Škoda Auto is commemorating anniversaries at its Kvasiny and Vrchlabí plants: The Kvasiny site has been producing cars for 90 years and was integrated into Škoda’s production network in 1947 The history of the Vrchlabí plant spans 160 years yet the first Škoda models did not roll off its production line until 1946 both facilities were nationalised and incorporated as part of Škoda then known as AZNP (Automobilové závody these plants have undergone a radical transformation extensively incorporating Industry 4.0 technologies while the Vrchlabí plant focuses on manufacturing DQ200 automatic direct-shift transmissions Both sites play a crucial role in advancing the company’s sustainability strategy having achieved significant milestones in recent years “The long-standing industrial tradition in Kvasiny and Vrchlabí reflects the skill and ingenuity of engineers who have been tackling challenging tasks for generations This legacy influences these plants even today Our workforce’s creativity has driven the successful transformation and development of these sites securing their role as cornerstones of our international production network I congratulate all colleagues on these milestones and thank the team for their dedication and effort.” Škoda Auto Board Member for Production and Logistics The Kvasiny site is also committed to advancing Škoda Auto’s sustainability initiatives up to 90% of the electricity used at the plant comes from renewable sources the site enhanced its painting process improving technical parameters to yield annual savings of 6,000 MWh of natural gas the Vrchlabí plant has been carbon-neutral after switching to renewable energies and offsetting the remaining emissions through compensation measures and CO2 certificates To stay up-to-date with all the latest press information and events The Company's principal business activities are the development Welcome to www.automotivelogistics.media. This site uses cookies. Read our policy By 2020-01-09T12:11:00+00:00 Skoda’s transmissions plant at Vrchlabí has made a huge shift towards digitalisation by implementing automated technology including handling and transport robots Automotive Logistics met plant manager Ivan Slimak the Vrchlabí site in the Czech Republic has been producing direct shift transmissions for the Volkswagen Group since 2012 Skoda vehicles had been produced there since the 1920s but in 2011 VW Group decided to convert the factory exclusively to the manufacture of automatic transmissions the Czech OEM modernised the site over a period of 18 months turning the former car plant into a component factory with updated production halls 38% of the automatic direct-shift transmissions produced at Vrchlabí are used in Skoda cars with 62% fitted in other VW Group vehicles More than half the transmissions are shipped to Germany with other destinations including factories in India Vrchlabí has now implemented a range of automation projects and uses industry 4.0 and Internet of Things (IoT) technology in several areas of the factory According to plant manager Ivan Slimak (pictured) one of the aims was to reduce the volume of parts on the shop floor while automatically ordering parts to the machines – no mean feat Approximately 300 components are used per transmission “We need an optimal flow of parts from the suppliers to the warehouse and so the first area we looked at was how to order parts from the machines or assembly lines and deliver them to a specific position,” says Slimak Kanban cards were used to organise the manufacturing operation employees were equipped with finger scanners to scan and send orders to the warehouse with hundreds of sensors on the shop floor the sensor sends a signal to the warehouse to prepare a specific part for a specific place,” explains Slimak “We have such a solution on the assembly line and each device wirelessly connects to the computer and sends signals about whether the container is full or not.” RFID tags and other tracking devices are used in the factory Relying on robotsThere are many parts which have to be brought from one specific place to another over and over again “The simple AGV [autonomous guided vehicle] going from A to B had a magnetic strip on the shop floor but if you’re driving with another vehicle you can damage the strip so you need to define a specific position and shape which is why we’ve put the strip inside the floor for each AGV,” explains Slimak Skoda has also implemented wireless charging and various add- ons for the vehicles to automatically communciate with the assembly line or even do the handling such as how to bring hundreds of different parts to dozens of machines before bringing empty containers back to the warehouse To transport the parts and empty containers No magnetic strip is needed and the robot can carry around 40,000 parts per day It orientates itself on the shop floor via laser and not only can it bring parts to 42 [turning] machines it can also bring the empty containers from the machines to the warehouse The route can be programmed and optimised very easily Skoda has also been using a small autonomous transport robot to navigate around personnel and other AGVs since 2018 “Some of the transmission’s high-precision parts have to be regularly measured in a designated area,” explains Slimak come back to the machine and go back to the room after awhile to bring it back the robot is able to recognise obstacles and incorporate other information from its surroundings in real time when navigating its route it changes its course to get to its destination as quickly as possible The robot can transport a load of up to 130kg per journey and to learn the route the robot only has to be guided once between the stations via a tablet or joystick it completes approximately 120 trips and travels a total distance of 35km “We are happy with its performance for this challenging task,” says Slimak we are currently only using the robot for small weights and are considering using an autonomous robot for higher loads close to several hundreds of kilograms We’re in the process of choosing suppliers and refining the specifications.” Technology trade-offThe automation projects have led to the loss of some jobs in certain areas of the factory although Slimak emphasises that workers were retained for new tasks there are no logistics staff between the machining and the assembly section the heat treatment room and the machining area or between the warehouse and machining area The only logistics personnel are in the warehouses and assembly areas bringing some parts to the production lines “We wanted to reduce logistics staff on the assembly line and we’ve done this by using our AGVs “We also wanted the whole machining area of the plant to be without logistics personnel and so we looked at how to bring the heavy forged parts to the turning machines autonomously.” When deciding which areas of the plant to automate Slimak reveals that ergonomics was a big factor “Our employees at Vrchlabí are getting older and that’s why we’re choosing areas where we can reduce the handling of heavy weight load,” he says Robots at the site are also used for small monotonous tasks like putting screws into the transmission Vrchlabí’s industrial engineers and HR department conducted an ergonomic study on all of its machines “Based on the movement and weight evaluation at our assembly lines we have a chart of the whole line depicted in green Skoda set a target of increasing the amount of transmissions made at Vrchlabí from 2,000 to 2,200 per day “During our research we discovered which position required the most movement and that’s where [we decided] we’d start with the automation,” says Slimak “One position on the assembly line may move 1,000 parts a day Doing this movement once a minute may be okay ”One position on the assembly line may move 1,000 parts a day Doing this movement once a minute may be okay but if you’re doing it twice a minute it’s more weight for your back” - Ivan Slimak the plant can create a simulation for 2,000 transmissions a day When the capacity is increased to 2,200 it can calculate and simulate the process to see if code green can become yellow or red Supporting personnelSlimak believes it is necessary to carefully consider the impact on current employees when digitalising an operation the OEM’s has launched several automation projects – each discussed with trade unions – and offers training for new positions Skoda offers a basic automation training programme in Mladá Boleslav It also has digitisation training in Vrchlabí “We’ve trained several hundred people and most of our operators have this [digitalisation] training,” says Slimak there is specialised training at a VW Group level which sends Skoda engineers and technicians to Germany and China This offers specific training for logistics so that their students are well placed to join the company “We have found that it’s not enough to start to training employees when they start to work for us that’s why we have our own apprentice school,” explains Slimak pupils are undergoing training at the school and we’re supplying them with our parts and equipment operating the machines; and the best students get jobs at our plant.” There is a Skoda apprentice school in Mladá Boleslav and the Vrchlabí plant is sponsoring a local apprentice school where the OEM is shaping the curriculum “The same applies for university internships at the plant,” says Slimak Calculating costsSlimak states that in order to automate and implement new digitised projects it is also important for an OEM to have a good outline of what it wants to achieve pointing out that a supplier “would like to sell you the most sophisticated but not necessarily the most cost-effective equipment” “We have such a differing variety of AGVs,” he continues “For some purposes it’s enough to have a very simple AGV with a magnetic strip but you must understand the process and environment In the physical world there are different kinds of parts Sometimes you need to design your AGV or your container for such a purpose.” ”We wanted to reduce logistics staff on the assembly line and we’ve done this by using our AGVs We also… looked at how to bring the forged parts to the forging workshop autonomously” - Ivan Slimak Speaking about the importance of standardisation Slimak cites suppliers’ parts containers as an example “If you’re getting 40,000 parts in different kinds of containers you also have to standardise those containers and also make sure that your suppliers are using them otherwise you’re not able to transport those parts from the warehouse to the machines or you end up having to do some manual handling,” he says “It is possible to standardise containers from suppliers because you can tell them to use only a certain type but you have to define it very early in the project and do not change your decision,” Slimak continues “We have a lot of people on the shop floor and so while an AGV could behave very smoothly three months a year if there is suddenly some new service supplier in the factory running with an unusual kind of device – there could be a collision.” Since the implementation of digitalisation at Vrchlabí Slimak says the plant has seen huge productivity gains “If you choose your handling means effectively it can help you to increase output from 1,000 Vrchlabí made 1,000 transmissions per day increasing to 1,500 in 2013 and 2,200 last year the plant celebrated 2m transmissions produced since 2012 and in November 2019, the three-millionth DQ200 automatic direct-shift transmission rolled off the production line “Digitalisation and IoT is definitely helping toward that increase,” states Slimak “We can produce more transmissions now with less employees but we’re able to increase output at plant It’s not the case at Skoda that people will lose their jobs for robots.” Slimak wants Vrchlabí to use even less paper and more data from machines to do more predictive maintenance He also wants to encourage more automation with local suppliers “We can use the know-how and the cost advantage of our local suppliers to be able to be cheaper and better than our competition Vrchlabí is using German and Czech suppliers to reduce the implementation costs of robots It buys German robots and German industrial computers but the design and implementation are done in the Czech Republic or Slovakia “Take a collaborative robot used for assembly,” suggests Slimak “You need to define how you would like it to assemble a piston How should the robot communicate with the assembly line These are all questions you need to think about “Buying a robot or computer is only a small amount of the money The know-how is how you implement the robot We are now doing this mostly with local companies and we want to increase this.” mobile maintenance technology which gathers information from the machines on the shop floor should lead to reduced downtime costs Skoda is launching a new digital production platform to gather standardised data by comparing it between VW Group plants looking at different VW locations to be able to compare data from the Czech Republic “The data will tell us how the machines are performing We want to see how to bring data back to people at machines so they can make correct decisions – we call it digital shop floor management “We have been consistently pressing ahead with the implementation of industry 4.0 technologies reliable way to take our plant into the future but not do it in a complicated way – you could say The US will prohibit the sale and import of connected vehicle hardware and software systems Hyundai and Nvidia will collaborate on virtual simulation environments for autonomous driving technology and robotics systems Car buyers looking for a Hyundai can now buy their preferred model through the Amazon Autos website Site powered by Webvision Cloud Although the large factory in Mlada Boleslav is Skoda's most important and representative plant on the road to sustainability it was not the first to achieve carbon dioxide-neutral status This record goes to the Vrchlabi plant in the north of the Czech Republic which has been producing transmissions for the entire Volkswagen Group since 2012 and in 2023 completed an emissions balancing process in anticipation of becoming an electric parts factory Precisely in view of this major conversion the company has announced that the same plant has been undergoing a major revolution in recent weeks in terms of internal and external logistics processes thanks to the ONE Log Project for the entire Volkswagen Group The Favorit gave way to the Felicia and then to the new Octavia, Fabia, Superb and Roomster on the German group's platforms it stopped producing cars to concentrate on manufacturing the increasingly popular DSG dual-clutch gearboxes of which it produces 2,300 units per day and more than four million over these ten years The various targets achieved in the production of DSG gearboxes The latest (4 million units) dates from last February will gradually extend to many other plants as well The aim of the entire company is to bring digitalisation to logistics processes to make them more efficient than they are today All this will happen in the coming months and years with the gradual introduction of one of the most advanced SAP (Systems Applications and Products) systems in the world this is the biggest system change at the plant in the last 25 years and is expected to mean a substantial reduction in operating costs Speaking of emissions the fact that Vrchlabi is a 'simple' component plant which lacks critical parts such as those for body and paint production (among the most complex to simplify) is not enough to explain how it has changed to become Skoda's first zero-emission plant by 2020 this plant has been adopted as a pilot site for a complex programme to reduce consumption waste and all forms of pollution that includes 12 different areas of intervention from the recycling of hydraulic oils used to run the machines to electrostatic filtering systems Some of the fully automatic conveying and assembly systems Advances in energy management saved more than 2,000 MWh of thermal energy and almost 1,500 MWh of electricity by 2020 a savings that has also been achieved by isolating unused circuits and implementing an intelligent temperature regulation plan the most important element was the purchase of energy produced from green sources which now covers 90% of the site's total needs This has reduced CO2 emissions from 45,000 to just 3,000 tonnes per year offset by funding certified environmental activities and initiatives A model that Skoda is replicating in Mlada Boleslav and Kvasiny Added to this is a high level of automation: entire production phases are handled entirely by robots as well as the transport of parts and complete transmissions which move on trolleys towed by autonomous tractors along pre-established routes a total recycling programme for production waste methane has been replaced by biogas produced by a dedicated plant 2020: A team of 29 Vrchlabi employees aims to plant trees in the Krkonose National Park the first initiatives that the Czech manufacturer adopted in-house was to promote reforestation in the areas of the factories themselves The commitment to plant a tree for every new car sold has already contributed to an increase of more than one million green areas in the Czech Republic by 2020 of which 1,400 are around the three factories along with 27,000 square metres of shrubs and hedges Skoda Turns Its GTI Wagon Into a Wicked Police Car 2026 Jeep Compass Unveiled: Hybrid or EV With Up to 375 HP Skoda Enyaq vs Hyundai Ioniq 5: spacious electric cars Lotus Emira With Yellow Exhaust Tips Pays Tribute to an F1 GOAT Skoda launches sportiest Superb in the UK priced at £42,290 The Cadillac Celestiq Will Be as Rare as a Bugatti Skoda Elroq: Production in Mlada Boleslav has started The last of the 2018 Paraski Championships Series is in Vrchlabi The organizer of 2019 FAI Paraski World Championship is using this opportunity to test the competition management and they have invited all key personnel here,  a year before the actual WPC with the valuable assistance of local Paraski experts Martin Gabla and Petr Jires and the help of the whole Czech Paraski team have prepared a new and attractive Accuracy Landing area at the top of Bubakov chair lift Also Franz Singraber (AUT) put his Accuracy Landing scoring system in place built up the anemometer and prepared all startlists for the following day Friday 2nd March which will start with giant Slalom Competition followed by two rounds Accuarcy Landing That extra flavour for Parski participants will be that everybody needs to bring skis to the Accuracy Landing target area in order to get down from there after the jumps So the historical spirit of Paraski is fully alive. The Paraski competitions started 70 years ago, developing from mountain rescue operations in a time when no powerful helicopters were available.(https://www.fai.org/page/ipc-paraski) The teams had to jump with good accuracy on top of a mountain and then ski down to the area where they were needed At 9.00 pm the competition officially started with the 1st Team Managers Meeting Chief Judge Dare Svetina (SLO) introduced his panel and invited all to ask any questions about regulations or scoring: but as almost all participants are experienced FAI Paraski competitors with only three without previous results there was no serious discussion and everyone could take a rest before the competition day Outdoor action will start on 2nd March at 9am with a course inspection followed by the start of the  Giant Slalom at 10am FAI - Fédération Aéronautique Internationale Design by Penceo - LAB 18 October 2022 – Transmission production was launched at the ŠKODA AUTO plant in Vrchlabí ten years ago The DQ200 dual-clutch transmissions produced there are used in the Czech carmaker’s models as well as in vehicles built by other Volkswagen Group brands ŠKODA AUTO makes extensive use of Industry 4.0 technologies at the site which has been operating with net-zero CO2 emissions since the end of 2020 “Today is a very special day for the Vrchlabí plant Since the first transmission rolled off the production line here ten years ago we have achieved a lot together and transformed this site into a strategic cornerstone of component production at ŠKODA AUTO: The milestones include CO2-neutral production since the end of 2020 and the plant’s leading position in the field of Industry 4.0 I congratulate the entire team on these remarkable successes!” ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Production and Logistics “Our modern DQ200 dual-clutch transmissions can be found in millions of vehicles produced by various Group brands They are manufactured at one of the most advanced high-tech production facilities in the country The component plant in Vrchlabí is also among the most important industrial employers in the region.” Head of Transmission Production at the Vrchlabí site By 2023-12-18T11:35:00 Skoda Auto has been working with wider VW Group logistics teams to streamline processes at the Vrchablí gearbox plant in the Czech Republic using the SAP S/4 Hana digital platform  The carmaker said that by providing consistent and transparent data Project One Log will streamline its logistics processes alongside other VW Group brands by merging existing sub-processes into a standardised To continue reading this article and others like it, please SIGN-IN or REGISTER FREE today By creating your account you will be able to stay up-to-date with the latest industry developments, trends and analysis, read in-depth reports and intelligence Gain access to our exclusive content and features register free today Non-registered users are able to access one AL exclusive articles per week. You have now used your allocation.To continue reading this article and others like it, please SIGN-IN or REGISTER FREE today Typhoon Kong-rey caused major port congestion in East Asia delaying automotive supply chains and highlighting the need for digital resilience 11 June 2018 – As a key cornerstone of its 2025 Strategy ŠKODA AUTO is rigorously advancing the digitalisation of its production process the Czech car manufacturer is using a fully autonomous self-learning transport robot at the Vrchlabí component plant This robot is able to recognise obstacles along its journey through the plant and to incorporate other information from its surroundings when planning its route it changes its course to always get to its destination as quickly as possible It thereby contributes to further improving safety at work and the efficiency of transport processes at the plant “It’s been a conscious decision to use ŠKODA AUTO’s first fully autonomous robot at the Vrchlabí plant we’re once again highlighting the plant’s key significance as an ultra-modern high-tech location,” said ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Production and Logistics we are consistently continuing to introduce technological innovations at our plants in keeping with Industry 4.0,” added Oeljeklaus the transport robot can carry a load of up to 130 kg and chooses the correct paths fully autonomously Unlike traditional automated transport systems it does not require lane guidance in the form of induction loops the vehicle only needs to be guided between the stations once via a tablet or joystick it captures its environment as well as changes to its surroundings all by itself and adapts its route if necessary state-of-the-art technology enables the robot to navigate its environment: using sensors and laser scanners it recognises vehicles and stationary obstacles as well as people crossing its path The control system calculates the approach speed and detects if a collision is imminent the robot stops by itself or takes evasive action it immediately adjusts its route based on information from its surroundings If the fully autonomous robot detects that it will regularly encounter obstacles at a specific point along its journey the electrically powered system is able to travel to all of the destinations at the Vrchlabí plant The robot completes 120 trips per day and travels a total distance of 35 km on its route between the measuring centre and the processing machines The testing and pilot phases have already been completed; the robot is in regular use at the factory starting from June 2018 The increasing production numbers at ŠKODA AUTO translate into higher utilised capacity for the plants and more traffic in the production areas The autonomous robot contributes to the continuous improvement of work safety in Vrchlabí and helps to minimise work risks ŠKODA AUTO is systematically turning to technology from Industry 4.0 These are used in the production of direct-shift transmissions at the Vrchlabí plant and support the employees with one of the most sensitive tasks in transmission production –inserting the gear actuator piston A handling robot also supplies dozens of machines with parts and returns empty containers to the warehouse The extensive ‘transparent factory’ IT system also forms part of operations ŠKODA AUTO defined the digitalisation of products and processes as one of the cornerstones of its 2025 Strategy Further central areas of activity include the electrification of the ŠKODA model range the conquering of new markets and the brand’s expansion into new business areas relating to traditional car manufacturing through the addition of various mobility services 20 May 2021 – ŠKODA AUTO is pressing ahead with the automation of its manufacturing processes in the Czech Republic In gearbox production at the Vrchlabí component plant a new smart handling robot has taken over the complex task of moving forged parts for the workforce ŠKODA AUTO has developed this system in-house to build up expertise in production automation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6BOJyDASJQ said: “At our state-of-the-art Vrchlabí site we are setting benchmarks in the digitalisation of our production methods We have now taken the next step with our new smart handling robot Advanced algorithms and image recognition capabilities make our processes as efficient as possible while continuing to improve workplace ergonomics for our staff We will roll out the principle of smart handling to other areas of production.” At the beginning of the manufacturing process autonomous robots deliver forged blanks for transmission shafts in bins to the CNC machining lines They are guided by sensor technologies of the Internet of Things (IoT) The new smart handling robot picks the blanks from the bins and places them onto the CNC machine’s conveyor it removes the transmission parts and puts them into a transport bin The robot handles a total weight of 900 kg per shift across both these production steps The employees who previously carried out this physically demanding work are now assigned to tasks such as tool changes and measuring processes The technology behind this new process is based on the principle of digital image recognition A 3D camera scans the position of the randomly arranged forged parts in the bin an algorithm then determines which of the parts is optimal for the gripper to grab and works out the movements required The robot positions the blank ready for processing then picks it up again to place it into a transport bin the robot changes its gripper and prepares the bin for collection The entire process is highly efficient and fully automated It took only eleven months from the first feasibility study to deploying the system in series operation Several departments worked together to design and implement this smart handling solution It’s just one of a number of automation projects at the Vrchlabí plant At the Vrchlabí site, the carmaker produces more than 2,300 units of the DQ200 7-speed direct shift gearbox (DSG) every day, which is used in numerous ŠKODA models as well as in other vehicles from Volkswagen Group. In 2019, ŠKODA AUTO produced its three millionth DQ200 transmission. the Vrchlabí component plant is set to become the first ŠKODA AUTO site in the world to produce in a CO2-neutral manner The greatest carbon dioxide savings have been made by rigorously converting the high-tech factory to the use of renewable energies – reducing CO2 emissions from an initial 45,000 tonnes per year to a current 3,000 tonnes the remaining emissions will now also be offset through further compensation measures and the purchasing of CO2 certificates we will exclusively be using CO2-neutral energy to produce vehicles and components at our Czech sites The Vrchlabí plant is set to be the first CO2-neutral ŠKODA AUTO production facility It will thereby also fully live up to its role as a high-tech location in terms of environmental compatibility and energy efficiency.” Comprehensive and specific energy-saving measures have been key in particular during the process of converting the component plant to CO2-neutral production Through the renovation of the factory’s heating system alone it was possible to reduce the annual energy consumption by 6,700 megawatt hours (MWh) in 2012 and 2013 – the largest individual saving to date ŠKODA AUTO once again stepped up its efforts to reduce energy consumption at the Vrchlabí facility The plant is pursuing twelve projects that will save more than 2,000 MWh of thermal energy and almost 1,800 MWh of electricity in total These include measures such as closing unused heating circuits regulating room temperatures to save energy and specifically regulating the supply air flow the lighting in numerous areas of the factory premises is linked to operating hours A thermal imaging camera is used to identify other measures It is able to detect heat loss not only around the building it is possible to resolve the leaks and thus save heat ŠKODA AUTO is also rigorously capitalising on alternative energies to reduce CO2 emissions at its Vrchlabí site The factory requires around 47,000 MWh of electricity each year for production; 41,500 MWh (more than 88 per cent) of this now comes from renewable sources Natural gas is the only remaining fossil fuel used; this will be gradually replaced by CO2-neutral methane from biogas plants as of 2021 The remaining CO2 emissions are to be offset through compensation measures and the purchase of CO2 certificates ŠKODA AUTO is promoting climate protection projects such as renewable energy production in India or rainforest conservation ŠKODA is also encouraging various environmental conservation initiatives within its own company the carmaker is set to plant almost 40,000 trees near the Vrchlabí site in 2020 when a group of 29 staff members – including plant manager Ivan Slimák – planted 2,000 seedlings in Špindlerův Mlýn in the Krkonoše National Park Sustainable investments in climate protection are also being made at other sites: The Pune factory commissioned one of India’s largest solar-power rooftop systems at the end of 2019 biomass is increasingly being used to generate electricity at the combined heat and power generation facility run by the subsidiary ŠKO-ENERGO in Mladá Boleslav With up to 95,000 tonnes of wooden pellets used annually the proportion of fuel obtained from renewable raw materials is already 30 per cent The aim is to use completely CO2-neutral biomass there in future The DQ200 automatic 7-speed direct-shift gearbox (DSG) has been manufactured at the Vrchlabí factory since 2012 The three-millionth DQ200 was built in 2019 Mladá Boleslav, 28 June 2018 – As a key cornerstone of its 2025 Strategy, ŠKODA AUTO is rigorously advancing the digitalisation of its production process. As of now, the Czech car manufacturer is using a fully autonomous, self-learning transport robot at the Vrchlabí component plant 13 July 2020 – ŠKODA AUTO has taken yet another step forward in implementing Industry 4.0 principles into manufacturing at its Vrchlabí component plant: new parts for the CNC processing lines are ordered automatically They are then transported to the CNC machines by robots guided by Internet of Things (IoT) sensor technology By combining the automated ordering and supply of components ŠKODA AUTO is consistently pressing ahead with the digitalisation of production in Vrchlabí Head of Component Production at ŠKODA AUTO Vrchlabí is continuing to strengthen its position as one of the most state-of-the-art production facilities in the industry The collaboration between man and machine is a future-oriented concept that we are consistently pursuing and that will further increase the productivity of this high-tech site.” Parts are now automatically supplied to the CNC processing lines in production logistics employees place the required components on a load carrier an automatic transport robot then picks up the carrier and takes it to one of the CNC lines the robot takes an empty load carrier with it and automatically reports back to the parts warehouse continuous supply of parts to where they are needed – further increasing manufacturing productivity this also increases safety at ŠKODA AUTO: logisticians are no longer required to enter production areas because all components are transported to the CNC lines automatically the CNC machines are able to be supplied with more than 50,000 parts per day And the costs of this automated process are expected to be covered in less than three years The component plant in Vrchlabí is set to be the manufacturer’s entirely CO2-neutral production site before the end of this year still By far the greatest carbon dioxide savings were achieved by switching to using renewable energies This reduced CO2 emissions from an initial 45,000 tonnes per year to currently only 3,000 tonnes 18 December 2023 – Škoda Auto is transforming its logistics processes to a uniform system under a Group-wide project called Project ONE Log standardised SAP solution will replace a large variety of existing systems The Company thus consistently uses digitisation and centralisation to leverage potential for cost savings and increased flexibility in production & logistics The project is the largest system changeover at the Vrchlabí plant over the last 25 years we have been launching and using a wide range of applications developed over time in response to operational needs and gradually interconnected That has resulted in a large number of systems and interfaces An ecosystem such as this is highly complex and accordingly difficult to maintain standardised and harmonised system that forms a solid foundation for our logistics management while also saving costs and increasing both flexibility and efficiency across the entire logistics chain.” “The SAP S/4 HANA platform is a well-suited replacement for our currently deployed legacy systems in logistics stable and comprehensive base to build on and to serve our digitisation strategy Implementing a new IT solution in a running business is always a challenge and that is why it is a very strong message that we are able to cope with such complex projects in which all stakeholders and project members have to closely cooperate and work towards accomplishing set goals A big thanks to all who have made this possible.” employees (primarily) in logistics and IT departments at the participating brands work closely together under the management of Volkswagen Group Logistics The implementation of this multi-brand project started in early 2023 9 February 2022 – ŠKODA AUTO has produced its four millionth DQ200 automatic direct-shift gearbox at its Vrchlabí plant since production first started in 2012 The dual-clutch transmissions are used in models from the Czech carmaker as well as in vehicles made by other Volkswagen Group brands ŠKODA AUTO is holistically focusing on Industry 4.0 technologies for gearbox production “Today’s production milestone is an amazing achievement for the entire workforce It’s a great testament to our team’s high level of engineering expertise We are consistently and comprehensively looking to Industry 4.0 technologies in manufacturing and have established the Vrchlabí site as an important strategic cornerstone in component production within Volkswagen Group.” The Vrchlabí site has been a state-of-the-art component plant since October 2012 the car manufacturer built a new factory hall and thoroughly modernised the entire plant within just 18 months Just under half of the DQ200 automatic direct-shift transmissions produced here are installed in ŠKODA models The other units are used in vehicles made by other Group brands The largest customers include Germany (15%) uses algorithms to evaluate 3D camera images and determine the robot’s gripping movements With the implementation of the NEXT LEVEL ŠKODA STRATEGY 2030 e-components or e-vehicles will be produced at all three of ŠKODA AUTO’s Czech plants in Mladá Boleslav The aim is to make the Czech Republic an electromobility hub and strengthen not only ŠKODA AUTO but also its home country At the company’s headquarters in Mladá Boleslav production of MEB battery systems for the ENYAQ iV will begin in spring 22 July 2020 – Adding a new workstation to a production line requires in-depth planning – especially if regular operations are expected to continue at the same time The Czech car manufacturer has made use of a ‘digital twin’ to successfully install and integrate a new robot station at the ŠKODA AUTO component plant in Vrchlabí under these conditions simulations of the equipment and factory were used to run through all processes and scenarios in advance The project was therefore fully operational three weeks sooner than a system installed using conventional methods we would not have been able to install the new robot workstation at the Vrchlabí site in this way it would not have been possible to set up the new unit next to the existing stations and test-run operations alongside regular production The use of a digital twin and state-of-the-art technology allowed us to create an extremely detailed virtual image of the plant and thus seamlessly add to the production line.” Within a cycle time of less than 30 seconds each gearbox is provided twice with four bearing components at the newly set-up workstation To guarantee the incredibly high level of precision required for the transmission’s rotating parts to function optimally this production step is carried out by robots a 3D model of the workstation was used to create the digital twin This allowed all mechanical and kinematic processes at the station to be realistically simulated The software aspect of the twin ensures smooth communication between all hardware components and the program-based control sequences on the production line tested and optimised the control electronics and determined the space required for the new workstation They were also able to prevent any chance of the robot arms colliding and calculated the ideal cycle time the digital twin can also be used to train the workforce for example The simulated model enabled ŠKODA AUTO to shorten the time required to bring the project to an operational level by about three weeks approximately 40 square metres of production space could be saved thanks to optimising the requirements in advance the robots’ control programs were also developed before the physical robots and their peripherals were even in the factory The ultra-modern factory leads the way with regards to environmental compatibility and energy efficiency too. It is set to become the first balance CO2-neutral ŠKODA AUTO production site by the end of the year 6 October 2021 – The component plant in Vrchlabí has been ŠKODA AUTO’s first CO2-neutral production site worldwide since the end of 2020 the car manufacturer systematically reduced its energy consumption and switched to renewable energies the company was able to cut CO2 emissions at the site from 45,000 tonnes annually to its current level of 3,000 tonnes The remaining emissions are offset through compensation measures and CO2 certificates ŠKODA AUTO has been producing the 7-speed direct shift gearbox (DSG) DQ 200 at the Vrchlabí site since 2012 and the three millionth DQ200 gearbox was produced in 2019 the gearbox plant in Vrchlabí became ŠKODA AUTO’s first CO2-neutral production site worldwide and Mladá Boleslav and Kvasiny are soon to follow suit 41,500 MWh of the 47,000 MWh of total energy required in Vrchlabí came from renewable sources which corresponds to a share of approximately 90 per cent carbon dioxide emissions fell from 45,000 tonnes per year to 3,000 tonnes The remaining CO2 emissions are offset by purchasing CO2 certificates ŠKODA AUTO is supporting climate protection projects including the production of renewable energy in India and rainforest conservation effective energy management saved more than 2,000 MWh of thermal energy and almost 1,500 MWh of electricity last year alone unused heating circuits in production were closed energy-efficient room temperature regulation was introduced and the air supply management was optimised the lighting in many rooms has been aligned with the operating hours all waste from the production process at the Vrchlabí plant has been recycled either materially or thermally – and this has been the case for all the car manufacturer’s production plants since the beginning of 2020 ŠKODA AUTO has also started using CO2-neutral methane from biogas plants in Vrchlabí instead of natural gas ŠKODA AUTO is also investing in climate protection measures at several other locations including the commissioning of one of India’s largest solar roof systems at the Pune plant in late 2019 The largest photovoltaic roof system in the Czech Republic is also being built at the main plant in Mladá Boleslav At the combined heat and power plant there 30 per cent of the fuel required to generate electricity is obtained from renewable raw materials; only CO2-neutral biomass and biogas are to be used by the end of the decade ŠKODA AUTO also plans to further reduce emissions from coolants and company vehicles by 2030 ŠKODA AUTO is aiming to reduce the emissions of its vehicle fleet by more than 50 per cent by 2030 compared to 2020 and is planning to increase the share of all-electric models in Europe to between 50 and 70 per cent the company will be adding at least three more all-electric models to its product portfolio ŠKODA AUTO is also committed to reforestation; since 2007 ŠKODA AUTO has been planting a tree for every vehicle sold in the Czech Republic reaching a total of more than one million by the end of this year On the grounds of its three Czech factories more than 1,400 trees and over 27,000 m2 of hedges and shrubs are helping to protect the climate and provide a habitat for insects and other animals 30 January 2018 – At its Vrchlabí plant in the Czech Republic ŠKODA AUTO has produced the two-millionth DQ 200 dual-clutch transmission (DSG) since production began in September 2012 The DQ 200 is used in numerous ŠKODA models as well as in other vehicles from Volkswagen Group 2,200 of the transmissions come off the production line at the high-tech Vrchlabí plant every day “ŠKODA AUTO’s plant in Vrchlabí is considered to be one of the most cutting-edge component factories in the industry As a pillar of ŠKODA’s production activities and also within the production network with Volkswagen Group Vrchlabí is vitally important,” said Michael Oeljeklaus “The major investments in this location contribute to the sustainability of the entire region.” Head of Component Manufacturing at ŠKODA AUTO added “With their high level of personal commitment and outstanding expertise our colleagues here have made a decisive contribution to the plant achieving the impressive figure of two million DQ 200 transmissions produced in just five years.” The DQ 200 dual-clutch transmission is among the most modern of its kind in the entire automotive industry It impresses with gear changes that are both extremely smooth and lightning quick ŠKODA AUTO’s Vrchlabí plant is one of the most advanced production facilities in Volkswagen Group and it is also one of the most significant industrial employers in the region of Eastern Bohemia it relies on state-of-the-art technology such as cooperating robots They help the employees with one of the most sensitive tasks in transmission production The handling robot supplies dozens of machines with parts and brings empty containers back to the warehouse Added to these are a logistics vehicle that is controlled automatically as well as the state-of-the-art ‘Transparent Factory’ IT system The latter was successfully implemented in November of last year following a three-year preparation phase ŠKODA AUTO recently opened several new transmission test stands at the Mladá Boleslav production site The Vrchlabí plant has been part of ŠKODA AUTO’s production network for over 70 years The location was transformed from a vehicle manufacturing plant into a cutting-edge component factory in 2012 a new factory hall was built and existing production halls were modernised The rapid preparation of the DQ 200 production facility and the dynamic development of the location earned the Vrchlabí plant the European ‘Factory of the Year’ title in 2015 This is one of the most prestigious awards for the manufacturing industry in Europe 13 November 2015 – ŠKODA’s Vrchlabí plant has been awarded ‘Factory of the Year 2015/Global Excellence in Operations (GEO)’ in the ‘Outstanding site development’ category ŠKODA has been manufacturing the modern DQ 200 direct-shift gearbox at Vrchlabí since 2012 The ‘Factory of the Year’ award is one of the most prestigious competitions for the manufacturing industry in Europe and has been organised by the trade journal ‘Production’ and consultancy firm A.T The plant was evaluated on five criteria: value appreciation Awarding first place in the ‘Outstanding site development’ category the expert jury recognised the ŠKODA Vrchlabí plant’s transition from vehicle assembly to modern gearbox manufacturing this year The DQ 200 seven-speed direct shift gearbox manufactured in Vrchlabí is used in ŠKODA vehicles as well as models from other group brands and is one of the most innovative automatic transmissions in the automotive industry “We are delighted that our plant in Vrchlabí has been named ‘Factory of the Year 2015’,” says ŠKODA Production Director Michael Oeljeklaus we have transformed Vrchlabí over recent years into a high-tech location for gearbox manufacturing The victory in the category ‘Outstanding site development’ is a tremendous recognition of this The award also acknowledges the local production team’s hard work in shaping the changes with great skill the location is well-established producing direct shift gearboxes The Volkswagen Group awarded Vrchlabí the contract for DQ 200 production in early 2011 The first DQ 200 gearboxes ran off the production lines there in October 2012 ŠKODA invested around €220 million into the local DSG production in partnership with the Volkswagen Group The majority of that sum went into technical facilities and other measures such as the Training Centre in transmission production laboratories and the Centre for Quality Analysis New buildings were constructed and existing facilities modernised at a cost of around €27 million ŠKODA is currently increasing the location’s production capacity the daily manufacturing volume will have increased from 1500 to 2000 DQ 200 gearboxes The manufacturer will be investing a further €25 million into the expansion The production capacity had already increased from 1000 to 1500 DSG gearboxes per day in 2014 Around 910,000 DQ 200 gearboxes have been produced at the site to date Approximately 1000 people are employed in gearbox production at Vrchlabí making ŠKODA one of the largest and most important employers in the region the company was honoured for their social contribution to the development of the Vrchlabí region in the competition ‘Česká inovace’ (‘Czech Innovation’) 151113 ŠKODA Vrchlabí Plant Awarded ‘Factory of the Year’ 9 February 2017 – The 1.5 millionth direct shift gearbox has run off the production line at ŠKODA’s Vrchlabí plant since the start of production in 2012 The modern DQ 200 transmission is used in numerous ŠKODA models as well as other Volkswagen-Group vehicles It enables quick gear changes within just milliseconds and provides superior shifting comfort ŠKODA produces a total of 28 variants of the DQ 200 transmission at the Vrchlabí plant Each transmission comprises 352 individual components we have consistently developed the plant into a high-tech location and a pillar of ŠKODA production Producing more than one and a half million transmissions since the year 2012 impressively demonstrates the performance of ŠKODA’s Vrchlabí team,” says Michael Oeljeklaus ŠKODA Board Member for Production and Logistics The Vrchlabí plant looks back on more than 150 years of history It was founded in 1864 by Ignatz Theodor Petera as a saddlery Automobile carriages were built at the foot of the Czech Giant Mountains from 1908 The first ŠKODA model was the ŠKODA TUDOR in 1946 the site was repurposed from producing vehicles to component manufacturing the Czech car manufacturer had established a new factory building and modernized the existing facilities The daily production capacity rose to more than 2,000 direct-shift gearboxes of the DQ 200 type The plant now produces around 510,000 units per year They are used in the models of the traditional Czech brand as well as in other series of the Volkswagen Group ŠKODA and the Volkswagen Group have invested a total of EUR 250 million in modernizing the production halls the logistics area as well as the dedicated training centre for transmission manufacturing ŠKODA cooperates closely with local authorities and institutions and supports numerous cultural and ecological projects ŠKODA Vrchlabí is one of the most important employers in the Hradec Králové region In 2015 the professional journal ‘Produktion’ and business consultancy A.T Kearney awarded the high-tech factory ‘Factory of the Year’ in the category ‘Outstanding location development’ – one of the most prestigious prizes for the manufacturing industry in Europe The evaluation was based on the criteria of value enhancement consisting of leading representatives of industry and research emphasized the short period during which ŠKODA had carried out the site transformation In addition to manufacturing transmissions at Vrchlabí the mechanical MQ 200 and MQ 100 gearboxes are produced at the main plant in Mladá Boleslav ŠKODA manufactures around 2,500 per day and more than 570,000 per year YETI and SUPERB as well as many other series of the Volkswagen Group Selected milestones of ŠKODA AUTO transmission production: 18 February 2016 –ŠKODA’s Vrchlabí plant has produced the millionth DQ 200 dual-clutch gearbox since production began in 2012 The modern direct shift gearbox is used in ŠKODA cars as well as vehicles produced by Volkswagen Group “Manufacturing one million DSG transmissions highlights the capabilities of our staff at the Vrchlabí plant and marks another milestone in ŠKODA’s component production in the Czech Republic,” says ŠKODA Board Member for Production Michael Oeljeklaus adding: “The state-of-the-art DQ 200 dual clutch transmission which is manufactured by the local ŠKODA team is of great strategic importance to the entire Volkswagen Group.” Vrchlabí was transformed from a vehicle-manufacturing plant to a component-production site in 2012 New factory building was built and the existing production halls were modernized within 18 months the Vrchlabí plant was awarded ‘Factory of the Year’ for the quick preparation of DQ 200 production and the dynamic development of the site The prize is one of the most prestigious awards for the manufacturing industry in Europe ŠKODA and the Volkswagen Group invested a total of 245 million euros into reconstructing the production halls building the Training Centre for gear production the Vrchlabí plant has evolved into a high-tech location,” says Head of ŠKODA Component Manufacturing is one of the most important employers in the Hradec Králové region The production capacity for DSG gearboxes is set to increase this year to 2000 units per day In addition to gearbox production at Vrchlabí the transmissions MQ 200 and MQ/SQ 100 run off the production lines at the main factory in Mladá Boleslav more than seven million of them have been produced there – around six million MQ 200 transmissions and more than one million MQ-100 This mechanical gearbox is also used in ŠKODA cars as well as other brands within the Volkswagen Group around 700 people are employed in gearbox manufacturing at the Mladá Boleslav plant Selected milestones in ŠKODA AUTO gearbox production: 160218 SKODA Vrchlabi Plant Produces One Million DQ 200 Gearboxes 22 December 2016 – The ŠKODA Vrchlabí plant has been part of ŠKODA’s production network for 70 years The rapid and successful 2012 transformation of the site for the pioneering production of automated dual-clutch transmissions (DQ 200) is an intrinsic part of ŠKODA’s long-term investment programme The gearboxes produced there are used in ŠKODA automobiles and other Volkswagen Group vehicles “Operating the ŠKODA site in Vrchlabí for 70 years underscores the great tradition of the Czech automotive industry,” says Michael Oeljeklaus ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for production and logistics “The modern dual-clutch transmission DQ 200 The ŠKODA plant in Vrchlabí builds on the success of the company Petera & Sons including luxury carriages and sleighs were produced there the company produced the first automobile bodies in 1908 Three years later the factory received a prestigious commission from Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Josef I ŠKODA cars have been rolling off the production lines at Vrchlabí since 1946 the Czechoslovak car-body factory was nationalized and integrated into the company AZNP The employees played a decisive role in developing the special commercial-vehicle versions of the successful ŠKODA 1101 ‘Tudor’ series The then modern production line also produced the open-top models and the so-called STWs – the predecessor of today’s estate body version special car bodies based on the ŠKODA 1200 1202 and 1203 series were manufactured at Vrchlabí These vehicles were superseded by the ŠKODA OCTAVIA (ŠKODA 105/120 FELICIA FUN) and ŠKODA OCTAVIA (SKD) for export to Poland The Vrchlabí site was transformed from an automotive factory to a highly advanced component-production plant in 2012 a new factory building had been erected and the existing production halls modernized For the rapid preparation of the DQ 200 production and the dynamic development of the site the Vrchlabí plant was awarded ‘Factory of the Year’ last year ŠKODA has so far invested around 250 million euros for DQ 200 production in the reconstruction of the production halls The Vrchlabí plant has evolved into a high-tech location in recent years ŠKODA’s Vrchlabí plant is one of the most important employers in the Hradec Králové region with its 1,000 employees The daily production capacity was expanded to 2,000 direct-shift transmissions this year around 1.4 million DQ 200 transmissions have been manufactured at this location These are used in ŠKODA cars and other Volkswagen Group vehicles 9 March 2016 – ŠKODA’s Vrchlabí plant has received the ‘Factory of the Year’ award The prize was presented on 1 March 2016 in Ulm (Baden-Württemberg The quick and successful transformation of the production plant in Vrchlabí from a vehicle assembly to component production facility was decisive in the jury’s decision to award ŠKODA’s Vrchlabí plant with the ‘Factory of the Year’ award in the category ‘Outstanding Location Development’ and it is a great acknowledgment of the outstanding work of the entire team,” says ŠKODA Board Member for Production Michael Oeljeklaus adding “In a joint effort among the employees receiving first place in the category ‘Outstanding Location Development’ The plant was evaluated on the following criteria: value appreciation the jury of leading representatives from industry and research praised ŠKODA for quickly and successfully transforming the Vrchlabí plant from a vehicle assembly plant to component production facility “The award is a great tribute to the entire ŠKODA team who successfully implemented the location’s transformation process through their commitment competence and great flexibility,” said Frank Engel and has been organised by the trade journal ‘Produktion’ and consultancy firm A.T manufacturing companies with more than 100 employees can be entered into the ‘Factory of the Year’ competition ŠKODA has invested around €245 million into the local DSG production in partnership with the Volkswagen Group The majority of that sum has gone into technical facilities and other areas such as the Training Centre for transmission production New buildings have been constructed and existing facilities modernised at a cost of around €27 million the daily manufacturing volume will increase from 1500 to 2000 DQ 200 gearboxes The production capacity had already increased from 1000 to 1500 DSG gearboxes per day in 2014 A total of one million DQ 200 gearboxes have been produced at the Vrchlabí site to date making ŠKODA one of the largest and most important employers in the Hradec Králové region ŠKODA Plant Receives ‘Factory of the Year’ Award’ Produced in Vrchlabí Vrchlabí, 18 November 2019 – Today at ŠKODA AUTO’s gearbox plant in Vrchlabí the three millionth DQ200 automatic direct-shift transmission rolled off the production line This milestone underlines the plant’s significance within Volkswagen Group’s global production network “Today we have exceeded the mark of three million DQ200 transmissions produced This production milestone shows that even seven years after their market launch our gearboxes are still state of the art and in demand across the entire group this success demonstrates our Vrchlabí-based team’s high level of technological expertise in impressive style I’m convinced that we’ll achieve further production milestones together here in the future.” “The great success of our DQ200 automatic direct-shift gearbox goes hand in hand with the successful transformation of the Vrchlabí plant in 2012 We have been consistently pressing ahead with the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies They ensure the highest possible manufacturing precision at all times even during complex production steps such as the insertion of a bonded piston.” The elaborately designed DQ200 automatic direct-shift gearbox (DSG) is used in numerous ŠKODA model ranges as well as other Volkswagen Group vehicles Whilst ŠKODA AUTO uses 38 per cent of the units produced in Vrchlabí itself 62 per cent are fitted in cars made by other Volkswagen Group brands ŠKODA AUTO ships well over half of the transmissions to Germany; other customers include factories in India 23 March 2015 – ŠKODA continues to develop their production of powertrains the manufacturer will be increasing the production capacity for the DQ 200 dual-clutch transmission from 1500 to 2000 gearboxes per day over the next twelve months The carmaker will be investing around 25 million euros into the expansion in addition to creating up to 200 new jobs The modern DQ 200 direct-shift gearbox has been running off the Vrchlabí production lines since October 2012 and is installed in ŠKODA vehicles as well as models from other manufacturers within the Volkswagen Group ŠKODA has invested around 210 million euros to date into the DSG production at the foot of the Giant Mountains around 640,000 DQ 200 transmissions have been produced at the site which currently employs around 1000 people daily production capacities at the Vrchlabí site were increased from 1000 to 1500 DSG gearboxes per day “Once again increasing the capacity to 2000 gearboxes marks a significant milestone for the plant,” says ŠKODA Production Director Michael Oeljeklaus we have transformed the site into a state-of-the-art facility which has become an important pillar of ŠKODA’s global production Manufacturing an additional 500 gearboxes per day emphasises the productivity and efficiency of the site.” ŠKODA HR Director adds: “Vrchlabí is a cornerstone in ŠKODA’s growth strategy In close dialogue with our social partners we have effectively established the site with the production of the DSG gearbox and given the plant excellent prospects for the future the local production team strengthens ŠKODA’s excellent reputation in powertrain manufacture We are sending out a strong signal for growth and job security in the region once again These planned measures show that it was right to return the DSG production to Vrchlabí,” Wojnar concludes ŠKODA is one of the largest and most important employers in the Vrchlabí region This year the company was awarded ‘Česká inovace’ for complexity of change from car assembly to gearbox production and their social contribution to the development of the region The planned capacity expansion at Vrchlabí underlines the carmaker’s great importance in the industry and the associated contribution to employment in the Czech home market Around 25,000 people are employed at ŠKODA in the Czech Republic An additional 150,000 people work at ŠKODA suppliers The manufacturer operates three locations in the Czech Republic: the main plant in Mladá Boleslav ŠKODA’s Vrchlabí plant was awarded the contract for DQ 200 production in 2011 ŠKODA has invested around 27 million euros into new buildings and modernising the existing facilities 180 million euros went into the technical equipment and other measures such as the training centre for transmission production laboratories and centre of quality analysis around 210 million euros have been invested in DQ 200 production at Vrchlabí The seven-speed direct shift gearbox DQ 200 is one of the most innovative automatic transmissions in the automotive industry Manufacturing the DQ 200 demonstrates the Czech manufacturer’s expertise in powertrain production In addition to producing transmissions at Vrchlabí the Mladá Boleslav site manufactures the MQ 200 and MQ/SQ 100 gearboxes Engine manufacturer is another major focus for the company Three- and four- cylinder engines from the EA 211 series and powertrains from the EA 111 series are built in Mladá Boleslav ŠKODA’s new Engine Centre opened in Mladá Boleslav in September ŠKODA invested around 45 million euros in partnership with the Volkswagen Group ŠKODA has a 116-year tradition in manufacturing engines and powertrains In 1899 the company’s founding fathers Laurin und Klement first equipped one of their bicycles with an axillary motor The Motocyclette was powered by a one-cylinder engine with either 1.25 or 1.75 horsepower 150323 ŠKODA expands DQ 200-gearbox production at Vrchlabí 9 June 2022 – After being closed for more than two years due to the coronavirus pandemic ŠKODA AUTO is now reopening its Czech production facilities to visitors The guided tours of selected plant areas and final assembly are ideal for school groups and families with children aged ten and over The tours are offered in various languages “We are delighted to finally be able to offer our factory tours again after more than two years It’s worthwhile visiting because our plants have changed a lot in that time we’ve started producing the all-electric ENYAQ iV family as well as MEB battery systems and in Kvasiny we’ve continued to systematically modernise the production facilities the Vrchlabí plant became ŠKODA AUTO’s first CO2-neutral production site at the end of 2020.” The only requirement for a guided tour of the Mladá Boleslav plant is to pick up a ticket from the ŠKODA Museum The admission for a guided tour in Czech is 180 CZK; for a plant tour in other languages Guided tours at the Kvasiny and Vrchlabí sites are free of charge are often accompanied by the carmaker’s former employees The tours are aimed at technology enthusiasts as well as school classes and families with children aged ten and over the manufacturer’s first all-electric production models based on the Volkswagen Group’s Modular Electrification Toolkit (MEB) are now rolling off the same production line in Mladá Boleslav as vehicles with combustion engines based on the MQB ŠKODA AUTO made major adjustments to the production line The production of battery systems for various Group brands’ MEB vehicles has also recently been launched at the main plant making Mladá Boleslav the only location in Europe outside Germany where these battery systems are manufactured Around 7,000 employees currently produce the SUPERB and SUPERB iV models as well as the KAROQ and KODIAQ in Kvasiny By relocating the new-generation SUPERB to Bratislava capacities will be created at the site for an additional 150,000 units of the SUV series KODIAQ and KAROQ 19 October 2017 – ŠKODA AUTO has produced 10 million gearboxes These are used in ŠKODA models as well as other brands in the Volkswagen Group Around 1700 people are currently employed in gearbox production at Mladá Boleslav and Vrchlabí “Producing ten million transmissions underscores the competitiveness of our component manufacturing,” says SKODA Board Member for Production Michael Oeljeklaus adding: “The transmissions built in Mladá Boleslav and the DSG gearboxes produced in Vrchlabí boast the highest quality and reliability in daily use by millions of drivers.” ŠKODA AUTO currently produces three types of gearbox more than 325,000 MQ/SQ100 transmissions and approximately 469,000 DQ200 transmissions were produced The MQ 200 gearbox has been running off the production lines in Mladá Boleslav since 2000 It is used in petrol engines with displacements of 1.0 to 1.6 litres The production volume for the MQ 200 is currently around 1900 units per day; more than 6.5 million gearboxes of this type have been produced already the MQ100 / SQ100 transmission has also been built in Mladá Boleslav these transmissions were developed for the ‘New-Small-Family’ models of the Volkswagen Group (ŠKODA CITIGO The MQ100 / SQ100 transmissions have since been used in the ŠKODA FABIA and other small cars of the Volkswagen Group each in combination with 1.0-litre petrol engines The daily production volume is around 1400 units more than 1.6 million of these transmissions have been produced ŠKODA AUTO also produces the automatic dual clutch transmission (DSG) The DQ200 seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox is one of the most modern gearboxes of its kind in the automotive industry Today the Vrchlabí workforce produces around 2100 units of this gearbox type every day Cooperating robots are used for the production of DSG transmissions at the Vrchlabí plant They support the employees in one of the most sensitive tasks in transmission manufacturing – inserting the gear actuator piston which can supply dozens of machines with parts and take empty containers back to the warehouse the Vrchlabí site was transformed from a vehicle construction plant to an ultra-modern component manufacturing location a new factory was built and the existing production halls were modernized The factory was awarded the European title ‘Factory of the Year 2015’ two years ago The rapid changeover from a vehicle construction site to a component plant won it the title ‘Factory of the Year’ in the category ‘Outstanding location development’ “The plant in Vrchlabí is now one of the most important DSG plants in the Volkswagen Group” says ŠKODA Head of Component Manufacturing Frank Engel I am convinced that thanks to the expertise commitment and high flexibility of the local workforce 28 June 2019 – ŠKODA AUTO surpassed the mark of 12 million gearboxes produced today The company currently makes three types of transmission: the MQ 200 These are used in ŠKODA models as well as in vehicles from other Volkswagen Group brands “This figure of 12 million transmissions is proof of the level of commitment exhibited by our staff in component production We have manufactured more than one million gearboxes for ŠKODA and other Group-brand vehicles at our plants for the fifth year in a row.”  ŠKODA AUTO makes three different types of gearbox for Volkswagen Group at its Mladá Boleslav and Vrchlabí plants MQ/SQ 100s are also built at the main plant in Mladá Boleslav ŠKODA AUTO has been producing DQ 200 direct-shift transmissions (DSG) in Vrchlabí since 2012.  231,300 MQ/SQ 100s as well as 538,759 units of the DQ 200 dual-clutch transmission more than 1,141,700 gearboxes rolled off the ŠKODA production line last year The total figure made per day across all transmission types is approximately 4,800 units.  The company’s first gearbox was installed in the Voiturette A – the first car manufactured under the Laurin & Klement brand in 1905 It was positioned in the middle of the car and provided rear-wheel drive using a shift gate.  The MQ 200 has been made in Mladá Boleslav since as early as 2000 and is installed in petrol-engine cars with a cylinder capacity of between 1.0 and 1.6 l It is used in ŠKODA cars as well as in models from the Group brands Volkswagen ŠKODA has produced a total of 7,210,300 units of this transmission Currently more than 1,600 MQ 200s roll off the line every day.  The MQ 100 / SQ 100 gearbox was originally designed for use in Volkswagen Group’s New Small Family models (the ŠKODA CITIGO and Seat Mii) and has been built in Mladá Boleslav since 2011 The MQ 100 / SQ 100 also transfers power in the ŠKODA FABIA and other small cars from Volkswagen Group in each case in combination with a 1.0-litre petrol engine ŠKODA produced the two-millionth unit of this type and currently more than 900 are manufactured every day.  The DQ 200 automatic 7-speed dual-clutch transmission has been made at the Vrchlabí plant since 2012 and is one of the most modern gearboxes of its kind With a current rate of 2,200 units per day, ŠKODA AUTO has already built a total of 2,749,800 DQ 200s This 7-speed DSG is used in ŠKODA cars as well as in models from other Group brands ŠKODA AUTO is systematically turning to technology from Industry 4.0 They help the employees with one of the most sensitive tasks in mechatronics assembly: inserting the clutch piston.  The Vrchlabí site has also already been given numerous awards for its use of collaborative robots and other technologies in line with the principles of Industry 4.0 which supplies dozens of machines with parts and brings empty containers back to the warehouse. In 2015 the production site was awarded one of the most prestigious prizes in the European manufacturing industry and received the title of ‘Factory of the Year’.  The ŠKODA plant in Vrchlabí is now completely CO2 neutral Take a look at how this transition is taking place The carmaker ŠKODA announced some time ago that in the second half of the current decade all energy used for the production of vehicles and components at its plants in the Czech Republic will be carbon neutral At Vrchlabí this was supposed to be achieved by the end of last year – and it was So how did the Vrchlabí factory’s journey to the targeted carbon neutrality come about The most important step was the switch from traditional sources of electricity to renewable ones.  over 90 per cent of all electricity at the Vrchlabí plant came from renewable sources If we had used conventional energy sources we would have emitted 45,000 tonnes of CO2 into the air but with renewables we got it down to less than three thousand tonnes,” calculates Pavel Grmela project coordinator from the Ecology and Occupational Protection section Using the gravitational separation principle the chip conveyor has been adapted to return residual emulsion to the machine without additional costs It goes without saying that this requires maximum transparency – and that is why the Czech carmaker always demands the necessary certificates of origin for the electricity it buys so that it’s certain the energy supplied actually comes from renewable sources.  Energy-saving measures are always the first step towards carbon neutrality Almost twenty energy-saving measures were put into effect in 2020 such as the introduction of an energy management system closing heating circuits that are no longer in use replacing and regulating lighting or installing smart air-conditioning control This saved 2,000 MWh of heat and 1,500 MWh of electricity which is the equivalent of the annual consumption of around 1,000 households “The cleanest energy is energy that doesn’t have to be generated,” says Grmela The waste disposal system has also changed according to the WMIS (Waste Management Information System) standard Vrchlabí has not yet managed to eliminate all CO2 emissions – that’s a very challenging goal We decided to address the remaining emissions by buying offset credits which is no longer necessary this year because the Vrchlabí plant has switched to bio-methane In 2021 we will therefore have to work on eliminating emissions from coolants and company cars But this is already just a fraction of the total volume so I believe that we will successfully push ahead by taking incremental steps,” says Grmela Pumping cutting oil from the bottom of the tanks of the central filtration station reduces the generation of hazardous waste Part of the offsetting in Vrchlabí was done by purchasing credits from two wind farm projects in Taiwan and India our factory cooperates closely with the Krkonoše National Park Last year we planted 40,000 trees in the vicinity of the plant and we also cooperate with the park on other biodiversity projects such as installing birdhouses,” says Jiří Svatý technical service coordinator at the Vrchlabí plant “These activities are not reflected in the CO2 balance because they are not certified, but they show that taking care of our surroundings is important for us,” concludes Grmela, the project coordinator, adding that it is a realistic goal for all ŠKODA plants to be CO2 neutral by 2030 The batteries in the handling machines were replaced with lithium batteries which saved energy and reduced CO2 emissions “One big issue is the switch from burning natural gas to bio-methane. This will make everything that runs on gas, such as the co-generation units at Vrchlabí and Kvasiny, CO2 neutral The plan for Mladá Boleslav then involves switching to exclusive combustion of biomass biomass is burned at Mladá Boleslav along with brown coal it will be a major step towards CO2 neutrality in terms of energy generation for the entire company,” says Pavel Grmela   betont: „Als Automobilhersteller tragen wir eine besondere Verantwortung für den Umwelt- und Klimaschutz Mit der CO2-Neutralität unseres Hightech-Standorts Vrchlabí geben wir die Richtung vor und zeigen wohin der Weg in den Bereichen Umweltverträglichkeit und Energieeffizienz bei uns führt.“ Seit Ende 2020 produziert das Getriebewerk in Vrchlabí als weltweit erster Standort von ŠKODA AUTO CO2-neutral In Vrchlabí stammten im vergangenen Jahr 41.500 MWh von 47.000 MWh insgesamt benötigter Energie aus regenerativen Quellen das entspricht einem Anteil von rund 90 Prozent Die Kohlenstoffdioxid-Emissionen sanken auf diese Weise von 45.000 Tonnen pro Jahr auf nunmehr 3.000 Tonnen Die verbleibenden CO2-Emissionen werden durch den Kauf von CO2-Kompensationszertifikaten ausgeglichen Über die Finanzierung solcher Zertifikate unterstützt ŠKODA AUTO Klimaschutzprojekte wie beispielsweise die Produktion erneuerbarer Energie in Indien oder den Schutz von Regenwaldflächen Am Standort Vrchlabí ließen sich durch ein effektives Energiemanagement allein im vergangenen Jahr mehr als 2.000 MWh Wärmeenergie und fast 1.500 MWh Elektrizität einsparen In der Produktion schloss man ungenutzte Heizungskreisläufe energieeffiziente Regulierung der Raumtemperatur ein und sorgte für eine spezielle Steuerung des Zuluftstroms Zudem koppelte man die Beleuchtung zahlreicher Räume an die Betriebszeiten Bereits seit Anfang 2019 werden im Werk Vrchlabí sämtliche Abfälle aus dem Produktionsprozess stofflich oder thermisch wiederverwertet – seit Beginn des Jahres 2020 gilt das für alle Produktionsstätten des Automobilherstellers Seit diesem Jahr nutzt ŠKODA AUTO in Vrchlabí CO2-neutrales Methan aus Biogasanlagen anstelle von Erdgas ŠKODA AUTO investiert auch an weiteren Standorten konsequent in den Klimaschutz: Unter anderem ging im indischen Werk Pune Ende 2019 eine der größten Solar-Dachanlagen Indiens in Betrieb Im Stammwerk Mladá Boleslav entsteht die größte Photovoltaik-Dachanlage Tschechiens Im dortigen Heizkraftwerk werden bereits heute 30 Prozent des zur Stromerzeugung nötigen Brennmaterials aus nachwachsenden Rohstoffen gewonnen bis zum Ende des Jahrzehnts sollen ausschließlich CO2-neutrale Biomasse und Biogas zum Einsatz kommen Als weitere Maßnahme plant ŠKODA AUTO bis zum Jahr 2030 die Emissionen aus Kühlmitteln und Firmenfahrzeugen weiter zu reduzieren die Emissionen seiner Fahrzeugflotte bis 2030 im Vergleich zum Jahr 2020 um mehr als 50 Prozent zu reduzieren und plant einen Anteil vollelektrischer Modelle in Europa von 50 bis 70 Prozent Bis 2030 wird das Unternehmen sein Produktportfolio um mindestens drei weitere rein elektrische Modelle ergänzen Zudem setzt sich ŠKODA AUTO intensiv für die Wiederaufforstung ein So pflanzt der Automobilhersteller seit 2007 für jedes in Tschechien verkaufte Fahrzeug einen Baum – bis Ende dieses Jahres werden es insgesamt mehr als eine Million sein Auch auf dem Gelände der drei tschechischen Werke tragen mehr als 1.400 Bäume und über 27.000 m2 Hecken und Sträucher zum Klimaschutz bei und bieten Lebensraum für Insekten und andere Tiere „The level of competition gets better every year and the performance of this year’s participants is clear proof of it The competition helps to preserve this national treasure such a response and a dedicated approach to serving the elite Pilsner Urquell beer are a true show of appreciation of our work,“ said Václav Berka Senior Marketing Brewmaster of Plzeňský Prazdroj brewery and a long–time member of the international panel of the Pilsner Urquell Master Bartender competition The international finals round took place on October 4th and 5th 2011 in Plzeňský Prazdroj brewery and in Prague (Praha) The winners of the national rounds from 15 countries competed not only in practical knowledge and skills but also in their knowledge of history and the brewing process of Pilsner Urquell beer The key to success in the competition is not just a  fabulous way of drawing Pilsner Urquell lager and the ability to present one’s rich knowledge of the craft but also the ability to enrich one’s  presentation by his personality and make it a fun and entertaining show Jaroslav Učík from z  Restaurant „U Učíků“ in Vrchlabí faced the difficult task of defending last year’s victory of the Czech Lukáš Svoboda In the stiff competition of international finalists he proved himself by capturing the wonderful second place much effort and the great support of his friends backed his success „I took my preparation for the international round very seriously I studied daily and listened to ideas and the knowledge of friends and experts and even a theater company helped me with the presentation of the Plzeň lager I must not forget to thank my „regulars“ who are Pilsner Urquell lager devotees as am I I would not be here without their support,“ said Jaroslav Učík where the served guests do not have to question the quality of Plzeň beer.  Pilsner Urquell Master Bartender competition targets all able bartenders and barmaids who love to share their passion for their craft and their love of Pilsner Urquell lager To measure up to the world–class competition convince the panel of their knowledge of the history and must also be able to present this premium quality beer with wit and charisma 320 Czech bartenders entered Pilsner Urquell Master Bartender competition there are now 16,000 able and ambitious bartenders who attempted to win the title of the Bartender Champion of the World Top three bartenders of International Pilsner Urquell Master Bartender 2011 competition For more information:Vladimír Jurina „This is my fifth time at the Pilsner Urquell Master Bartender competition; I only missed the first one I want to improve for the world finals Pilsner lager and my restaurant in front of a very demanding panel of judges.  I don’t know when I will drink the beer that I will brew with Václav Berka but I am sure that regular customers and everybody who contributed to my win will definitely be present when it’s  served,“ said the new Czech Pilsner Urquell Master Bartender Jaroslav Učík owner and manager of this family run restaurant and leader of a group of volunteer fire fighters in Vrchlabí 1 a group of 20 best bartenders (17 men and 3 women) They had to perfectly execute the proper serving of Pilsner Urquell lager but they also had to persuade the jury that they could master the overall care of beer in a restaurant the brewing process and its unique characteristics and all this had to be done in such a way as to provide guests with an exceptional experience A  panel of professionals from Plzeňský Prazdroj headed by Senior Business Brewer Václav Berka The whole competition took place under the watchful eye of lasts year’s winner of the international final current World Master Bartender Lukáš Svoboda In addition to a certificate for participation in the national finals all finalists took home Pilsner Urquell beer and other gifts Those who place second and third will receive six months’ worth of free beer and a trip to Vilshofen birth place of the first Pilsner Urquell brewer which includes a visit to the famous beer festival Oktoberfest in Munich The national winner also received free beer for one year (730 Pilsner Urquell beers) an opportunity to brew a batch of beer for his restaurant with brewer Václav Berka and of course the prestigious title for himself and for his business where he works „The sixth year of this competition once again showed the increasing level of knowledge and experience of those bartenders who approach their craft with enthusiasm will be an excellent representative for the Czech Republic in the world finals,“ said Senior Business Brewer from Plzeňský Prazdroj summarising the results of the national finals Three of this year’s  finalists will therefore share their craft with visitors to this year’s Pilsner Fest The world finals will take place on October 4–5 The World Master will receive a trophy and a title of World Master The Pilsner Urquell Master Bartender competition is geared for all ambitious bartenders who share a love for their trade and for Pilsner Urquell lager In order for a bartender to become a world champion he/she needs to do more than just pour a glass of perfect beer A world champion bartender must also be charismatic able to make a drink seem exceptional and present it in an interesting way possess knowledge about the history and production of beer and know how to care for it a total of 320 bartenders from all around the Czech Republic entered the competition twenty finalists were narrowed down to the following bartenders:– Ronald Steiger Dlouhá Ves u Sušice– Václav Schejbal Restaurant Uctívaný Velbloud Vrchlabí– Magdalena Zvěřinová Three best bartenders from the 6th annual competition of Pilsner Urquell Master Bartender 1 Od 1. května 2025 se mění pravidla pro placení rozhlasového poplatku. Více informací zde Rychlobruslařka Karolína Erbanová se v 25 letech nečekaně rozhodla ukončit kariéru Bronzová medailistka z olympiády v Pchjongčchangu to oznámila na svém facebookovém profilu „Jsem připravená závodit a šířit slávu své země jediným způsobem Nejsem však už nadále připravená být obětí manipulativního ponižujícího a útočného chování reprezentačního trenéra Petra Nováka jehož lidské ani pracovní metody naprosto nesouzní s mými a nemohou mě vést k dobrým výkonům," uvedla Erbanová v prohlášení Rodačka z Vrchlabí se rychlobruslení věnovala od roku 2006 V roce 2014 však kouče opustila a přesídlila do Nizozemska kde se připravovala v týmech Continu a Afterpay „Český reprezentační trenér Petr Novák zpochybnil v médiích úroveň polského týmu a kvality jeho trenéra že jsem o svém nástupu do tohoto týmu nedostatečně informovala Tuto lživou podpásovku jsem inkasovala ve vrcholné fázi předsezónní přípravy,“ napsala Podle rychlobruslařky jsou vztahy mezi ní a koučem reprezentace napjaté už od doby co se rozhodla vydat za specializovanou sprinterskou přípravou do Nizozemska.  „Můj odchod z českého týmu vyvolal nicméně silnou negativní reakci reprezentačního trenéra i Českého svazu rychlobruslení sportovním partnerům i médiím jako zrádkyně komu není ‚česká cesta‘ dost dobrá,“ napsala Erbanová.  Novákovo počínání podrobil kritice i její poslední kouč Tuomas Nieminen „Národní svaz byl nedobrovolně využit ke zničení jedné sportovní kariéry a bodne ho u srdce,“ napsal Nieminen na instagramovém účtu Erbanové pro mě budeš navždy šampionka,“ uvedl finský trenér Vedení Českého olympijského výboru (ČOV) doufá že se bronzová olympijská medailistka z Pchjongčchangu rozhodla ukončit kariéru v pouhých 25 letech že není definitivní a že Karolínu uvidíme závodit i na dalších zimních olympijských hrách v roce 2022 v Pekingu,“ uvedli představitelé ČOV v prohlášení Český svaz rychlobruslení v tiskové zprávě uvedl že se jeho zástupci budou snažit s Erbanovou sejít a vyjasnit si vzájemně svá stanoviska „Respektujeme přitom její přání a nebudeme jednání dále medializovat,“ stojí v prohlášení svazu Trenér Petr Novák (kandidát do Senátu v Chrudimi za hnutí ANO) na dotaz Radiožurnálu řekl že se k ukončení kariéry bronzové medailistky z Pchjongčchangu zatím nechce vyjadřovat VrchlabíNejvětší úspěchy:- OH (0-0-1): 2018 (Pchjongčchang) - bronz (500 m)- MS (0-0-2): 2015 (Heerenveen) - bronz (1000 m); 2015 (Astana) - bronz (sprint)- ME (1-0-1): 2017 (Heerenveen) - zlato (sprint); 2018 (Kolomna) - bronz (500 m)- další úspěchy: vítězka dvou závodů SP šestinásobná juniorská mistryně světaOcenění: dvojnásobná vítězka ankety Sportovec roku ČR v juniorské kategorii (2011-12)Ostatní: specialistka na krátké tratě; v dětství závodně lyžovala a hrála tenis a hokej s rychlobruslením začala ve 14 letech pod vedením trenéra Petra Nováka; z juniorských světových šampionátů má šest zlatých dvě stříbrné a tři bronzové medaile; mezi dospělými debutovala v sezoně 2008/09 do elitní desítky MS se poprvé probojovala díky osmému místu na pětistovce v Heerenveenu 2012; v prosinci téhož roku se v Charbinu dočkala premiérového individuálního triumfu v závodě SP na trati 1000 metrů obsadila v konečném pořadí seriálu třetí místo; v roce 2014 přešla od trenéra Nováka do nizozemského týmu Continu protože se chtěla více zaměřit na sprinterské tratě; na loňských světových šampionátech byla čtvrtá na pětistovce i ve víceboji v uplynulé sezoně se jí více dařilo na nejkratší trati; při prvním startu na letošních olympijských hrách v Pchjongčchangu si vylepšila sedmým místem na kilometru olympijské maximum a poté v závodě na 500 metrů získala bronzovou medaili; v sezoně 2017/18 skončila na pětistovce celkově druhá v SP; před dvěma týdny oznámila poté se ale rozhodla se sportem skončit; jejími sportovními vzory jsou Jaromír Jágr a Christine Nesbittová