Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg factory is one of Europe’s largest automotive production facilities, with 30+ assembly lines producing 800,000 vehicles annually, including the ID.3, ID.4, and Golf models. As the demand for EVs surged, the factory’s legacy control systems—installed over 15 years ago—could no longer keep up with the complex, high-precision requirements of EV manufacturing:
- Slow Response Times Cause Production Delays: The legacy control systems had a response latency of 200+ milliseconds, leading to misalignment between robotic arms and assembly stations. This resulted in 12-15 production line stoppages daily, each lasting 5-10 minutes, and a 15% reduction in overall line throughput.
- Poor Robotics Integration Limits Automation: The old systems lacked compatibility with the factory’s new collaborative robots (cobots) and AI-powered quality inspection tools. This forced manual intervention for 25% of assembly tasks, increasing labor costs by €3.2 million annually and raising the risk of human error.
- Limited Data Analytics Compromises Quality Control: The legacy systems couldn’t collect or analyze real-time production data effectively, making it difficult to identify process inefficiencies and quality issues early. This led to a 3.8% defect rate in EV battery packs and powertrain components, costing €4.5 million in rework and warranty claims annually.
- Inflexible Configuration Slows Model Changeovers: Reconfiguring the legacy control systems for new vehicle models required 48-72 hours of downtime, delaying the launch of new EV variants and missing market opportunities.
“Precision and efficiency are critical in EV manufacturing, where even minor control errors can compromise vehicle safety and production scalability,” said Markus Müller, Volkswagen Wolfsburg Factory Operations Director. “Our legacy control systems were too slow and inflexible to meet the demands of modern automotive production. We needed a high-performance control device that could enable real-time responsiveness, seamless robotics integration, and data-driven quality control.”
ABB REX521GHHGSH51G: High-Precision Control for Smart Automotive Manufacturing
After evaluating solutions from Siemens and Rockwell Automation, Volkswagen selected the ABB REX521GHHGSH51G control device for its ultra-fast response time, multi-protocol compatibility, advanced data analytics capabilities, and flexible configuration. Key features addressing Volkswagen’s pain points include:
- Ultra-Fast Response Time: The ABB REX521GHHGSH51G delivers a response latency of <10 milliseconds, enabling precise synchronization between robotic arms, conveyors, and assembly stations. This eliminates production line misalignments and reduces stoppages by 90%.
- Seamless Robotics & IoT Integration: The control device supports PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, and OPC UA protocols, enabling seamless integration with collaborative robots, AI quality inspection tools, and IoT sensors. This reduces manual intervention by 80% and enhances automation across production lines.
- Real-Time Data Analytics & Predictive Maintenance: Equipped with a built-in edge computing module, the REX521GHHGSH51G collects and analyzes 100+ production parameters in real time. Predictive algorithms detect potential quality issues and equipment failures 2-3 weeks in advance, reducing defect rates and unplanned downtime.
- Flexible Configuration for Rapid Model Changeovers: The device features a user-friendly HMI and modular software architecture, allowing production line reconfiguration for new vehicle models in just 4-6 hours—90% faster than legacy systems. This accelerates new model launches and improves market responsiveness.
- Robust Design for Industrial Environments: Certified to IP67 standards, the REX521GHHGSH51G withstands dust, vibration, and temperature fluctuations (-20°C to 60°C) common in automotive factories. Its redundant power supply and fault-tolerant design ensure 99.99% operational reliability.
Results: Faster Production, Higher Quality, Lower Costs
Six months after deploying the ABB REX521GHHGSH51G control device, Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg factory achieved significant operational improvements:
| Metric |
Before ABB REX521GHHGSH51G |
After ABB REX521GHHGSH51G |
Improvement |
| Production Line Efficiency |
65% |
89% |
40% Increase |
| Daily Production Stoppages |
12-15 |
1-2 |
92% Reduction |
| EV Component Defect Rate |
3.8% |
0.5% |
87% Reduction |
| Model Changeover Downtime |
48-72 Hours |
4-6 Hours |
90% Reduction |
| Annual Labor Costs |
€28.5 Million |
€25.3 Million |
11% Reduction |
“The ABB REX521GHHGSH51G control device has transformed our production operations,” Müller said. “We’ve increased our EV production capacity by 40% without expanding the factory footprint, and the reduction in defects has significantly improved customer satisfaction. The device’s flexibility also allows us to quickly adapt to changing market demands, giving us a competitive edge in the fast-growing EV sector.”
Sophia Klein, ABB’s Global Automotive Automation Manager, commented: “Automotive manufacturers need control systems that can keep pace with the shift to EVs, enabling higher precision, faster production, and seamless automation. The ABB REX521GHHGSH51G is engineered to meet these demands, helping manufacturers scale EV production efficiently while maintaining the highest quality standards.”
Volkswagen plans to deploy the ABB REX521GHHGSH51G control device across 12 additional production facilities in Europe, Asia, and North America by 2035, targeting a 35% group-wide increase in production efficiency and a 90% reduction in EV component defects.
