BMW Group, in partnership with NVIDIA, is pushing the boundaries of automotive manufacturing digitalization, embarking on a path of virtual production at its future plant in Debrecen more than two years before the commencement of actual series production. This innovative concept was demonstrated by BMW AG Board Member for Production, Milan Nedeljković, and NVIDIA CEO and founder, Jensen Huang at GTC 2023.
Debrecen is set to be the first BMW Group facility completely planned and validated virtually, marking a revolutionary step in factory planning. The manufacturing of vehicles at the future plant is underway virtually, even though the physical plant, scheduled to open in 2025, has just begun construction. The facility is intended to produce BMW Group’s next generation of all-electric models, known as the Neue Klasse.
Introducing NVIDIA Omniverse
The collaboration sees the utilization of NVIDIA Omniverse Enterprise, a cutting-edge platform designed for developing and operating 3D industrial metaverse applications. This platform enables real-time digital twin simulations to refine layouts, logistics systems, and robotics virtually. It aims to consolidate various planning systems within a digital twin, enabling worldwide teams to collaborate in real-time, thereby enhancing efficiency, reducing decision-making times, and saving costs.
Global Implementation
NVIDIA’s Omniverse will be expanded across BMW’s global production network, offering a comprehensive solution to validate and optimize intricate manufacturing systems. As a cloud-based and cloud-agnostic platform, Omniverse facilitates seamless collaboration across different locations and time zones, providing a unified interface for digital planning across BMW’s various technologies and planning departments. This platform is scheduled to be globally available to BMW experts by the end of March.
Evolving Factory Production: BMW iFACTORY
The BMW iFACTORY, introduced in early 2022, is a blueprint for future automotive production, representing a transformative approach to the planning and execution of highly complex vehicle production processes. It involves the digitization of BMW Group’s vehicle and engine plants, keeping the digital world updated with real-world modifications through re-scans, enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of the planning process.
Enhancing Efficiency through Digitalization
This revolutionary approach allows production experts to utilize live data for detailed planning and optimization of processes, reducing compatibility issues, and facilitating real-time, photorealistic simulations of layout options. It also enables the swift localization of operational faults, preventing extended production downtimes and contributing to the integration and automation of new systems into a continuous planning process.
Collaboration and Future Developments
The collaboration between BMW and NVIDIA is anticipated to continue breaking new ground in virtual integration for smart, connected factories globally. BMW plans to integrate more tools and make all relevant product, process, quality, and cost data available in Omniverse over time, alongside developments aimed at optimizing energy and resource consumption.
