Grupo Antolin around the world
SPAIN INDIA Grupo Antolin (Headquarters) Grupo Antolin - Chennai Grupo Antolin – Alava Grupo Antolin - Pune Grupo Antolin – Ara Grupo Antolin - Pune (Design Center) Grupo Antolin – Aragusa Krishna Grupo Antolin Grupo Antolin – Ardasa IRAN Grupo Antolin – Autotrim (Technological Licence Agreement) Grupo Antolin – Dapsa Grupo Antolin – Eurotrim JAPAN Grupo Antolin – Ingeniería Grupo Antolin - Japan (TCO) Grupo Antolin – Linara MEXICO Grupo Antolin – Magnesio Grupo Antolin - Saltillo Grupo Antolin – Martorell Grupo Antolin - Silao Grupo Antolin – Navarra International Door Systems Grupo Antolin – Palencia Mexican Door Company Grupo Antolin – PGA Grupo Antolin – Plasbur MOROCCO Grupo Antolin – RyA Antolin - Tanger Grupo Antolin – Vigo POLAND ARGENTINA Silesia Plastic IRAUTO PORTUGAL BRAZIL Grupo Antolin - Lusitânia Antolin - Sudamerica (TCO) RUSSIA Intertrim Grupo Antolin - St Petersburg Iramec Trimtec SLOVAKIA Grupo Antolin - Bratislava CHINA Slovakian Door Company Grupo Antolin - Shanghai (TCO) SOUTH AFRICA Antolin Guangzhou Autoparts Grupo Antolin - South Africa Antolin Shanghai Autoparts ChongQing Antolin Toupu Overhead Systems SOUTH KOREA Ningbo Antolin Huaxiang Auto Parts Grupo Antolin - Korea (TCO) Dong Won Tech CZECH REPUBLIC Grupo Antolin - Bohemia THAILAND Grupo Antolin - Ostrava (Technological Licence Agreement) Grupo Antolin - Turnov TURKEY FRANCE Ototrim Grupo Antolin - France (TCO) UNITED KINGDOM Grupo Antolin - Cambrai Grupo Antolin - UK (TCO) Grupo Antolin - HFR Grupo Antolin - Kent Grupo Antolin - IGA Grupo Antolin - Leamington Grupo Antolin - Ingénierie Siegès Grupo Antolin - Jarny UNITED STATES Grupo Antolin - Loire Grupo Antolin - North America (TCO) Grupo Antolin - Transport Grupo Antolin - Fairfax Grupo Antolin - Vosges Grupo Antolin - Illinois Grupo Antolin - Kentucky GERMANY Grupo Antolin - Louisiana Grupo Antolin - Deutschland (TCO) Grupo Antolin - Michigan Grupo Antolin - Autoform Grupo Antolin - Warren Grupo Antolin - Logistik Deutschland Grupo Antolin - Wayne
(TCO). Technical Commercial Office News Summer 2009 · nº 55 Grupo Antolin
New Organization
Special Issue on Quality in every field
Grupo Antolin Saltillo A year of combined efforts
Ligth & Green project We think in green NEWS is published by Grupo Antolin Grupo Antolin is a multinational at the cutting edge of design and production of components for car interiors for the automobile industry. Present in 22 countries with 85 plants and 20 technical commercial offices and close to 10.000 employees. This publication is available for the employees in the GA's intranet
EDITORIAl OFFICE Grupo Antolin EDITORIAl DIRECTOR Marketing GA. PRINTED By Coiman Marketing Department · [email protected] C/ Marqués de Portugalete, 16 Carretera Madrid-Irún, km. 244,8 E 28027 MADRID - SPAIN DESIGN Germán Delgado E 09007 BURGOS - SPAIN Tel. 34 91 742 12 03 Tel. 34 947 47 77 00 · [email protected] www.grupoantolin.com PhOTOGRAPhy Rafa Sáiz and luis Mena D. legal: M-18594-2006
Territory Europe - South Territory America Africa - 6,851 employees* Asia - Pacific 1,376 employees * Territory North America 1,384 employees *
* Nr of employees by territory as per 1 st of April 2009 contents
page 33 corp. responsibility Light & Green project page 4 cover story Grupo Antolin is betting on the development of New Organization greener and lighter products page 22 the photo Brand new organization for our company Committed to the future page 36 report The first Training School of Grupo Antolin in Brazil page 8 special Mater
Special issue on Quality: page 24 designing the future in MANAGEMENT, in Interior for the senses VALIDATION and in PLANTS Quality in every field: from conception to client delivery
page 16 protagonists Launch of VW Golf in A new tool for innovation Spain It will be assembled in 3 and 5 doors in the page 38 health plants of Pamplona (Spain), Uitenhage (South It is critical to improve the sensorial perception "The senses", the touch Africa) and Pune (India) in the interior of the cars page 40 the history corner page 18 plants page 26 in brief Bentley Grupo Antolin SALTILLO News in Brief
page 20 corp. responsibility page 32 “Green IT” Recognition Optimization of information and communication Grupo Antolin is grateful for the efforts of its technologies in order to guarantee the sustaina - employees year after year with its proposed im - bility of the processes, the energy efficiency and provements are helping to improve quality and the optimization of the maintenance satisfy our customers
News Grupo Antolin 2 Summer 2009 Editorial
Grupo Antolin understands Quality as a way of industrial life, as a cul - ture which motivates all the people who integrate the company in order to get a well-done job, and this is dif - ficult to be put into words.
The quality management in Grupo José Antolin Toledano Antolin goes beyond the tradition - Chairman al approach to emerge into a key part of the company, covering all in first person fields, from the direct customers to the end users. Discover the keys within these pages. Do you want to know our plants bet - ter? We are entering in this issue in The global economic crisis we experienced in 2008 far exceeded any possible two factories of the North American prediction that could have been made at the beginning of the year, and the territory: Grupo Antolin Michigan in fact is that nobody could foresee either the depth or the scope of the crisis that the USA, that advocates the team was about to hit us. The volatility of the financial markets and the drop in con - work and the concept of in line cus - sumer confidence really left their mark on the financial year. tomers as its key for success, and Looking at the figures for 2008, the results achieved by Grupo Antolin up until Grupo Antolin Saltillo in Mexico, our the third quarter of the year were similar to those for the same period in 2007. first plastic injection plant in this ter - The drop was really concentrated in the last quarter as a result of the huge ritory and that has generated more downturn in the market and demand during that period. With regard to re - that 100 new jobs. Get to know gions, we should highlight the significant growth in the Africa-Asia-Pacific re - them! gion thanks to product diversification in those areas, and the fact that our We decided to travel a little more to - clients maintained their production volumes. ward the south to Brazil in order to In 2008, the Group embarked on a series of determined actions to respond to attend the inauguration of the first the crisis and guarantee the viability of our industrial projects. These include school for the employees’ children. both economic and technological measures, and we are therefore now im - Here, their students will learn the mersed in a commitment to sustainability, prioritizing innovative technologies techniques and specific productive that lead to the reduced weight of components, recyclable materials and the use processes from the automotive world of materials of natural origin, all of which are being demanded by the market. first hand and they will be the source of new employees for our plants. Despite the difficult circumstances of the past year, which will almost certainly continue in the short term, there are reasons to be optimistic and to continue After the successful launch of the Re - believing in a bright future for our company. We unquestionably hold the trump nault Mégane last year, the new Volk - cards to make this future possible: knowledge, diversification of both countries swagen Polo 3rd generation arrives and clients, competitive prices and a solid network of suppliers. Grupo Antolin in Spain next September. This is a key will need to overcome the triple challenge of holding on to its technological vehicle for our Group and it aims to leadership, positioning itself at the highest echelons of efficiency and quality, become a reference within its seg - and putting a decided emphasis on increasing profitability. ment. Do you want to know it? Our ability to continue growing is something that can only be achieved by the And our corporate colours, blue endeavours of each and every person working for the Group. People with ini - and yellow, are becoming green, be - tiative and talent, ready to share their knowledge with others and bring added cause being eco-friendly has be - value to the communities in which we operate. come the identity of the company. From the ecological management of Once again, we are reiterating our commitment to continue working with the information systems, to the incor - same enthusiasm as ever, in the conviction that following a period of major ad - poration of materials from natural justments in which only the strong will survive, there will come a period in sources in our products, passing which a new framework of relations in our sector will become established, through the efforts of reforesta - guaranteeing more durable and harmonious client-supplier relations in the tion. Are you joining our cause? w whole supply chain. w
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2009 3 Jacinto Reyna cover story Gerente de Grupo Antolin-Saltillo New Organization
We are firmly convinced to have developed a new organization to face up more efficiently the important challenges in our current automotive world
José Manuel Temiño
News Grupo Antolin 4 Summer 2009 The goals of the new organization are:
- To reinforce the individual responsibility
- To reinforce the efficiency of all processes , and especially the productive ones With this words, our CEO, José Ma - nuel Temiño, started his speech about - To assure the satisfaction of the client the new organization, last 12 th of May. We summarize it below. - A robust project development
Historically, in Grupo Antolin, we have launched reorga - - Simplicity in the definition , set up and nizations every 4 years, taking place the last one in 2005. control of the new organization With this new reorganization we pretend to revitalize our action, overcoming inefficiencies and mainly crea - - To facilitate the growth and ting three Business Units, fully accountable for their re - sults worldwide and their sustainability in the future. organizational development The Chief Operations Officer position, who directly re - ports to the CEO, has been created. His main function is to coordinate and lead the different Business Units. The Business units person appointed for this position is Carlos Araujo Maté, a professional with a wide experience within the auto - Grupo Antolin has considered more convenient, given motive sector as top executive. We are sure he will provi - the current circumstances, to change the matrix based de new ideas thanks to his experience, contributing re - organization to a new one based on Business Units (BU) solutely in our future development. with a highest level of accountability.
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2009 5 Carlos Araujo Mate, Chief Operations Officer of Grupo Antolin, during his speech
This Business Units´ Organization follows: The presence of several BUs guides us to the need of de - fining shared central services providing service to all the Higher efficiency through specialization in business lines BUs whose relationship and coordination among them that present enough differences in terms of product, tech - should be carefully defined. nology, production processes, function in the vehicle, client interlocutor, development strategies, competitors… The organization in BUs has the challenge of answering to other important organizational principles that take a Clear definition and taking on responsibilities within second role but keep their unquestionable relevance: the organization in connection with the achievement of clients, regional implantation of several BUs and functio - the objectives, specially speaking about the commitment nal coordination. with the income statement and the resources manage - The priorities of the BU are: to assure liquidity; to guaran - ment, as well as the definition of the global business stra - tee the expected results adapting our cost structure to tegy. This principle should lead our decisions when it co - the demand; to manage the risks from our clients and mes to defining shared responsibilities with other units of suppliers; to structure and follow the performance in our the organization. plants and offices based on the effect on the profit and
News Grupo Antolin 6 Summer 2009 Figures Grupo Antolin loss statement; to keep our know-how, knowledge and motivation of the people in the organization; to 22 countries obtain profit from the possible opportunities. We need speed, to simplify, to involve and to motiva - 9.600 te the organization and to make sure of designing employees efficient organizations and light in the principle of cost optimization and commitment with the results, all of this should lead our decisions. Global leader in The new organization should be activated in a short period of time as the current market situation asks OVERHEAD systems for it. We are confident that the new organization will know how to give answer efficiently to the new challenges. We rely on our workforce with the capa - city to assume these new challenges. 2,049.5 € in millions sales
st Results 2008 1 company in Burgos The year closed with a sales figure of 2,049.5 mi - by turnover llion euros, giving an EBIT of 28.7 million euros, equi - valent to 1.84% of the consolidated sales figure. It is worth noting that up to October 2008 the th budgetary forecasts were being met in terms of 8 of both sales and profits, and by the end of Septem - ber we had obtained an EBIT 43 million euros over Castile and Leon budget. However, the sharp drop in sales over the level billing by turnover last three months of the year has determined the closing of the financial year. Grupo Antolin’s position is well-established; it has the reputation, a diversified customer portfolio Within the and the technological expertise necessary to face the future with optimism. Our good customer di - Top 60 Suppliers versification allows us to think that we will re- of the global emerge from this period of difficulty, to face a mo - re stable phase, where the customer supplier rela - automotive industry* tionships should evolve into a new code of customer / supplier relationships, with application of best practices that are already agreed in some markets as the French. w * According to the ranking of the journal Automotive News Europe
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2009 7 Quality special Francisco Cervera
Voices are being heard concerning the current situation of the Automotive sector. They speak about a change in the relationship Customer- Supplier, a change that implies a more stable collaboration between them in all respects.
I agree with this opinion, but we must clearly know that the necessary premise to have a role on this new stage is QUAlITy, in capital letters. QUAlITy in every field: in the Product itself (de - sign, perception from the final user); QUAlITy in Manufacturing with robust processes in order to reach zero defects, both internal and external; QUAlITy in the development, from the moment of the design of the product until its in - dustrialization.
News Grupo Antolin 8 Summer 2009 in Management Key to sustainable success
Everybody knows the existing tools for Quality Manage - their products and their management are always the ment in each of these stages (FMEA, Control Plan...), ones which best adapt to their customers’ needs at every their use should be an established routine, fostered and moment, offering them a complete solution (product, promoted by each responsible person in our company. process, management) at the highest level of Quality. My objective is not to insist on the need to use these The latter is not only achieved by the use of the Quality tools, considering that my intention is not to speak tools. These, as indicated by their name, are just means about Quality Management, but about QUALITY OF THE to carry out a task. The way in which this task is carried MANAGEMENT. out and the attitude we show when we tackle it will be The founder of one of the most important pharmaceu - decisive to perform it successfully. tical companies said: " I would like to establish the prin - If an operator in a production line or an engineer for the ciples which our company commits to live with [...] we development of a project does not feel the need to per - want to remember that medicine is for the patient. We form this task with the aim of achieving Excellence, no must try never to forget that medicine is for the people, matter the amount of tools that are available or the ma - it is not to raise money. The profits come later and when chine that the operator uses, the resulting product (part we have the principles in mind, the profits finally arrive ". or design) will not be the proper one. (Merck 1950) This attitude toward Excellence must be an essential part If we change the words medicine for product and pa - of the culture of the company, supported by enthusias - tient for client, these principles should be perfectly valid tic initiatives on the part of the responsible people, en - for Grupo Antolin. The only way which any company will couraging everyone to do the right and necessary work have to survive in a long term basis will be to think that at every moment.
Tools for Quality in Management PROJECT MANAGEMENT (Chart available only in Spanish)
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2009 9 If I may try, and define the QUALITY OF THE MANAGEMENT I consider that I could use the initials of one of the most powerful tools to ensure the quality product-process, this is the FMEA (AMFE in spanish): AMFE Analysis , self-criticism . Motivation , to be the best, Formation , training at the Ethics , Exigency , unfortu - Self-Criticism to acknowl - each one in his/her job, workplace; basic training in nately, the first word has edge your own mistakes or both in a production line the tools and technologies been very ill-treated during areas of improvement, in and at a product develop - that we actually use. Train - the past years and we have such a way that we will be ment, and motivation for ing also means knowing seen behaviours which the first ones to correct the our company to continue our customers (both inter - were not ethical in compa - situation. But, to make this being what it is: a company nal and external), their nies in which, despite their self-analysis possible, it is (which purpose is to last in needs and their objectives success in the short term, necessary to Analyze the time) and not a "business" in order to be able to satisfy time has shown the true situation objectively, with - (timely transaction with them. face of their executives. out worrying about what which you earn money). Exigency in all our actions. the others think and recog - Motivation is a task for all Ask your responsible person nizing deep inside ourselves of us, but mainly for man - to define the objectives to our error and our opportu - agers and responsible direc - you, to give you the neces - nity for improvement (which tors of each area who sary training to tackle them; is always there). Remember should foster it. demand your colleagues for the principle: “the mistake the work to be carried out is not a failure, the failure is in the most professional not to make a mistake, but way, do not accept that a not to say that there is a product (or design, or...) mistake”. gets to you with insufficient quality; and finally to your collaborators, require that the work is done with the maximum rigor and disci - pline. Let us neither forget to require from our clients that our relationship is "fair and lasting" And, above all, self-exigency to assume the responsibilities in each of our jobs, and work with the discipline that we must.
If we want to be a company with a future, the above elements cannot be optional, they must be the basis of our daily management, and we must be aware that this is the only possible way to sustainable success. w
News Grupo Antolin 10 Summer 2009 Quality management in validation
The validation of projects is constituted by all those Arturo Soto Responsible for Laboratories activities and tests required to confirm the goodness & Validation of the design and the development of the binomial product – process, ensuring that the developed pro - duct, its elements and components meet all the technical requirements, safety and regulations spe - cifications and requirements, throughout the life cycle of the product
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2009 11 It is necessary that these activities are properly planned, managed and executed to ensure that the developed products comply with the customer expectations. It is important to consider all the activities of testing and val - idation along the life of the product, from the pre-de - signs and first prototypes, until the end of life series, ensuring at any time the fulfilment of the requirements and allowing the traceability of results. Ensuring such traceability is an essential element of the management system. Knowing exhaustively the charac - teristics of the parts to test, having all the technical doc - umentation and determining in a univocal way the test conditions are the key elements to create robust and re - liable plans of validation. It must always be ensured that the tests and trials are representative, which undoubt - edly impacts positively on the optimization of the activ - ity and its associated costs. The integrated management of the activities of testing and validation throughout the life cycle of the product enables the achievement of the "do it well the first time": robustness and reliability of tests and, along with the traceability of results, allow the generation of a deep knowledge of the behaviour of products and their components. This knowledge should then be extended and implemented in following projects, thus becoming capital of experience of Grupo Antolin. The revision of results and their analysis are therefore basic and essen - tial elements of a robust system of return of experi - ences. It is imperative to consolidate the performance Since March 2008, the unit of of these activities in all phases of validation throughout the life of the product. Laboratories and central Validation The unit of Laboratories and central Validation of the has carried out: Quality Management is responsible for the development of the tasks of testing and validation of project in Grupo · 18,700 hours in testing for Antolin Ingenieria, for activities and projects related to Innovation, Advanced Engineering and product Devel - developing projects opment. In the same way, it also assumes the following responsibilities: · 3,500 hours for Innovation and - Management of the technical information of the tests, supporting the consolidation of knowledge and its Advanced Engineering projects transversalisation within the Company. - Dialogue with the customer in the domains of test, es - · 5,800 hours in testing and trials for pecially in everything concerning new disciplines of testing, supporting the project development teams. plants and GA technical centres - The development of new skills and strategies for the optimization of means and resources, seeking for the maximum technical and economic efficiency.
News Grupo Antolin 12 Summer 2009 1 OPENING & DEVELOPMENT
2 ENTRY DATA. PRODUCT DESIGN
3 SIMILAR PRODUCTS EXPERIENCES ANALYSIS
At the moment, the unit of Laboratories and Validation 4 PLANNING PRODUCT DESIGN is structured around 5 areas of knowledge: 1. Metrology 5 PRODUCT DEFINITION 2. Laboratory of materials PLANNING OF THE VALIDATION 3. Laboratory of metallography and light alloys 6 4. Laboratory of acoustics and vibrations 7 NUMERICAL VALIDATION 5. Functional Validation of Trims, Mechanisms, Seats and Electronics 8 DRAWINGS & SPECS As a key element in the integrated management sys - tem, the computer application MANAGEMENT OF PRE-PROTOTYPES TEST MEDIA has been launched, which provides inte - 9 grated management of the tests and plans of valida - tion, their planning and the consolidation of the 10 DEFINITION/REVIEW/VALIDATION results. This computer application is being developed next to the DEOM and the IT Department, and in its CONSTRUCTION OF PROTOTYPES first year of operation it has collected 4,100 applica - 11 tions for testing. There are two goals for 2009: to complete the development of the application and its 12 PROTOTYPE TESTING-VALIDATION PLAN functionality and ensure that 100% of the activity is managed and planned in the application. 13 VERIFICATION & INTERNAL VALIDATION OF PROTOTYPES The relationship with the customer in the domains of tests has materialized in 2008 in two major achieve - FINAL REVISION. FINAL DATA OF THE DESIGN ments: 14 - The renewal of our Accreditation Self Validation Re - DELIVERY TO CUSTOMER. PROTOTYPES AND DOCUMENTATION nault on last 11th Dec. 2008, with an index of 98.4 %, 15 expanding the perimeters of performance of this Unit of central Validation within the CdC 32-00-008 with 16 CUSTOMER’S APPROVAL the insertion of the Perimeter "Ebénisteries et pièces assimilées s/CdC 32-07-521". 17 PRODUCT DOCUMENTATION DISTRIBUTION We are currently capable of validating for Renault with all the guarantees the following functions: Headliner REPORT. LESSONNS LEARNED and door trims, rear package trays, sunvisors and hard 18 trim. Likewise Renault has carried out the renovation of all the perimeter of performance "Validation of elec - tric window lifters" and the tests Cabin Alpha and Outline of product development, following the procedure of the unity of Tube of Impedances, with identical satisfactory result. Central Laboratories and Grupo Antolin Validation - In the same sense VOLVO has also recognized Grupo ing: Development – Prototyping and Validation, with equal Antolin (Central Unit of Validation-Materials) for the importance and with evident impact in Quality of the final performance of tests of FOGGING + FORMALDEHYDE product. We must consolidate our competences in this do - + TOTAL CARBON. We keep working with this client in main, technical and management competences associated order to be recognized in the tests of SMELL, perimeter with the test activities, and broaden their scope, enhanc - in which AUDI has also shown a remarkable interest. ing the studies and analyses of reliability, the return and It is therefore necessary to consider validation as an es - consolidation of experiences and the interaction with the sential part of the outline of work of the classic engineer - virtual validation media and systems. w
Noticias Grupo Antolin Invierno 2008-2009 13 Dean Cain Quality Manager Grupo Antolin-Michigan Grupo Antolin Michigan
Quality in plant
The keys to success are Grupo Antolin-Michigan (GAMI) had a challenging making quality the and rewarding 2008 with six new product/tech - responsibility of everyone nology launches including a new assembly & and the concept of in-line sequence facility and a new technology for head - customers liner manufacturing Four of these launches were new headliner programs consisting of Chevrolet Mal - ibu assembly, Dodge Ram Pickup assembly and substrate, and Toyota Matrix (Corolla). The GAMI team opened a new facility in Warren, Michigan, which as - sembles and sequences the Dodge headliners. GAMI was also the first facility in the Group to produce substrates with the new thermoforming technology. The Malibu and Ram programs started production with cero customer PPM.
Knowing the rigorous challenges of 2008, the status quo at GA-Michigan needed to change. The management team understood that success would require a new approach. The Quality Department could no longer be responsible for assuring a quality product was being shipped. Product quality had to be the responsibility of everyone to ensure customer expectations were met, business goals were ex - ceeded and all launches were flawless.
News Grupo Antolin 14 Summer 2009 Quality is the responsibility of EVERY employee and team. We must: Plan Carefully Execute Consistently Check Constantly Improve Continuously
While instilling a passion for external and internal customer satisfaction through - out the organization. The only acceptable level of quality is to do it right: The First Time Every Time
From left to right and from top to bottom: Scott Vasbinder, Ricky Vanderpoel, Gayle Hurd, Doug Batzlaff, Dean From left to right and from top to bottom: Michelle Thompson, Jamie Cain, Ken Nagy, Richard Scheil, Debbie Sickierski, Rick Putnam. Judy Schott, Tricia Samuelson, Deb Grubb, Childers, Irene Anderson, James Struve, Lucy Francowiak, Michelle Bell, Anita Creighton, Criselda Smith, Robin Martin, Sherry Schoot, Deb Dyson Kaye Hobson John Christian, Dawn Stevens, Rick Putnam
To ensure the organization exceeded the goals and ob - on quality standards, and assisted in APQP functions. jectives for the year, a change in the collective mindset Inspecting parts became an operator function. was required. Quality could not be inspected in to the An important part of operator inspection was empha - product and quality is the responsibility of everyone. This sizing who the customer is. Each operator became the mindset is what drives the North American Quality Policy. in-line customer of the previous operation. Not only did In order to achieve this paradigm shift, management each operator inspect his work, but also the key charac - needed to embrace this philosophy and lead all levels of teristics from the previous operation, in their role of the organization in its execution. being the in-line customer. For example, a check at the wire harness assembly to ensure that all connectors are The Marlette team installed UET boards at each produc - fully engaged would be verified at the next station by tion line where daily production meetings are now held. the in-line customer. If the part is found defective, the Each board tracks daily scrap issues and customer rejec - prior station is notified creating real time awareness, im - tions. Daily scrap issues are recorded on a production/part mediate correction, and prevention of defective product action form and customer rejections are reviewed on the from leaving the line and reaching our end customer. fast response form. The boards are reviewed daily with the line leader, supervisor, and plant management staff. GAMI has been able to reduce PPM’s, to improve cus - tomer satisfaction and to reduce the cost of non-quality By implementing the UET boards, all departments were through teamwork, awareness, and the support of all seen on the floor as a team. Quality issues became the departments. The keys to success were making quality responsibility of all departments and not just the QA the responsibility of everyone and the concept of in-line Department. The QA Department set quality standards, customers. The results are compelling and the accom - facilitated 8-D meetings, trained production operators plishments are something that we can all be proud of. w
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2009 15 Launching of the new VW in Spain New Volkswagen Polo
Grupo Antolin and Polo 2009, working together for an excellent car
Polo Bluemotion is the Next September the new Volkswagen Polo, third gen - eration, will be launched in Spain. This vehicle will be car with the lowest CO2 manufactured in two versions, 3 and 5 doors, in the emissions in its plants of Pamplona (Spain), Uitenhage (South Africa) and Pune (India) category: 99g/km.
Marketing Departament Grupo Antolin
News Grupo Antolin protagonists 16 Summer 2009 Model of the new Polo Bluemotion
More than 80,000 development hours in Grupo Antolin More than 30,000 CAD hours More than 3,000 CAE hours More than 40 people involved directly in the project 8 GA centers (technical-commercial offices & plants) 2 production countries (Spain & South Africa) 3 development countries (Spain, Germany & India) Hours: Technician from Validation and Metrology Laboratories 2,200 Hours: Climatic Chamber, window lifter bench, and laboratory equipment 19,050
GRUPO ANTOLIN PRODUCTS
HEADLINER SUBSTRATE Grupo Antolin-South Africa* The plant of Landaben in Pamplona has already begun to produce its first units and its market launch is expect - ed to become a great success, similarly to the one achieved by its previous model. The New Polo presents more aggressive lines, elongated front optical groups and a double central grille. This mod - el draws inspiration from the line of the Volkswagen Golf VI. It is slightly larger than the previous model (36 mm wider and 32 mm longer), and it incorporates a boot with a capacity 10 litres larger than its predecessor. DOOR PANELS The interior is also larger, created with utmost care, Grupo Antolin-Aragusa Grupo Antolin-Navarra presenting a greater space for its occupants, especially WINDOW REGULATORS Grupo Antolin-South Africa* regarding front width and legroom. The interior finish - Grupo Antolin-Navarra ing is finer than the one in other models within the Grupo Antolin-Dapsa same range. The instrumentation is backlit in white, and the console is more oriented toward the driver. In its basic equip - ment, the New Polo will have four airbags, control of stability, active front headrests, anchorages isofix for chil - dren seats and three rear headrests. The new Polo is one of the first vehicles in its class de - signed to pass with a five-star rating the Euro-NCAP test modified and tightened in February 2009. BOOT TRIM Polo Bluemotion is the car with the lowest CO2 emis - Grupo Antolin-Aragusa sions in its category: 99g/km. Grupo Antolin-South Africa* The engines offer that presents Volkswagen for their new Commercial, development & CAD model: 4 petrol engines (from 1,2 l of 60 CV to 1,2L TSI Grupo Antolin-Ingenieria Grupo Antolin-Deutschland of 105 CV) and 3 diesel engines (1,6L and 75,90 or 105 Grupo Antolin-South Africa CV) . Great car for a great price, from 9.900 €. Grupo Antolin-Pune (CAD)
With our clients we create cars. w * For the production of Volkswagen Polo in South Africa
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2009 17 plants
Jacinto Reyna Grupo Antolin Managing Director Saltillo We accepted to start a A year of combined efforts journey in which only the effort of the whole team We are pleased to remember that one year ago together would take us the visionary dream of the Managing Direction to our destiny, and that is of Grupo Antolin started to come through: esta - just what happened blishing a productive plant of plastic injection in the North America territory, south east to the State of Coahuila, Mexico
News Grupo Antolin 18 Spring 2009 Our products
Being the injection of plastics for interiors our main busi - In spite of the fact that the world economical situation ness, in GA-Saltillo we have discovered how important was not so encouraging then, we accepted to start a the customers’ wish to personalize their vehicles has be - journey in which only the effort of the whole team to - come, as well as the incidence in the design of the inte - gether would take us to our destiny, and that is just what rior of the automobile. This is the reason why we not happened. We started as a small but consolidated team, only take into account the car manufacturers’ needs, but decided to provide something else apart from our effort. we never forget the user’s point of view. Flexibility is an - All of us working in the same way and with the help other feature which makes our factory become a po - from our sister companies, we were determined to fulfil tential supplier for the production of interior the mission of Grupo Antolin: “To achieve the perma - components in the automotive industry. nent satisfaction from our Clients regarding Quality, Service and Price”. Among our products there are: injection and assembly of the corporative console of Ford, with which all the seg - ments are equipped, and the console of GM for the pro - Why choose Saltillo? gramme Chevrolet HHR. Injection and assembly of sunvisors, started with the pro - One advantage for us is that we have installed the plant gramme Dodge RAM Pick up from Chrysler. Through the in Coahuila, in the north of Mexico, just 270 km away strategic relocation of production lines, sunvisors lines from the USA border; this positions us in a highly com - of Chevrolet HHR, Chevrolet Colorado and GMC petitive area. Along the years, a large number of com - Canyon have been included. panies have settled in Coahuila, in order to take profit from this advantageous geographical situation. Some other injected components include frames for sun - roofs, sliders for window lifters and holders for speakers, We have armoured ourselves with a group of staff that among other ones. has the ability, the dedication and the disposition to face the challenges which global competence requires. This is GA-Saltillo counts with the preference as final client of the characteristic of the men and women who work in Ford, GM, Chrysler and Toyota supplying them through GA-Saltillo. our sister plants in the territory. Coahuila counts with more than a million workers who During 2009 we are going to integrate a new customer have the knowledge, the experience and the ability nec - into our portfolio: Toyota, with the sunvisors for the essary to make any company in the region become suc - Highlander programme, which means a new opportu - cessful, among them GA-Saltillo. This State comprises nity and a challenge to comply with the strict require - more than 10 universities and technical schools, 5 large ments of a customer like Toyota. investigation centres and 2 centres for technological in - Finally, the plant of Saltillo has the valuable opportunity novation. and the challenge to become the supplier for our sister Grupo Antolin chose the metropolitan area of Saltillo plants which currently and in new projects require in - (Arteaga Coahuila). It is a State in which 25% of the ve - jected parts or sub-assemblies in headliners. This makes hicles in Mexico are produced, apart from every kind of us a potential partner among other Grupo Antolin soci - components and assembly of automobiles with the eties in this territory and we could even become a direct highest standards of quality. partner of the OEMs. w
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2009 19 being I like ! ¡Green Green IT More than an option, a matter of need and responsibility
corporate responsability Susana Cuevas Responsible for Technology Information Systems
The money spent on the Generally speaking, the concept Green IT con - supply of energy and cooling sists on the optimization of the technologies of of the data centres will information and communication, in order to exceed this year the budget guarantee the sustainability of the processes, for hardware. This, itself, is a the energy efficiency and the optimization of good reason to think the maintenance “green”. But the scope of In Grupo Antolin we have been implanting these policies for several years, as a the movement “Green IT” mean of reducing costs and, therefore, to increase competitiveness. goes far beyond, sharing Costs saving is one of the key reasons to embrace the movement Green IT. It is not in vain that the energy cost of a data centre represents 13% of the total cost. Com - objectives with the policies bining the progressive growth of the price per kilowatt which almost nobody dis - putes, with the proliferation of the IT, some experts expect that in the coming years, of Corporate Social the cost of the electric invoice will become half of the total cost of the exploitation. Responsibility Here are concrete examples of Green IT solutions implanted in Grupo Antolin.
Consolidation in Grupo Antolin
The Data Centres have become a clear objective for the reduction of costs, because between 10-20 % of the total of the energy consumption is produced by the DC.
Consolidation lies in the centralization and reduction of remote servers and/or services located in distributed settings. The data process centres, distributed in our plants, have the MINIMUM NECESSARY infrastructure for the corporative IT servic - es at present. The general policy of IT in Grupo Antolin is that all the applications which are subject to be working in a centralised environment, are implanted that way. We have SAP as an example.
News Grupo Antolin 20 Summer 2009 Before and after. The external change of the Data center of the GA headquarters is very noticeable Virtualization
Virtualization consists on the reutilization of the same phys - ical machine to run several virtual machines on it. Servers Another type of applications, such as the mail, which did are one of the things subject to be virtualised in IT, and not have a centralized nature, have evolved technologi - eventually with the evolution of technology, we have gone cally and adapted to these new demands of the market. from virtualizations with ratios of 4:1 (four virtual servers in each physical computer), and therefore a 75 % reduction, Developments in the e-mail service: to estimations of 8:1 (87.5%), 10:1 (90%) or even much Before 2003 there were about 50 mail servers distrib - higher. This process does not only lead to a reduction in uted through the plants of Grupo Antolin. In 2003 a first space and the number of components to feed (not only consolidation was performed, leaving one single server computers, but also UPS, firewalls, charge balancing gears, per country. We changed from 50 into 7 servers. In 2009- etc), but also other benefits related to flexibility: virtual 2010 the total centralization is going to be performed, servers can be moved or replicated much more easily, they keeping just 2 servers (Spain and the USA) for the service allow for better strategies concerning disaster recovery, of all the plants. and they offer a much higher recovery and start time. Altogether: Reduction of 48 physical servers. Grupo Antolin opted for virtualization a long time ago, with the clear objective of saving energy and operational This drastic reduction in the number of physical machines costs. Every server and/or service likely to be virtualized has a direct impact on the following types of costs: has been virtualized. In the Centres of remote Data Process, - operational (qualified staff performing the manage - 2 from the 3 basic services of a plant have been virtual - ment of the systems) ized (Domain Controller, mail Server and files). In this - energy (electric consumption) way, the corporate infrastructure of a plant is being re - - refrigeration (necessary for the operation of the servers) duced to one single physical server. In the headquarters - licensing (Main and Contingency CPD) all the environments of de - - servers’ maintenance and guaranties. velopment, pre-productive and even some productive - use of other infrastructures (network connections, and applications have been virtualized. so on) backup, etc The ROI of virtualization project exceeds EUR 3 million Estimated savings: 300.000€ on an estimate of 3 years.
Blade Technologies Redesign of the Data Centres
BLADE technologies consist on the reutilization of the The CPD’s have consumption between 10% and 20% of same physical chassis to accommodate multiple servers total energy consumption. Air- conditioning is, in fact, one (usually 8 or 16). These technologies allow for a much of the main components of energy expenditure in a CPD, higher energy efficiency through the centralization of usually around 50%. The design of the air flow in the data components such as refrigeration or the uninterrupted centre, or the maintenance of the appropriate humidity power supply (UPS): more machines in a single rack, which conditions are very important factors which have a direct are in addition more efficiently cooled. impact in the energy consumption of the data centres.
Grupo Antolin integrated its first BLADE system in 2004. Due to all this, in 2008 Grupo Antolin addressed a deep Since then, virtually all the growth in the central Data redesign both of the Main Data Centre located in the Centres is carried out using this technology headquarters, and in the Extended Data Centre located in GA-Aragusa . The redesign was mainly focused on en - Grupo Antolin has 132 servers with BLADE equipment. ergy saving, the guarantee of high availability and the Estimated savings: 400.000€ adequacy of infrastructures to new technologies. w
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2009 21 Committed to the future ”Today I am here as the representative of Grupo Antolin, carrying the value of the union with me and with the firm intention of giving back to the society, to the employees and to the environment, every - thing that these agents have given to us”. With these the photo
In the photograph they are from left to right: Flávio Máximo Educational Coordinator SENAI – Taubaté Fernando Takao Director SENAI – Taubaté Sílvio Nunes HHRR Director Brazil Emma Antolin Director of Corporate Responsibility Grupo Antolin Claudemir Cláudio Director of Territory South America Alessandro Fontana Commercial Director of Territory South America Antonio José Tadeu Renattini Industrial Director of Territory South America Carlos Antônio Vilela Mayor of Caçapava
News Grupo Antolin Inauguration of the t 22 Summer 2009 words, on Monday 2nd March, 2009, Plenty of local and educational authorities, as well as the Director of Corporate Responsibility large number of representatives from our clients and of the Group, Emma Antolin gave the suppliers, accompanied us in the ceremony of inaugu - ration of the School, which took place in the plant of starting signal to the first Training Iramec Tabutaté last March. Representatives from Grupo School of Grupo Antolin in Brazil Antolin in Spain travelled their way to Brazil in order to As a result of the collaboration between SENAI (National support this adventure, which main objective is to be Service for the Industrial Apprenticeship) from Brazil and able to face the future with professionals ready to deal Grupo Antolin, the Escola de Formaçao Brasil has been with the challenges which present to us wherever it born. In spite of being so new, the school already counts might be necessary, at the same time contributing to with thirty students, all of them sons, daughters or direct the development of the communities where we are relatives of our workmates at the plants of Grupo An - settled through an appropriate preparation of our peo - tolin in Brazil: Intertrim, Iramec and Trimtec. ple, both in the human and professional levels. w
raining School Brazil News Grupo Antolin Summer 2008 23 Department of Industrial Design designing the future Groupo Antolin Ingeniería Interior for the senses
Why fostering the perception of the senses inside the automobile?
Concept Car developed by Grupo Antolin. It is available in the Design Workshop (GA Headquarters)
News Grupo Antolin 24 Summer 2009 Adequate lighting within the car gives pleasure and comfort
Seat concept car interior for the senses
Technical quality is a factor which is con - sidered as a starting point requirement, but there are other more subjective fac - tors which have a decisive influence at the time of the purchase. When an optimal quality has been reached in the products it is necessary to provide something else An upper range vehicle, somehow luxurious, is not ex - in order to differentiate from competitors pected to transmit the same emotions as a small and youthful vehicle with a sportive spirit, therefore every - thing which has to do with the sensorial aspects will People make decisions through the stimuli which our be treated in a different way in order to reach the best senses receive. Shapes and colours, the touch of the results in each case. materials, the smell of new things or a certain fragrance, even the sound of an engine or the noise of the doors Some of the achieved conclusions have been reflected when they close make a vehicle be well or badly con - in the project “Interior for the senses”, in this case fo - sidered longer before it has been driven. But apart from cused towards a family car, upper range and with a su - that, the importance of senses remains throughout the perior level of comfort and versatility in its interior, whole life of the vehicle, when the driver and passen - where simple and pure lines, warm and light colours gers become its users. The contact you have with the and its different materials transmit what was intended: vehicle everyday can make you feel proud of your pur - a warm and elegant interior, spacious and luminous chase, comfortable or uncomfortable, satisfied or un - which also allows for different configurations accord - satisfied with your expectations and so on. ing to the different moods which you might intend, just through the variation of such simple elements as Through the study of everything which has to do with the colour of the illumination, the sounds and their as - the senses and their implications, it is possible to know sociated smell, and besides using technologies which how to combine such important aspects as the shapes, permit an easy post process personalization. the materials, the sounds, the smells and the colours in such a way that different sensations can be trans - We are convinced that the “perception transmitting” mitted in the interior. An exhaustive study about the products differentiate from the rest even though they senses, as well as about emotions has enabled us to have the same services. This is the reason why Grupo relate all these aspects to different requirements of de - Antolin, by offering products capable of “transmitting sign (shape, texture, colour, smell, sound) in quite an sensations” has strongly made its own place within the objective manner. complicated automotive world. w
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2009 25 news in brief in brief CORPORATIVE Grupo antolin, RESPONSABILITY the most Course in Grupo admired Antolin company in the
Beyond what the law establishes: the region Corporate Responsibility as a structural Last January, the magazine 'Castile feature in the best companies and Leon Economic' (“Castilla y León The inauguration of the CR course took Económica”) published the results place on the last 5th February in the Juan Vicente Herrera during his speech of a survey conducted in 213 com - Head Office of Grupo Antolin. After our panies from the nine provinces of president José Antolin welcomed the the Community, according to which, During a total of 32 hours distributed attendees, the President of the Govern - Grupo Antolin is regarded as the in four days along February, a hetero - ment of Castile and Leon, Juan Vicente "most admired" company of Castile geneous group formed by nearly 30 Herrera, addressed the meeting and, and Leon by the executives, as it was people, all of them representatives from with continuous references to concepts identified by the 8.9 % of the re - various sectors, public and private, could such as innovation, competitiveness, spondents. In the same survey, José verify that it is not easy to compete on - quality, sustainability, future and prof - Antolin Toledano was appointed as ly with the minimum efforts. “A prod - its, inaugurated the Course on Corpo - the most influential employer in the uct or a service which simply complies rate Responsibility organised by the Club region, in the managers’ opinion. with the legal minimum requirements for the Excellence within Sustainability, will always be less attractive than an - Other mentioned companies in that in collaboration with the Government other one which incorporates improve - survey are Grupo Leche Pascual of Castile and Leon, the Chamber of ments, one which has an added val - (6.6%); Grupo Siro (4.2%); Viajes Commerce of Burgos, the company Iber - ue”, just as the President of the Gov - Halcón (3.3%); Pevafersa (2.8) and drola and Grupo Antolin. ernment of Castile and Leon had Grupo Norte (2.3%). Under the heading “The CR as a factor appointed. Thus, although Corporate This acknowledgement, fruit of the of creation of a value for the company”, Responsibility has to do, of course, with work of us all, means a great respon - some great experts, tried to contribute the ethics of a business, it will not only sibility to the company and an added with their statements to the acceptance be our conscience which will be grate - bonus to go on working and invest - of this new model of business and thus ful to us. This is a bet which is closely ing in the region, thus continuing make that more and more Spanish com - related to the profitability of a busi - with our policy of growth and bring - panies everyday bid for a strategic re - ness, to competitiveness and with the ing cutting edge solutions to the ma - sponsibility, being aware of the compet - sustainability of the company in the jor car manufacturers. w itive advantages which it generates. long run. w
Most admired Companies in Castile and Leon Grupo Antolin 8.90% Grupo Leche Pascual 6.60% Grupo Siro 4.20% Viajes Halcón 3.30% Pevafersa 2.80% Grupo Norte 2.30%
José Antolin welcoming the attendees Source: Castile and Leon Economic
News Grupo Antolin 26 Summer 2008 important and largest companies of the Likewise, on April 21 st , we held another INNOVATIVE DAY chemical industry in the world, especially meeting for knowledge with LG Chemi - in the market of the polypropylenes, and cal, one of the first chemical companies in MEETINGS one of the main producers of plastic raw Asia and Biesterfeld Ibérica its representa - materials such as polyethylene, polypropy - tive in Europe, to show us their products ExxonMobil and LG lene, synthetic lubricants, olefins, aro - and the innovations which they are per - matics, synthetic rubber and additives, forming for the automotive sector. This Chem & Biesterfeld among other products. The company has meeting was smaller than the previous In - a division dedicated to the world of the novative Day Meetings, since their prod - In order to continue with the initiative automobile and its applications. This meet - ucts are especially geared to the area of "Innovative Day Meeting", included with - ing was attended by specialists of Exxon - Plastics and their applications. The people in the strategic line of Knowledge Man - Mobil, who dedicated to us a specific day who attended this meeting from LG Chem - agement, which objective is to improve about their products for the automotive ical are on the highest global level within our knowledge management together industry. More than 45 people from dif - LG, who, in addition to showing us their with our suppliers, ExxonMobil visited us ferent areas of the organization attend - products and applications, carried out a on March 31 st . Exxon is one of the most ed this meeting. partaking event for all the attendants. w
Innovative Day Meeting with ExxonMobil
rior Awards”. Grupo Antolin was the re - with regards to improvements in the in - Toyota awards cipient of the Superior Award for Cost ternal process made within the Durban Management. plant as well as the ability to contain costs from suppliers and thereby to control - Grupo Antolin This means that over all suppliers of all ling costs passed on to Toyota South the different supplier commodities for Africa. South Africa the category of Cost Management, Grupo Antolin SA was the winner. The In the words of Dr Johan van Zyl, CEO & On Wednesday 18 March 2009, Toyota introduction given when handing over President of Toyota SA, “In these global South Africa held their Annual Business the award was for Grupo Antolin SA’s economic times, Toyota SA regard this Meeting and Supplier Awards. The An - leadership in Management of costs both award to be of most significance”. w nual Business Meeting dealt with the cur - rent economic situation within Global and Local Automotive Industry and the predicted way forward. This was followed by the Supplier Awards of all Production & Non Production Supplier Awards. The main categories were Cost Manage - ment, Quality, Delivery and Safety & En - vironmental Award. Within each cate - gory there were suppliers of the year cov - ering the different commodities (such as electrical, interior, metal, P&A and Serv - ices). Toyota SA then has 4 Overall Sup - pliers of the year, which they call “Supe - Riaan Goosen, head of GA-South Africa, receives the award from Toyota
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2008 27 Inside the luxurious Cadillac converges
when the American consumer is accus - Detroit Auto tomed to the large carriers; secondly, how to increase the autonomy of the new elec - Show 2009 tric engines, considering that having an electric car has started to be a must in Small hidden wonders …fluidity in the each brand; finally, how to increase and corridors…, and not only due to the ab - Toyota electric car, the EV improve the man-machine interface in sence of some brands like Nissan, Mit - order to make our life easier. subishi, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Suzuki or presented in the hall. The chosen car of the mythical Ferrari, but also because of We can appreciate the first and third points the year, Hyundai Genesis, presented an the smaller number of visitors to the event. in the new car concept Lincoln Concept unspotted interior, higher in perceived If we add the reutilization of stands and C. Large SUVs have become luxurious quality than the other cars of its catego - displays, it will result in a somewhat sad Crossovers as the MKT of Lincoln. The elec - ry in this market, with an attractive exte - view of the most famous Motor Show in tric cars were again in several stands as rior design and best of all: 10 years or the United States. However, letting the the Mercedes BlueZero, the Toyota EV, 100,000 miles of guarantee. Who could atmosphere of crisis apart, we were able probably the future electric global car, or resist it? to find pleasant surprises, trends adapt - the Chrysler 200C. Naturally, the Japan - Finally, of course, the "sexy" cars of the ed to a more dynamic and changing envi - ese hybrids were also there, such as the hall could not be absent, such as the new ronment. new Toyota Prius or the Honda Insight. BMW Z4, the Fisker Karma with hybrid We had already noticed in previous edi - It is certainly true that brands like Audi engine, the Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss, tions how the small car is being thrusted feasted our eyes on their concept A7 the VW Bluesport and the Cadillac Con - into the North American market in two Sportsback, in a design full of noble ma - verj with the hybrid motor of the Volt, shakes. Now the biggest concerns are, terials eliminating the shines in the inte - which flooded the atmosphere with their firstly, how to create space in a small car rior, one of the most beautiful concepts glamour. w
Photo of participants
Team spirit in Grupo Antolin Pune
GA Pune (India) celebrated Twins Day with 100% participation of all employees on 6 March 2009.
Teams were participated in pair with same costume like traditional, school dresses, smart casuals. The activity was planned to motivate the employees and the team spirit in the organization. We enjoyed Twins day together! w
News Grupo Antolin 28 Summer 2008 o
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Reforestation day
Nearly 70 people, both children and grown up people, went to the appoint - ment which the Head Office of Grupo Antolin had arranged with nature on Sunday 8th March. Thanks to the plot of land donated by the Town Hall of Val - dorros (Burgos) and the cooperation of the “Classroom of the Environment” of Caja de Burgos, we had the chance to change a piece of land traditionally used for dumping rubble, into a future for - est of holm oaks, hawthorns and ju - nipers, given by the Government of Castile and Leon. Through this simple gesture, the employ - ees and their families, apart from having a good time that day, wanted to close Enjoy all of nature, but the children were the true soul of the activity with this brooch the initiative Objective O2 for the year 2009. This initiative was were able to raise enough money to fund made it possible to carry out this initia - born after the internal @uction of pres - this project. With these lines we would tive. Thank you and get ready for the next ents donated by our suppliers, where we like to thank all those people who have one. To be continued… w
II Open Day of TRIMTEC
Trimtec held last March its II Open Day, with total success of public and flow. Around 160 people visited the plant, all of them relatives and friends of the employees’. The visitors had the opportunity to know the raw materials, processes and final products of the plant. They were also shown the policy of responsibility with the environment, through the explanation of the process of complete recy - cling. The visitors were very pleased to know first hand the place of work of their relatives. w
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2008 29 Abadía de San Quirce Finca Helena awarded with the “Gran Zarcillo de Oro 09”
Among more than three thousand wines candidate to the Gold Zarcillo Inside view and outside view Prizes, “Abadía de San Quirce Finca Helena”, from 2005, has obtained one of the maximum acknowledg - ments to wine, the Great Gold Zarcil - Grupo Antolin in the Centre of Design and Engineer - lo (Gran Zarcillo de Oro). This wine ing of Grupo Antolin in this town. is a bet on the quality rather than on supplier of the the amount of bottles in the market: The project was started in December only 3,300 bottles will be put on sale. 2006, in collaboration with the Integrat - Mahindra Xylo This is a wine that preserves the fruit ed Design and Manufacturing (IDAM) with noble woods in a very well in - Thanks to the recent launch of the Group of Mahindra, launching the first tegrated manner, of an intense and Mahindra Xylo, Grupo Antolin has be - proposal of headliner in March 2007. covered colour, very expressive and come, for the first time, supplier of con - As for the console, designed fulfilling very aromatic. It is a structured wine. soles in India. the requirements of the customer, we should stand out that the sunglass bin In addition, the quality of Bodegas According to Mahindra, this is the only is dampened type which gives this car a Imperiales has been acknowledged model in this country which interior has premium feel. with two other awards: a Gold Zarcil - been designed taking into account the lo for “Abadía de San Quince Cri - needs and taste of the final user and The sunvisors were later developed by anza 2006”; and a Silver Zarcillo for prior to the exterior design of the vehi - express request of Mahindra, and thus, the variety “Abadía de San Quirce cle. In this sense, Grupo Antolin has been in January 2008, Grupo Antolin Pune, Gran Reserva 2001”. It is not the an active part in this initiative, being not conducted their first proposals. In just first time that a wine belonging to only the supplier of the above-men - seven months the sunvisor and all its Bodegas Imperiales receives the tioned front console (with sunglass bin) components were designed from scratch maximum award from the Zarcillo but also of the headliner (with integrat - to completion. Prizes, in 2005, “Abadía de San ed air ducts) and of the sunvisor (with More than 12,000 orders for the Xylo Quirce Reserva 1999” received this illuminated vanity mirror). have been received by Mahindra, be - prestigious award. This contest has The products which are provided coming the MPV with greater market become the second most prestigious through the production plant close to share within its segment after its launch one in the world, only overcome by Pune, India, have been fully developed in India. w the German “Mundos Vini”. w Did you know that... Source: Marketing-GA and General Services Dir. GA
… the solar panels of the … In Spain 9% of the workforce is headquarters’ parking generated 593,761 employed in the automotive sector ? kWh. during 2008, enough energy to This figure is 3% in United Kingdom, supply heat and electricity for 50 homes 10% in France and Germany, 8% in a year and prevent the generation of Japan and reaches 14% in Mexico. 682 tonnes of CO 2?
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2008 30 Indoor Soccer Tournament
On 27 th December 2008, the exciting final of our Christmas indoor soccer tournament took place. The champions of this year were the pla - yers of GA-Aragusa, whom we wish to con - gratulate. We would also like to congratulate the team from GA-Eurotrim, who have been finalists for the second consecutive time. Once Grupo Antolin junior team again this year, the participants have proved their sportsmanship and fellowship in a mee - Final Classification ting which is now traditional in our Group. w 1º G.A. ARAGUSA 2º G.A. EUROTRIM Group A 3º ZF ANSA LEMFORDER 4º G. ANTOLIN "B" 5º G.A. PLASBUR G.A. Eurotrim - G.A. RyA 3 - 2 Top Scorer 6º G. ANTOLIN "A" G.A. Ardasa - G. Antolin "A" 4 - 4 7º G.A. ARDASA Miguel Santos 8º G.A. ARA (ZF Ansa Lemforder) G.A. Ardasa - G.A. Eurotrim 0 - 5 9º G.A. RYA Best Goalkeeper G.A. RyA - G. Antolin "A" 2 - 7 10º G.A. DAPSA 11º G.A. MAGNESIO Roberto Sánchez (G.A.Plasbur) G.A. Ardasa - G.A. RyA 7 - 4
G.A. Eurotrim - G. Antolin "A" 3 - 1
Group B
G.A. Eurotrim - G.A. RyA 3 - 2 G.A. Ardasa - G. Antolin "A" 4 - 4
G.A. Ardasa - G.A. Eurotrim 0 - 5
G.A. RyA - G. Antolin "A" 2 - 7
G.A. Ardasa - G.A. RyA 7 - 4
G.A. Eurotrim - G. Antolin "A" 3 - 1 GA Eurotrim team
Group C GAntolin “B” team G.A. Plasbur - G.A. Magnesio 7 - 1
G.A. Magnesio - G.A. Aragusa 1 - 17
G.A. Aragusa - G.A. Plasbur 3 - 3 GA Aragusa team
Semifinal
G. Antolin "B" - G.A. Aragusa 2 - 4
G.A. Eurotrim - ZF Ansa Lemforder 6 - 1
3rd and 4 th Place
ZF Ansa Lemforder - G. Antolin "B" 4 - 1
Final
G.A. Aragusa - G.A. Eurotrim 6 - 4
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2008 31 n ‘Grupo Antolin appreciates the effort of its employees who o year after year contribute with their proposals to improve i the Quality and to satisfy our customers’ t i Individual Prizes 1st Rosa del Carmen Torres (G.A. Silao - Mexico). n Improvement proposal: ‘Scraps of headliners processing’.
2nd Frédéric Vignon (G.A. Iga – France).
g Improvement proposal: ‘Waste material management cost reduction’.
3rd Miguel López Rico (Mexican Door Company - Mexico).
Improvement proposal: ‘Insertion of the spiral into the Foam pipe’. o
Collective Awards c 1st G.A. Ara – Spain.
- Francisco Javier Delgado Andrés (Leader)
e - Epifanio García Bartolomé - Jesus Santamaría Villate - Braulio Pontones Gómez - Tomas Tápia Santamaría R - Luis Martin García
Improvement proposal: ‘Improvement of the seat frames internal production process’
2nd G.A. Vigo – Spain.
- Juan Antonio Rodríguez Veiga (Leader) - Juan Gabriel Conde Frías - Laura Fernández Guisande - José Fraga Rionda - Darío Rodríguez Madriñán
Improvement proposal: ‘Elimination of not added value operations during seat assembly process’
3rd G.A. Plasbur – Spain.
- Francisco Javier García Gutiérrez (Leader UET 013) - Pablo Escribano Andrés (Leader UET 08) - Sonia Sira Delgado Amayuelas - Arturo Izquierdo Calvo - Rodrigo Jerez Varona
Improvement proposal: ‘Improvement of machinery for the execution of production operations’
Total Quality Implication Awards Alcide Leonardo Batista Pirino (Intertrim) – Brazil.
News Grupo Antolin 32 Summer 2009 Pablo Soto, Jesús Escudero, Enrique Fernández & Emma Antolin Grupo Antolin Ingeniería Responsible Innovation Light & Green Project
"…Climate change is one of the major threats to sustain - able development, it represents one of the major environmental challenges with effects on the global economy, health and social welfare…". So resounding the Spanish Strategy of Climate Change and Clean Energy Horizon 2012 describes the problem of climate change and its effects. The answer of the International Community to the problem of climate change and the "greenhouse effect" is known as Kyoto Protocol
Microscopic picture of Polyurethane Foam
Even though 1 Kg of CO 2 upgrades global warming 21 times less than methane, Grupo Antolin is betting or 6500 times less than a Chlorofluorocarbon (cooler), CO 2 means the greatest threat, due to the huge amount of this gas that human activity generates. on the development of The accomplishment of the Kyoto Protocol on the part of Spain, requires the greener and lighter decisive intervention on the diffuse emissions, coming mainly from the sectors of Transport and Residential. In fact, an average growth of the emissions is ex - products, which enshrines pected over the base year of +65% in coming years. The objective is to stay below 37% with respect to the base year. within the project called Moreover, the Association of European Automobile Makers (ACEA), reached a "Light & Green" voluntary agreement with the European Commission in 1998 for the reduction
of CO 2 emissions in the new passenger vehicles in the following 10 years. The latest Report on the Monitoring said that the average level of emissions of the European car fleet had fallen from 185g/Km in 1995 to 161g/Km in 2005, but this drop was considered insufficient. The European Commission considers that it is essential to encourage research, development and demonstration of ad - vanced technologies in the reduction of emissions to reach objectives for re -
duction below 120g CO 2/Km.
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2009 33 Initiatives from Grupo Antolin Bale of sisal fibre
We are aware that our group must make its little part, collaborating with our customers, the car manufactur - ers, to fulfil their commitments. Therefore, in recent
years, in order to reduce CO 2 emissions and minimize the consumption of energy from fossil fuels, we are de - veloping numerous products based on two premises: Light & Green. We thus commit ourselves with the envi - ronment, collaborate with the makers in the reduction of
CO 2 emissions and generate products technologically sustainable. The use of materials of natural origin (bio resins, bio plas -
tics or natural fibres), which naturally absorbed CO 2 from the atmosphere, leaves a Zero Carbon Footprint on the Earth. For example: 100 kg of a bio plastic as the ob - tained directly from starch or the PLA (polylactic acid), obtained from starch sugar have a “Zero Footprint ". Starch comes from a crop that first "stole" CO 2 from the Skeins of sisal fibres atmosphere, which is the reason why the balance sheet from different origins
is zero. In contrast, 100Kg. of polyester generate more Darker Whiter than 200 Kg of CO 2 and 100 kg of polypropylene, more (more odorous) (less odorous)
than 300 Kg of CO 2, because they are petroleum de - rivates (fossil carbon), this is to say, to obtain these prod -
ucts CO 2 is emitted, not absorbed. Chaff of polypropylene & Cut fibre of sisal
Plastic materials reinforced with vegetal fibres (sisal) for the process of moulding by injection
We want to bring a new approach for plastic parts to the results obtained with the project “MatFiVe”, funded through the line “IBEROEKA” of the Spanish Ministry of Industry, which gave rise to a product that was called “Agro-PP” (agro-polypropylene). Due to the high temperatures of the process of injec - tion, in addition to the protective treatment of the fi - bres, other aspects must be studied, such as the choice of the most appropriate type of plastic, the modifica - tion of the parameters of the process of injection and even the modification of the injection tooling, all of this on the purpose that the temperature reached by the composite is lower than that of the normal process and the fibres do not suffer a degradation, which generates a “toasted” look and an inadmissible smell. Therefore, this project, which aim is that the material re - inforced with vegetable fibres complies with the strict rules of smell and the emission of volatiles for parts of the interior of automobiles, can generate another im - portant product in the line "Light & Green".
News Grupo Antolin 34 Summer 2008 Headliner substrate with Castor Oil plant Castor oil seeds materials coming from natural sources
It is a very ambitious project which has been developing in GA-Ingeniería for several years and is intended to be accelerated in 2009. It is divided into three sub-projects related to each of the three key materials that are part of a headliner substrate: foam padding, reinforcement ma - terial, and adhesive that joins them together. In the second part of this article, which will be published in the next issue, we will talk about the solutions for the reduction of weight: the "Light" part of the project. w Sisal
Natural Fibres The objective is to replace the reinforcement material currently employed in the headliners (fibreglass) with natural fibre. Studies of R&D carried out in previous years by GA-Ingeniería have allowed for the selection of the most ap - propriate types of sisal natural fibre (with the Mixing of polyol (A) and isocyanides (B) Growing of the polyurethane foam most similar mechanical properties as possible to those of fibreglass); and with a more ap - PU foams with natural polyol propriate treatment to prevent emissions or Development and industrialization of unpleasant odours in the final product. polyurethane foam from polyols coming from In the "Light & Green" project for headliners, renewable not edible natural sources: castor the use of "green" foam means a great tech - oil. In addition, the manufacturing process of nological innovation because there is no raw materials is simpler and requires much other supplier who is using the percentage of less energy (lower energy consumption and Natural Adhesives raw material from vegetable origin that generation of CO 2) than conventional prod - Grupo Antolin can use. On the other hand, ucts of petrochemical origin. Currently, the The aim is to replace partially the raw mate - the use of an adhesive partially or completely first prototypes of headliners that comply with rials from a fossil origin of the thermo stable from renewable sources, together with the the customer expectations have been made; adhesives with renewable raw materials, use of reinforcement natural fibres instead of the next phase of the project consists on an and in a second approximation, replace fibreglass, will enable us to offer a product of optimization of the formulation, semi-indus - them completely with raw materials from great environmental value, highly valued by trial testing and subsequent industrialization. agricultural waste. In the first part, current the clients and the final user. In addition, the adhesives will be modified using a percent - The castor oil (which contains nearly 90 per elimination of fibreglass in the composition of age of natural polyols, and in the second cent of ricinoleic acid), when it reacts with the headliner trims can encourage the recov - one the starting point will be a completely the glycerine (another product that comes ery of energy by cogeneration. Its use will fos - different resin. from vegetable sources) becomes a mixture ter the development of the rural environment of polyols useful for making polyurethane This project is also interesting because the improving living conditions in countries which foam. For the manufacturing of this foam, this amount of raw material available for the produce fibres of sisal (Brazil and South polyol (component A) of vegetable origin is development of natural resin is very large African countries such as Tanzania or Kenya) mixed with the other chemical component of (more than 156 million tons of agricultural through social assistance programmes man - the foam, the isocyanides (component B): residues, only in the U.S., for example). aged by our suppliers.
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2008 35 Pablo Soto. Department of Organic Materials Grupo Antolin Ingeniería report
Grupo Antolin in the Centre of materials MATER A new tool for innovation On 27 th November, Mater opened its doors at the offices of the FAD in Barcelona, as a Centre of materials in order to place the most innovating materials and the latest information about them at the disposal of professionals and companies, in which Grupo Antolin participates actively.
After the disclosing exhibition, “Mater in progress. New materials, new industry”, which could be seen between 8 th February and 28 th April, 2008 and which was visited by more than 20,000 people, the FAD has started Mater, a permanent centre of materials. Mater offers its services to all those companies and professionals who are working to materialize new projects, with the innovation of materials as the point in common
News Grupo Antolin 36 Summer 2009 What is Mater?
Mater is a project aimed at Fostering the Arts and Design (FAD-Fomento de las Artes y del Diseño), from the Ministry of Industry Tourism and Commerce, which was born as a result of the growing importance of materials and their ap - plication in the development of society. Mater, centre of materials, has been born with the purpose of becoming an area of disclosing, documentation and ac - tivism concerning materials and their associated technolo - In order to make this centre of materials come through, more gies. This centre is the culminating point of a long itiner - than 4,000 companies were contacted, obtaining 335 proj - ary of previous investigation with Spanish companies, ects as a result, from which 106, selected by a group of ex - among which Grupo Antolin is, in addition to universities perts, are shown outstandingly in the permanent exhibition. and technological centres, with the involvement of experts Two of them are projects of Grupo Antolin. from the CDTI, CSIC, the General Management of Indus - trial Development of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce and the Foundation Cotec. Gupo Antolin in Mater Mater is the first multi sector centre of materials in Spain. In addition to a “library of materials” in which 800 new Our Group participates in Mater with two of our most in - materials can be seen and touched, for the manufacturing novative materials: Magnesium and carbon Nanofibres. companies, Mater means a key showing place, because it We are the first European company to produce carbon comprises materials from the various industrial sectors, nanofibres on an industrial level at competitive prices. which can facilitate the transfer of technology between These carbon nanofibres have a diameter between 50 and sectors and the flow of a large number of professionals. 100 nanometres and a suitable surface to the array to Mater is part of an international network of centres of which they are incorporated. Nanofibres have made their materials, with offices in Paris, Antwerp and Prague, place in many industrial sectors, although they are currently which offer updates on materials at a European level. outstanding in the automotive and wind energy sectors. Mater has contributed to this network by providing the The use of nano composites, lighter and more resistant best materials made by the Spanish companies, at the than steel, favours the reduction of carbon dioxide emis - same time that allows access to innovative materials sions, because it allows for the manufacturing of lighter made in the rest of Europe. cars and, consequently, for the consumption of less fuel. Mater, Centre of Materials is located at the head offices of In the permanent exhibition there is a “visual” demon - the FAD, right in the centre of Barcelona (Pl. dels Àngels, strator, for which the electric conductivity of the nanofibres 5-6). It has an area of 200 square metres, where users can and their relation of aspect have been taken advantage of, handle both the physical materials and the database of the which allows that insulating materials such as the polyester whole network of European centres. resins can conduct electricity pretty well with low percent - ages of carbon nanofibres. The “visual” demonstrator is located next to a headliner Mater, the exhibition substrate fixed by a frame which has an incorporated “counter” of test tubes in methacrylate, the sticks of poly - The groups or families of materials shown in the exhibition ester with more or fewer nanofibres closing several differ - are: adaptive materials, bio materials, ecological, ceramic, ent circuits, so that the visitor can choose a circuit with a compounds, metals, polymers, semiconductors or textiles. very simple rotary switch. Depending on the chosen circuit, Mater follows this categorical classification of the materials a voltmeter of LEDs and the bulbs and/or LEDs from the but shows their different applications ordered or grouped headliner illuminate more or less, thus proving the con - according to the various economic sectors, which are: ductivity of the nanofibres. For further information: biotechnology, pharmacy and agro-food, energy, con - struction, transport and textile. www.materfad.com & www.fadweb.org
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2009 37 health Department of Human Resources Medical Department Grupo Antolin
Touch “The Senses” Grupo Antolin produces It is the sense which allows for the perception of the sensorial profiles of the qualities of the objects and media, such as pressure, temperature, roughness, softness, hardness… componentes that it It is primarily located on the skin, part of the body manufactures so the sensations where we can find the different kinds of nerve recep - transmitted by them are the tors that are responsible for transforming the various most suitable for each client types of stimuli that come from the outside in infor - mation likely to be interpreted by the brain.
News Grupo Antolin 38 Summer 2009 Types of nerve receptors What is The corpuscles are specialized nerve cells, located in dif - ferent layers of skin and the most important ones are: SENSOTACT? · Corpuscles of Meissner: located in sensitive areas such as the fingertips, lips, nipples, palm of the hand and Grupo Antolin has 10 trained experts, especially in areas of skin which have no hair. They are integrated into a multidisciplinary team: associated with the ability to identify the texture of ob - jects. Laboratory, Design, Marketing, Product · Cells or discs of Merkel: these nerve cells respond to Management, who carry out tactile stimuli of pressure and are predominantly located on checks through pressure (orthogonal the palms of hands and feet. movement) or sliding (tangential move - · Corpuscles of Pacini: they are located in the deep level of the hypodermis. They are rare and distributed mainly ment) of the fingers on the parts, or res - in the fingers and toes. The stimuli to which they re - ting the palm of the hand (static move - spond are pressure and vibration, therefore, they allow us to notice the consistency and weight of the objects, ment). Through these tests, they check and to know whether they are hard or soft. qualities such as Hardness, Fibrousness, · Corpuscles of Ruffini: they are the recipients of heat Depth, Rugosity, Slipping and thermal and they are distributed in the subcutaneous region and in the dermis. sensation, among others. · Corpuscles of Krause: they are responsible for collect - The components of the automobile in ing the sensation of cold, produced in contact with a body or space that is in a lower temperature than our which the SENSOTACT is applied, in or - body. They are extended throughout our whole body. der to verify the characteristics mentio - ned above, are the door panels, the The sense of touch and the car waists and the armrests of the panels, industry – SENSOTACT painted parts, pillars, door handles, ste - ering wheels, injected elements and SENSOTACT is a tool for the perception of quality for au - tomobile components, which was developed by RENAULT others. and which has been used in Grupo Antolin since 2005. In the design of a product, SENSOTACT It is a reference system for the quantitative measurement of the perception of touch. improves the communication between The OBJECTIVES that Grupo Antolin aims with SENSO - different teams, especially among the TACT are: departments of Research and Develop - · Introducing a sensory awareness ment and Marketing. The ultimate aim of · Creating a common language shared internally and ex - this tool is to develop a sensory profile ternally. of the component so the sensation · Decrypting and interpreting the preferences of the end users. which it transmits suits the taste of the · Getting closer to the customers’ objectives. final user and the trends of the segment · Saving time by eliminating the rejections of the product. w and the market.
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2009 39 I wanted to make a faBst car, ae good canr; the btest inl its eclass... y
Walter Owen Bentley
The first 3 liters Bentley
the history corner Marketing Departament Grupo Antolin It was on a visit to the DFP factory in 1913 that W.O. noticed an aluminium Bentley Motors Limited is an English manufacturer of luxury automobiles which was founded in England on paperweight - and had the January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley, known as inspired idea of using the “W.O.” He was a born engineer, but his first experience was not with motor cars - it was trains. In 1905, aged lightweight metal instead of 16, he worked at the Great Northern Railway Locomo - cast iron to make engine tive Works in Doncaster, northern England pistons. The first Bentley The internal combustion engine made sweeter music to his ears than steam trains and in 1912 he joined his brother, Horace Millner (H.M.) Bentley, in a company aluminium pistons went into called “Bentley & Bentley” to buy a small business importing French DFP sports cars, but he had always wanted to design and build his own range of cars bear - service in aero engines for the ing his own name. In August 1919 Bentley Motors Ltd was registered and a chas - sis, with dummy engine, was exhibited at the London Motor Show in October Sopwith Camel, in service that year. An engine was built and running by December and orders taken for de - liveries starting in June 1920 . However, development took longer than estimated during the Great War and the first cars were not ready until September 1921 .
News Grupo Antolin 40 Summer 2009 Cricklewood at the beginning of the 20s Bentley factory in the 40s
In 1924 , W.O. and Burgess, formerly chief designer at Humber, designed a six-cylinder chassis intended for lux - urious coachwork. The engine was enlarged to 6½ litres after a chance encounter in France with the prototype New Phantom Rolls-Royce, in which form the Big Six Bentley went into production in 1926 : the year in which multi-millionaire Woolf Barnato became Bentley Motors' chairman and principal shareholder. The original model was the 3 litre, but as customers put heavier bodies on the chassis a larger 4½ litre model fol - lowed. Perhaps the most iconic model of the period is the 4½ litre "Blower Bentley", with its distinctive super - charger projecting forward from the bottom of the grille. Uncharacteristically fragile for a Bentley, it was not the Frank Clement, WO Bentley and John Duff in 1924 when 3 liters racing workhorse, the 6½ litre was. It became famous as of Bentley won the Le Mans 24 hours the vehicle of James Bond in the original novels, but not in film; however John Steed in the British television se - ries in 1960s The Avengers did drive a Bentley.
Ettore Bugatti, the greatest competitor at the time, whose lightweight, elegant, but fragile creations contrasted with the Bentley’s rugged reliability and durability, referred to them as “the world’s fastest lorries”
Embiricos Bentley, 1938 S1 Continental, 1956 The Rolls-Royce era
Rolls-Royce had bought Bentley secretly using a com - pany named the British Central Equitable Trust and not even Bentley himself knew the true identity of the pur - chaser until the deal was completed. A new company, wholly owned by Rolls-Royce, was formed called Bent - ley Motors Ltd ( 1931 ) employing W.O. Bentley as a de - velopment engineer. The Cricklewood factory was closed and sold and production moved to the Rolls- Royce works in Derby. W.O. left to join Lagonda in 1935 ,
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2009 41 later working for Aston Martin and Armstrong-Siddeley From midnight on December 31st 2002 Bentley and before retiring. He was patron of the Bentley Drivers Rolls-Royce would be separate companies once again, Club until his death in 1971 . after 67 years together. As of 2003 , BMW engines are no longer used in Bentley cars. After World War II, production of Rolls-Royce and Bent - ley cars was moved to an ex-wartime engine factory in Crewe, Cheshire. Bentleys became increasingly a Rolls- Royce without the distinctive grille and with a lower price Modern Bentleys tag and by the 1970s and early 1980s sales had fallen In 2003 , Bentley's 2-door convertible, the Bentley Azure, badly with at one time less than 5% of production car - ceased production, and the company introduced the rying the Bentley badge. Bentley Continental GT, a large luxury coupe. The car is The parent company failed in 1970 following problems powered by a version of VW's V12 engine. with aero engine development and the car division Demand had been so great, that the factory at Crewe was was floated off to become Rolls-Royce Motors Ltd and unable to meet orders despite an installed capacity of ap - remained independent until bought by Vickers in Au - proximately 9,500 vehicles per year. Consequently, pro - gust 1980 . duction of the new Flying Spur, a four-door version of the In the 1980s Bentley became a separate, high perform - Continental GT, was assigned to the Transparent Factory ance car line typified by the 1980 Mulsanne. The new in Dresden (Germany), where the VW Phaeton luxury car sporting image created a new interest in the name and is also assembled. This arrangement ceased at the end of sales started to rise. In 1986 the Rolls-Royce: Bentley ratio 2006, and all car production reverted to the Crewe plant. was 60:40 and in 1991 50:50. In April 2005 , Bentley confirmed plans to produce a 4- The Bentley factory in Crewe, Cheshire, is still known in seat convertible model, the Azure, derived from the the town by the name "Royce's". Arnage Drop head Coupe prototype, at Crewe begin - ning in 2006. By the autumn of 2005, the convertible version of the successful Continental GT, the Conti - VW Group ownership nental GTC was also presented. These two models were successfully launched in late 2006 . In 1998 , Rolls-Royce and Bentley Motors were pur - Bentley sales continued to increase and 2007 was a mile - chased from Vickers by Volkswagen Group for almost stone in the history of Bentley as it passed the 10,000 £480 million. BMW had recently started supplying units for the first time (in 2002 it was selling only 1,000 components for the new range of cars, notably V8 en - units). 2007 set also a record of revenue of €1.37 billion gines for the Bentley Arnage and V12 engines for the with a new operating profit record of €155 million. Bent - Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph. The Rolls-Royce brand name ley made 7,600 cars in 2008, down 24% due to the was not included in VW's purchase; BMW and Volk - global economic downturn. swagen came to an agreement whereby Volkswagen would manufacture both Bentley and Rolls-Royce cars Grupo Antolin supplies headliner substrates for the com - until the end of 2002 , whereupon the right to build plete Continental model range from the Leamington Spa Rolls-Royce cars would be BMW's alone. plant since 2007 . w
Bentley Continental GT
News Grupo Antolin 42 Summer 2009 • Cooling capacity of a Bentley’s air- conditioning system is equal to that of 30 domestic refrigerators.
• Sixty per cent more veneer is used in today’s cars than was used 20 years ago – as much as 6.5sq m (70sq ft) per car.
• A full set of veneers for a Bentley takes 13 days to produce.
• Veneers are cut to provide perfect symmetry either side of a Bentley’s centreline.
• The Bentley 3-litre was the first car ever to be named for its cylinder capacity rather than its horsepower rating.
• The first Bentley with automatic transmission Silhouette of the Speed Six, 1928 was the R-Type in 1952.
• Every piece of glass in a Bentley is given its final polish with finely powdered pumice normally used to polish optical lenses.
• It takes at least 15 cows to provide the 400 pieces of hide needed for one Bentley.
• Lacquer-spraying robots in the Paint Shop are programmed to stimulate a human sprayer on his best day. Silhouette of the R-Type Continental, 1952 • The paint shop has 2.2 miles (3.54 km) of track.
• There are 820 wires in the main distribution loom of a modern Bentley.
• Specialist engineers test each engine by machine, but also by “ear”. They are trained to detect as many as 70 different possible Silhouette of the Bentley GT coupé, 2003 faults.
• One could drive a modern Bentley from the Artic Circle to the Equator without having to adjust the air conditioning – the interior temperature would remain constant.
News Grupo Antolin Summer 2009 43