Fully automatic production line

Rugged and durable, with a distinctive look: the external appearance of the Mercedes G-Class has changed very little since its market launch. The latest update added 53 millimeters to the length of the off-road icon and 121 millimeters to its width, making it even more of an eyecatcher both on and off the road. Otherwise, however, the focus was placed on the engineering rather than the optics. The ladder frame, the core component between the body and the chassis giving the vehicle the necessary stability, was also revised in the course of the facelift.
The launch of the new G-Class also marked the beginning of a new era in production: whereas much of the welding had previously been done manually, this work at MAGNA Presstec is now carried out by an automatic production line from KUKA.

Experienced partner
for automation

“This was the first time we had worked together with KUKA,” says Armin Kleemaier, project manager at MAGNA Presstec. The decision to establish contact was swayed by a reference system which KUKA had implemented several years ago to perform a similar task. The joint project kicked off with a workshop. “It was really positive to visualize the goals and expectations of both sides together and then to set about achieving them,” explains Armin Kleemaier.