicle Optimatic 160 which is distinguished by numerous competitive advantages. These solutions have already been offered to the market. They also wich to be an active partner in implementation of future robotic technologies, advanced production technologies for materials, plasma technology and management technologies.
At the opening ceremony, the ribbon was cut by Mr. Marko Gorjup, Director – President of Management TPV d.o.o., Mr. Vladimir Bahč, Procurator TPV Group d.o.o. and Mrs. Violeta Bulc, the European Commissioner for Transport who also stated that this TPV investment is also important for the EU. »TPV strives for the same development goals as the EU. Our aim is a bigger industrial sovereignty which can be achieved with automation, robotization and digitization,« said Bulc. Beside Violeta Bulc, Aleš Cantarutti, the State Secretary, Franci Povše, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Government of the RS, Mr. Alojz Kastelic, the Mayor of Municipality of Trebnje, Tomaž Kordiš, the director of GZDBK and some leading industrialists from the region also attended the opening event.
