⁠ A press for the new era of mobility

A press for the new era of mobility

The new PXL press at the Martorell plant is one of the most modern in the world, and can stamp 4 million parts per year with maximum efficiency
Following 40 months of development and construction, the facility is up and running, already stamping parts for the company's current production models
This is a step forward in the company’s electrification process, which is key to the production of the CUPRA Raval and the Volkswagen ID. Polo

The road to electrification takes a lot of different aspects into consideration. The transformation can be seen in the design of the models, in staff training, and also in the modernisation of facilities and processes. This is the case with the new PXL press at the SEAT and CUPRA plant in Martorell, which is more efficient, powerful and connected. Among the most modern in the world, its presses will be used to produce up to 4 million body parts of the CUPRA Raval and Volkswagen ID. Polo per year. At the moment, the presses are already stamping parts for the company's current production models.

The most efficient. The press features the latest technology and stands out for its high productivity: “Thanks to its 15 strokes per minute, we can stamp more parts in less time, with maximum efficiency” explains Alicia Molina, director of Production Process Engineering at SEAT and CUPRA. This efficiency is also enhanced by the reduction in the time required to change the dies, allowing up to fifteen changes per day to manufacture different parts: “By fully automating this process, we have managed to decrease the time it takes to change dies to just five minutes between finishing the last part in a series and starting production of the first in the next one" says Jose Arreche, director of the SEAT & CUPRA plant in Martorell.

An industrial achievement. Given the complexity of moving and anchoring such powerful, heavy machinery, the construction of the press was a major technical feat. In order to withstand its 81,000 kN of force, the press sits atop a 9-metre-deep pit and 20-metre-deep concrete pile foundations, which is equivalent to the height of a 7-storey building. This required up to 40 months of development and construction works, involving many challenges in terms of coordination. “Communication and cross-functional work among the production process engineering, maintenance, production, logistics, IT, prevention and finance teams played a key role in the success of this mega-construction project” says Molina.

Connected factory. One of the new features of the facility is its connectivity. With each stamping, around 3,000 data points can be extracted. “We’re currently developing two systems that will be key to interpreting this huge flow of data and gathering detailed information about production control and maintenance” says Molina. In this regard, the next step will be to use the information to make predictions and thus optimise processes.

New profiles. Faced with a transition of this magnitude, the people who work on the PXL press have also undergone a transformation of their own, which was a crucial step in adapting to the new machinery and its digitalisation. “Training was an essential part in preparing us for this change at all levels” says Arreche, adding that “We’ve changed our mindset, and now we’re ready for the new electric era.”