Virtual reality helps Stellantis cut costs, save time in vehicle production
Virtual reality helps Stellantis cut costs, save time in vehicle production
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Stellantis: The automaker's history, legacy
Explore the history of Stellantis, the automotive giant formed in 2021 through the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group.
The virtual reality lab is located at Stellantis' CTC complex in Auburn Hills.
The company says the lab helps it make improvements for workers at its assembly line stations as well as cut costs.
The reporter moved the rear door of the Jeep Wrangler and looked for the pins to slide into the waiting hinges.
It wasn't obvious at first, but with some direction from a nearby voice to shift the door right a bit, the blue pins suddenly appeared.
The door could then basically slide into place.
The scene, using a virtual reality headset, battery pack and two 'handles' with triggers to grasp objects, re-created what might happen on the Wrangler assembly line, but it wasn't close to the Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio, where the Wrangler is built, even though the demonstration setting was designed to look like one of the stations there.
Instead, this action on the afternoon of May 8 took place inside Stellantis' massive CTC complex in Auburn Hills, Michigan, as the reporter for the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, and others got to see and experience the company's virtual reality lab, with presentations by Keenan O'Brien, head of the digital process engineering center; Joe Dzwonkowski, virtual reality design review specialist, and Don Clack, 3D printing and mixed reality specialist.
The lab is sized so an entire assembly line station can be reviewed. One benefit, according to the company, which owns the Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, Dodge and Fiat brands, is to help ergonomics teams 'fine-tune platform heights, set 'golden zones' for an assembly operator's reach and refine part handling techniques for greater safety and efficiency.'
But it can also help resolve issues and reduce downtime and associated costs before production begins, according to the company, pointing to hundreds of times where it said that has happened.
'For example, VR was used to help determine the optimal vehicle height for making underbody electrical connections at the Sterling Heights and Warren Truck assembly plants,' according to the company.
Dzwonkowski explained that the process makes it 'easy to check various what-if scenarios during design review.'
The 'arena,' where the virtual reality action takes place, measures 24 feet by 20 feet; the entire room is 40 feet by 42 feet to accommodate reviews by various engineers and supplier and assembly plant representatives. The lab dates to 2018 and has gone through numerous phases. It's part of a network of nine similar sites in North America, Europe and South America.
The lab includes a 3D printer to prototype tools to more quickly solve manufacturing challenges. The process was used, for instance, to create a new cost-saving paint tape line tool during the Jeep Grand Cherokee launch at the Detroit Assembly Complex - Mack plant, according to Clack.
Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Marelli Bankruptcy: Tariffs Crush Auto Parts Giant
The Wall Street Journal is calling it 'the first big casualty of the tariff war.' Marelli – the auto parts giant and supplier to big names like Stellantis and Nissan – has filed for bankruptcy protection. Most Read on IEN Ship Carrying 3,000 Vehicles Abandoned in Pacific Ocean Raccoon Break-In Snarls Airbus Jet Production PODCAST: Ford Sues Lawyers; Shoemaker Outsmarts Tariffs; RIP Penny Oreo Maker Mondelez Sues Aldi Known for its electronics, power train and lighting related products for the automotive industry, Marelli had reportedly been struggling with heavy debt and supply chain challenges over the past few years But when revealing its filing, company leaders identified something else. Marelli CEO David Slump cited 'macroeconomic headwinds associated with … tariffs' as the tipping point that caused the company's situation to worsen. Slump said pandemic-era supply chain issues restricted the company's access to both labor and parts, including semiconductors. The company, which invested heavily in the EV transition, was struggling with liquidity when fresh woes hit in 2025. Slump said Marelli was 'severely affected by tariffs due to its import/export-focused business and the imposition of tariffs specifically against automotive manufacturers and suppliers.' Marelli was formed in 2019 when a private equity firm merged 100-year-old Japanese parts business Magneti Marelli with a Fiat-Chrysler auto parts business. The resulting tie-up has 40,000 employees and 150+ locations in 23 countries, including the U.S. Marelli says it plans to continue operating after establishing a deal with its lenders and creditors that will bring in more than $1 billion to finance the company's restructuring. Meanwhile, the situation has led some observers to question whether Marelli is the canary in the coal mine. Bloomberg, citing the analyst firm AlixPartners, recently suggested that the automotive industry is the global sector 'most vulnerable to financial distress' this year. Click here to subscribe to our daily newsletter featuring breaking manufacturing industry news. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
BYD Cranks Up U.K. EV Wars with Dolphin Surf
BYD (BYDDY) just cranked up the heat in the U.K.'s small-EV market by rolling out its compact Dolphin Surf at a starting price of 18,650, undercutting most rivals and broadening its Seagull hatchback lineup. The Dolphin Surf slots in as one of the region's most economical electric carsbeaten only by the Dacia Spring and Stellantis's Leapmotor T03yet delivers a competitive mix of range, tech and build quality, according to those who've driven early prototypes. BYD's aggressive pricing comes amid mounting trade tensions that are already warping European auto-price dynamics and fueling fears in China that cutthroat domestic EV wars could spill into export markets. Industry watchers note that Dolphin Surf's entry forces legacy automakers and EV upstarts alike to rethink sticker prices: Renault's U.K. arm is reportedly revisiting incentives on the Spring, while Volkswagen and Hyundai are recalibrating lease deals on their small EVs. BYD's U.K. boss, Emma Lawson, argues that value can't come at the expense of quality, pointing to BYD's in-house batteries and dual-motor tech as key differentiators despite the bargain tag. Why It Matters: As more affordable Chinese EVs like the Dolphin Surf land on European shores, price wars could squeeze margins for everyonefrom blue-chip brands to cash-strapped startupswhile rapidly expanding EV adoption among budget-conscious buyers. That said, BYD finds itself in a tug-of-war, with the average 12-month target at $63 about 38% below today's levels. Some analysts still see room to run toward $85, while the bears call for a drop to around $41. Interestingly, the GuruFocus fair value sits much higher at $142.60, hinting at a few outlier bulls. After a peak near $115 this spring, the stock has drifted back, and the split in projections shows investors can't agree on where it goes next. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
BYD Cranks Up U.K. EV Wars with Dolphin Surf
BYD (BYDDY) just cranked up the heat in the U.K.'s small-EV market by rolling out its compact Dolphin Surf at a starting price of 18,650, undercutting most rivals and broadening its Seagull hatchback lineup. The Dolphin Surf slots in as one of the region's most economical electric carsbeaten only by the Dacia Spring and Stellantis's Leapmotor T03yet delivers a competitive mix of range, tech and build quality, according to those who've driven early prototypes. BYD's aggressive pricing comes amid mounting trade tensions that are already warping European auto-price dynamics and fueling fears in China that cutthroat domestic EV wars could spill into export markets. Industry watchers note that Dolphin Surf's entry forces legacy automakers and EV upstarts alike to rethink sticker prices: Renault's U.K. arm is reportedly revisiting incentives on the Spring, while Volkswagen and Hyundai are recalibrating lease deals on their small EVs. BYD's U.K. boss, Emma Lawson, argues that value can't come at the expense of quality, pointing to BYD's in-house batteries and dual-motor tech as key differentiators despite the bargain tag. Why It Matters: As more affordable Chinese EVs like the Dolphin Surf land on European shores, price wars could squeeze margins for everyonefrom blue-chip brands to cash-strapped startupswhile rapidly expanding EV adoption among budget-conscious buyers. That said, BYD finds itself in a tug-of-war, with the average 12-month target at $63 about 38% below today's levels. Some analysts still see room to run toward $85, while the bears call for a drop to around $41. Interestingly, the GuruFocus fair value sits much higher at $142.60, hinting at a few outlier bulls. After a peak near $115 this spring, the stock has drifted back, and the split in projections shows investors can't agree on where it goes next. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
