From bodywork manufacturer to chassis and bodywork manufacturer: by building its own chassis production hall, Hymer will be able to supply leisure vehicles that come from a single source – with the exception of the drive unit – for the very first time. Measuring 3,100 square metres, the building combines the latest production lines with logistics areas. The employees who will work in the new production facility in future can expect innovative fields of work and modern manufacturing standards.
Process optimisation at the Bad Waldsee site: centralisation of assembly to result in even better products
Tried-and-tested LEAN methods and the latest production and assembly concepts are being applied to the construction of the production hall, which will even further optimise leisure vehicle production at the Bad Waldsee site. The motorhomes produced in future will provide customers with a complete solution from a single source that is of even higher quality, as it will be possible to finely tune, optimise and further develop the chassis to the bodywork much more quickly. To begin with, Hymer will use the production facility to produce the SLC chassis with five different wheelbases – starting with the short versions from 3.90 metres through to the tandem axle model for the new B-Class MasterLine I 890, for example.
Hymer’s very own chassis production hall will create extra jobs for skilled workers in the region. What’s more, the company is also working on automated solutions for safety-related activities. A gluing robot that will be able to meet the exacting requirements in terms of process speed and safety will be used, for example. In addition, Hymer also has plans for an area in the new factory, where there will be various test benches at which quality checks and inspections of the produced chassis are carried out.
In addition to chassis production, the company will also be tackling the issue of ensuring its future viability: camper vans will be manufactured on a new line in the central production hall in future. Relocating the production of camper vans to the new assembly line, which is roughly 125 metres long, will enable Hymer to respond more flexibly to the market and further increase efficiency. The assembly line is characterised by its lateral movement. Compared to the former production method, the camper vans no longer stand one behind the other, but next to one another, rotated by 90 degrees. The improves the ergonomics and increases work safety for employees. The lateral movement also enables work procedures to be simplified. Production of the ERIBA Touring cult caravan will also be moved to the central production hall in Bad Waldsee as part of the new plans for the structure of its factories.
“The pioneering spirit is an inextricable part of Hymer. We are proud that we are now the first bodywork manufacturer to be actively investing in chassis production, enabling us to take an exciting step into the future. The restructuring of our factories is also a hugely important step for us, because it enables us to work in an even better, quicker but also simpler way. For us, the construction of the SLC factory is a clear commitment to our roots and our company’s home town, as well as yet another milestone in the optimisation of production at the Bad Waldsee site,” says Christian Bauer, President of Hymer GmbH & Co. KG.
