Key takeaways from Stellantis’ Factory Booster Day 2024

Stellantis Factory Booster Day 2024 was a pivotal platform for showcasing innovations aligned with Stellantis's global manufacturing strategies. The event highlighted key advancements that enhance operational efficiency, focusing on automation and digitalization in automotive production.

• Strategic recognition: wheel.me was showcased alongside major partners like Autodesk and Inbolt, reinforcing its role in Stellantis's global manufacturing strategy.

• Innovative technology: The introduction of wheel.me’s autonomous wheels technology highlights the company’s commitment to enhancing plant logistics and operational efficiency.

• Successful implementation: The technology is operational at Stellantis’ Sterling Heights plant, demonstrating its effectiveness in real-world applications.

• Cost-effective solutions: wheel.me’s solutions facilitate the autonomous transport of parts without significant infrastructure changes, aligning with Stellantis's goal to reduce production costs by 40% by 2030.

• Collaboration for future growth: Ongoing collaboration with Stellantis presents opportunities for further innovation in in-plant logistics and automation, supporting Stellantis’s Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan.

• Positive feedback: Recognition from Stellantis executives underscores the value of wheel.me's technology in enhancing manufacturing efficiency and flexibility.

The event brought together over 60 partners, featuring 93 innovations aimed at optimizing manufacturing processes. Stellantis introduced three critical partners—wheel.me, Autodesk, and Inbolt—who are collaborating to roll out integrated solutions across global operations.

Among the highlighted technologies, wheel.me’s autonomous wheels offer a scalable solution for in-plant logistics. This is complemented by Autodesk’s cloud-based planning system, essential for creating digital twins, and Inbolt’s AI-driven vision system that enables real-time tracking of parts by existing robotic systems.

Arnaud Deboeuf, Chief Manufacturing Officer at Stellantis, emphasized the dual goals of reducing production costs by 40% by 2030 while striving for carbon neutrality by 2038.

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Stellantis is intensifying efforts to automate and digitalize plant logistics, particularly in optimizing the transport of various container sizes within production facilities. According to Jean-Christophe Marchal, Senior Vice President of Vehicle Process Engineering, efficient transportation and management of carts between storage areas, picking areas, and the production line are critical.

wheel.me provides a flexible, cost-effective solution for automating the transport of parts and packages, requiring minimal infrastructure modification. This system enhances operational agility by retrofitting existing dollies with autonomous wheels, allowing seamless integration into current processes.

Pål M. Rødseth, CEO of wheel.me, stated, “Our autonomous robotic wheel can be deployed in existing infrastructures, allowing plants to move containers and packages efficiently.”

Deboeuf noted, “We can convert existing trailers and equipment into autonomous vehicles without major changes, making it ideal for our compact plants.”

Currently, wheel.me’s technology is operational at Stellantis’ Sterling Heights plant, with potential for broader implementation.

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4. Future outlook and continuous improvement

Stellantis’s Dare Forward 2030 plan focuses on continuous improvement and innovation as core drivers to achieve a 40% reduction in production costs. This aligns with wheel.me’s commitment to enhance in-plant logistics and automation across Stellantis facilities.

The preference for solutions that minimize adaptation costs and operational downtime is evident. Marchal stated, “We seek solutions that plant managers can implement and manage independently.”

Successful implementations at Stellantis’ Windsor assembly plant exemplify the benefits of adopting these digital solutions, which streamline operations and improve efficiency.

Stellantis Factory Booster Day 2024 underscored the importance of strategic collaboration and innovation in the automotive sector. wheel.me's contributions to in-plant logistics exemplify a commitment to advancing manufacturing excellence. The partnership with Stellantis reinforces the focus on automation and digitalization, positioning both organizations for sustained operational efficiency and competitive advantage.

This comprehensive overview encapsulates the key takeaways from the event, highlighting the significant role of wheel.me in advancing automotive manufacturing.

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