2007 Audi TT

An update on a previous post about the 2007 Audi TT. The TT has now gone into full scale production. Audi has invested an approximate 230 million euro to upgrade its manufacturing plants for the production of the new TT. The Audi is assembled in two different locations, the bodywork and paint are done in Ingolstadt in Germany, and vehicle assembly is completed at Gyor in Hungary. The body components are put together almost completely automatically by 247 robots. Once they are painted they are sent to Gyor.

“The lightweight design principle Audi Space Frame (ASF) has been further developed on the new TT and now also incorporates steel elements. If the body was built entirely of steel, it would be 48 percent heavier.” Dr. Jochem Heizmann, Board Member for Production at AUDI AG. The individual components of the TT bodyshell, in total 277 – the majority of which are produced at its own press shop in Ingolstadt – are joined together in a “park” of 247 robots. The degree of automation is 95 percent.

After the completed bodyshells have been painted in one of twelve standard colours or have been given one of the many special paint finishes, they are loaded onto trains at the plant. The TT bodyshells embark on the approximately 650 kilometre-long trip from Ingolstadt to Györ in Hungary in special closed wagons. “It takes a good eleven hours on average for the trains to arrive here,” says Ferenc Dankó, Head of Vehicle Logistics at Audi Hungaria. Up to three trains make this journey per day.

Once in Gyor, the body shells are sent to the production line (which is 240 Meters long and has 65 individual workstations). The new Audi TT is built in an average time of just 10 hours! As oppose to 15 for the old car. 10 hours for a beautiful car like that is an amazing achievement. I would love to know how long it takes Ford Australia to build a Falcon. Expect to see the new Audi in Australia before mid-2007.

Pictures of the production line below – click for a larger picture:

Tags: Audi TT