State-of-the-Art Automated Sequencing Center One of the Reasons BMW Manufacturing Corp. Stays on Top

    SPARTANBURG, S.C., Aug. 8 Continually looking for ways to
improve its cars, BMW leaves no stone unturned to guarantee its consumers "the
ultimate driving experience."
    "That means placing a lot of importance on the small details all the way
down to the nuts and bolts of a car," said Ron Feld, Warehouse Coordinator for
Logistics Planning at BMW Manufacturing Corp.
    The only plant to build Z3 roadsters and coupes, motorsport roadsters and
coupes, and the X5 sports activity vehicle for export throughout the world,
South Carolina-based BMW Manufacturing Corp. invested $37 million in its new,
state-of-the-art 111,220 square-foot Sequencing Center to ensure that the
correct parts -- all the way down to the nuts and bolts -- are selected and
delivered to the assembly line.
    The Sequencing Center is a completely automated high-density storage
warehouse that stores and retrieves Z3 and X5 parts used in the manufacturing
process.  The only human touch the supply parts receive are at the loading
docks and during small picking jobs performed by Associates.
    "The reason for the Sequencing Center is a better quality, end product,"
Feld said.  "Because of the Sequencing Center there is precise distribution,
fewer mistakes, less human error and minimal defects, literally, all the way
down to the nuts and bolts of each car.
    "And our 56 employees love it because they have more responsibility and
are working with state-of-the-art technology.  We have very low turnover.  It
used to be that an employee did just one thing.  Now, employees have to have
an understanding of the entire process."
    The Sequencing Center is divided into two sections: the pallet warehouse,
used to store big parts such as steering wheels, and the tray warehouse, used
to store small parts such as screws.  When parts arrive, they are scanned and
placed onto bar-coded pallets or trays for storage.  Shuttle cranes move the
parts to one of 41,000 locations, depending on height and weight.
    "What takes other automotive warehouses hours, takes us minutes," Feld
said.  "Being a paperless warehouse, and following the 'Just-in-Time' model of
supply, we are able to operate 22 hours, six days a week, and only keep two
days worth of supply parts.  This ensures the highest efficiency.  The
warehouse currently performs 2,000-3,000 moves a day, but has the capacity to
perform 4,000-5,000.
    "It's a model of efficiency.  Before the Automated Sequencing Center we
had three offsite warehouses.  Now, we only have one."
    The Sequencing Center sits apart from the main manufacturing plant,
connected only by a 750 ft. conveyor belt.  When a particular Z3 or X5 is
ready to be assembled the body will be placed in the Stacker (the automated
car body storing system located in the manufacturing plant).  Computers then
relay to the Sequencing Center what parts will be needed to build the car.
The shuttle cranes and Associates locate the parts and deliver them to the
floor in build sequence order via the overhead conveyor belt to Assembly shops
and by truck to the Body shops.
    "During the entire process the computer system knows the exact movement
and location of every part," Feld said.  "It's a great system.  Our only
enemies are dust and paper that could potentially block the scanners."
    BMW Manufacturing Corp. is a subsidiary of BMW AG in Munich, Germany.
Its website address is http://www.bmwusfactory.com.  In addition to the South
Carolina manufacturing facility, BMW's North American subsidiaries include
sales, marketing and financial services operations in the United States,
Canada and throughout Latin America; an information technology consulting and
systems integration firm in South Carolina; a production facility in Mexico;
and a design firm in California.

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