Delphi and Delco Electronics Build State-of-the-Art Technology Center Expand Business in South America
11 November 1997
Delphi and Delco Electronics Build State-of-the-Art Technology Center Expand Business in South America
PIRACICABA, Brazil, Nov. 11 -- Delphi Energy & Engine
Management Systems and Delco Electronics broke ground today on construction of
a new technology center in its Piracicaba industrial complex. The expansion
demonstrates the organization's commitment to expand its business in South
America. This state-of-the-art technology center will provide Delphi with a
flexible and agile operation to develop advanced engine management systems for
the Brazilian market.
The technology center will be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment
such as an engine exhaust emission analysis laboratory, dynamometers and test
benches. This instrumentation, which can perform tests on components or the
entire vehicle, at temperatures from -20 C + 40 C, will enhance Delphi's
capability to measure and assess fuel consumption, torque, power and
driveability which results in more precise final calibrations to the vehicle.
In addition, customers can utilize the equipment and technical expertise
at the center, which is more than 4.3 thousand square meters (46,000 square
feet). The center has been designed to have the flexibility to expand to meet
the demands of the market.
"This state-of-the-art facility will assist Delphi engineers in
implementing lean principles to ensure that we produce cost competitive
products of the highest quality, delivered to the customer's specific
requirements," said Jose Maria Alapont, executive director for Delphi Energy &
Engine Management Systems International Operations. "Our customers expect
support in developing advanced products -- from start to finish. This
technology center can offer that advantage to our customers."
Among the components to be developed at the center, catalytic converters
and fuel injection systems are key to the operation. The center will feature
test benches for injectors and fuel rails, ignition coils, and sensors, to
name a few. In addition, the center features a laboratory to gauge vehicle
embedded electronics.
The Piracicaba facility is a vital link in Delphi's expansive global
operation which includes 39 industrial complexes on five continents. By
year-end, Delphi will have invested some $36.5 million (U.S.) in the
Piracicaba industrial part which includes the technology center and advanced
products, systems and modules. Such investment has made it possible to expand
Delphi's battery production capacity from 2 million to 3 million units a year.
Delphi Energy & Engine Management Systems, a division of Delphi Automotive
Systems, a North American company, is the largest and most diverse components
and automotive systems supplier in the world. The company's annual revenues
exceed US$ 27 billion. Delphi Automotive Systems has operations in 35
countries, with 198 manufacturing plants, and 17 technical centers, and
employs some 172,000 persons. Delphi can be found on the Internet at
http://www.delphiauto.com.
Delco Electronics, a subsidiary of Hughes Electronics, develops and
manufactures vehicle electronic systems. The company is one of the largest
suppliers of integrated circuits in the United States, producing more than 1
million units daily. Headquartered in Kokomo, Indiana, Delco Electronics has
more then 31,000 employees throughout the world.
SOURCE Delphi Energy & Engine Management Systems