BMW Adopts Siemens Automation to Boost Production Efficiency

Siemens supplies automation hardware and software to the BMW Group, including the new generation of the Sinumerik One CNC control. The new automation portfolio will be used at the Steyr production plant in Austria to produce an electric drive housing.

According to Siemens, Sinumerik One plays a central role in the transformation of machine tools in the age of Industry 4.0. The controller reportedly outperforms previous generations of controllers in terms of programmably logic controllers (PLC) and CNC performance in machine operation, cutting speed, data collection and processing power. The integrated Simatic S7-1500F PLC, is reportedly capable of up to 10 times faster PLC cycle times. With the Simatic S7-1500F PLC, Sinumerik One is fully integrated into the Engineering Framework TIA Portal, which enables standardization of all engineering tasks for operators of larger plants.

With Sinumerik One, Siemens says it offers the technology to easily create and work with digital twins of machine tools. Digital self-optimization tools, predictive maintenance tools for reduced and planned downtimes and intelligent assistance systems for machine safety and operation can be used to increase production efficiency and reliability.

The plant in Steyr, which is the BMW Group's largest motor factory, is where all the housings for the e-drive of the new BMW e-mobility fleet are exclusively manufactured. Five different housing variants are produced on one production line. Siemens says its Sinumerik One will support the BMW Group's entry into the e-mobility market and contribute to an optimized production process.