Success Story

Volkswagen: All Data in One Reporting System

21 October 2024

From Wolfsburg to Zwickau: Car body measuring data from 15 sites in one system

By using the ZEISS PiWeb software, Volkswagen has achieved a significantly faster generation of measuring reports. However, this is just the beginning. The software enables the Group to establish disruptive business models – from fully automated reporting processes to the vision of a 100% virtual verification and functional analysis of assembly parts for launching a new series.

Initially, measuring reports and measurement analyses as, well as process optimization at the Volkswagen Group, were done with a VW proprietary software. However, the software, in many ways, did not comply with the current requirements anymore. “The software was neither extendable by new functions nor really user-friendly,” Dr. Achim Schwan, Head of Meisterbock & Cubing at Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg, says. “Moreover, it no longer complied with our strict data security policy.” This is why they started looking for a new, sustainable solution – which they found at ZEISS.

Working group called for ZEISS PiWeb to be the new software solution

Quality managers from vehicle manufacturing sites of all Volkswagen brands regularly come together in a working group to drive future-relevant subjects. Procurement of a new reporting software became one of the topics to be discussed by them. “Some colleagues from Porsche, Audi and three VW sites had already been working with ZEISS PiWeb and were very enthusiastic about it – both about its easy usability & stability and about its scope of functionalities,” Dr. Schwan recalls. “The product matched our expectations ‘out of the box’; no additional development would have been necessary.” This was a highly valuable benefit, making it considerably easier to switch from the old solution to a new one. The software has now been introduced as the default solution for the brands Volkswagen, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Seat.

Central data pool for manufacturing

The Volkswagen site in Wolfsburg has been using the software for more than one year now. The local metrology teams feed the software with measuring data provided by quality assurance, especially from car body manufacturing and assembly, for vehicle manufacturing. The measuring technology used to gain the data does not matter. ZEISS PiWeb can acquire and analyze the results of tactile, optical, manual and CT measurements, regardless of the manufacturer of the measuring device used. “In PiWeb, we save both the measuring data from our inline metrology systems and the data from the measuring rooms,” Dr. Schwan says. “At the Wolfsburg site, the measuring data from more than 20 measuring machines are centralized.”

Using ZEISS PiWeb, we obtain a clear insight into our measuring data considerably and can thus further optimize our quality assurance.

Dr. Achim Schwan Head of Meisterbock & Cubing at Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg

Trunk lid reporting: 70 report pages in a few seconds

Dominik Koch, quality engineer of plastics technology at Volkswagen in Wolfsburg, experienced a boost in productivity due to the implementation of the new software. The reporting, previously a tedious and laborious task, has almost become a no-brainer. He demonstrates on a trunk lid how quickly the reporting is done with ZEISS PiWeb: “Previously, manufacturing had to wait a long time for the results. Now, the consolidation of results in cross-site reports enables us to get the job done within seconds. The colleagues from manufacturing are very happy that they receive their results much faster than before and are therefore able to respond to deviations much faster.”

Visual reporting - simple, interactive in 3D

Dominik Koch demonstrates more advantages of ZEISS PiWeb by means of a dashboard for which an inspection characteristics plan is already in place. Inspections are carried out for RPS alignment, the contour of the aperture, including flush and gap, the gap of the optical cover and the hole pattern of the left and right sides. “My task was to create a meaningful report for all inspection characteristics of ZEISS PiWeb. I am now getting the job done very quickly – and so much easier than before. I can ‘build’ interactively within a few clicks whatever it is that my colleagues in manufacturing need. And what happens if the inspection plan changes? “If the manufacturing team needs additional functional dimensions, e.g., if a tool needs to be aligned, I am able to quickly adjust the existing report without any problems,” Dominik Koch says.

International rollout runs smoothly

Since ZEISS is as much a global player as Volkswagen, the advantages of the global presence of ZEISS are also visible during the rollout. Within 12 months, ZEISS PiWeb was rolled out to 15 plants – only two sites are still missing. “The local employees are really very happy, which is also due to the great software training,” Dr. Schwan confirms.

Future Vision: Using the data for disruptive business models

With the implementation of ZEISS PiWeb, Volkswagen set out into a whole new world of evaluating measuring data. “There is still a huge potential here waiting to be unlocked,” Dr. Schwan ensures. “We are planning to integrate other areas and make use of the available out-of-tolerance alarm function, as well as brand-new statistical evaluations and correlation analyses – all fully automated and synchronized across all plants.” Finally, he could even imagine a virtual master jig and virtual cubing in the cloud, i.e., an entirely virtual check and functional analysis of assembly and add-on parts for both production start-up and analyses during series. “Currently, the parts need to be first manufactured and then transported from plant to plant. Just picture how many resources you could save with the virtualization – material, CO2, manpower.” The automotive engineering of the future is within reach – and the Volkswagen Group is well-positioned thanks to PiWeb.

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About Volkswagen

The Volkswagen brand is one of the largest car manufacturers in the world. For more than 70 years, the company has been making innovative technologies, the highest quality and attractive designs accessible to many people – with the likes of bestsellers such as the Beetle, the Golf and the all-electric ID. family. The Volkswagen brand is present in over 140 markets worldwide. A total of 170,000 employees produce vehicles at 29 locations in 12 countries.