Magna Exteriors GmbH, Germany

Magna Meerane has won the Automotive Lean Production Awards 2024 in the category “Part Supplier“. The company, which is part of the global Magna Group, produces high quality body and structural parts for various car manufacturers such as BMW, Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche. Magna Meerane has established itself as a reliable and innovative partner in the industry that not only fulfils the expectations of its customers, but also continuously improves its own processes.

The award honours Magna Meerane's outstanding performance under turbulent market conditions such as volatile call-off figures, high uncertainty regarding the future combing line and a persistent shortage of skilled labour for a number of professions. Despite these challenges, the company was able to achieve and even exceed its sales and quality targets. This is primarily due to the consistent application of lean principles and the introduction of smart technologies that increase the efficiency, flexibility and transparency of production.

At Magna Meerane, there is a precise implementation of the Group's non-strict specifications with regard to management systems. The establishment of the Magna Production System (MAFACT) should also be mentioned in this context, which also leads to top rankings in the annual internal maturity assessment.

The management also emphasises the use of smart technologies against the background of the plant size. By democratising IT, Magna Meerane has developed many smart integrated solutions based on the Power Platform to simplify and accelerate the production of body parts for various vehicle models. The Power Platform is implemented as a modular and scalable solution. The platform is also networked with the production data acquisition (PDA) and manufacturing execution system (MES), which provide real-time data on production status, quality and capacity utilisation. This enables Magna Meerane to react quickly to changes, reduce waste and optimise the use of resources.

Another innovation that characterises Magna Meerane is the RFID/M system (Smart Factory Control), which ensures traceability and material flow control. The system uses RFID tags attached to the individual parts to record their position, condition and history. This information is transmitted to the MES, which in turn determines the optimal route and timing for transporting the parts within the factory. The system not only increases efficiency and error-proofing, but also transparency and communication between the various trades and with the customer.

Shop floor management and its digitalisation as an integrated system is another success factor at Magna Meerane. The company has developed and implemented a standardised and visual management system itself, which actively involves employees in the improvement processes. Using digital boards, tablets and smartphones, employees can access relevant data and key figures at any time, report problems and suggest solutions. This not only promotes personal responsibility and employee motivation, but also the continuous improvement of quality and productivity.

With these measures, Magna Meerane has shown that it is possible to combine lean production with digital transformation and thus gain a competitive advantage. The company is therefore a role model for other suppliers in the automotive industry and a worthy winner of the Automotive Lean Production Award 2024.

Since our opnening in 2012, we deliver to our customers in Just-in-Sequence. Our young and dedicated team continuously implements, connects and improves both new and proven systems and methods, in order to achieve peak performances. The Magna Exteriors (Meerane) GmbH has established itself as a leading comapny in the sector of vehicle exteriors. Thanks to our extensive processes from development and construction to production, surface finishing to manufacturing and assembly, we can produce lighter and more efficient modules. By seamlessly linking all process steps, we achieve a highly efficient output. This strategy has put us at the forefront of the company. Our outstanding performance is achieved, among other things, by the Magna MAFACT production system, which provides and monitors all the important tools for lean production.