Collaboration between initiator of Industry 4.0 Bosch and world’s largest wheel manufacturer Maxion Wheels implements digital transformation solutions that will set an example to Turkish industry.

Collaboration between early initiator of Industry 4.0 Bosch and world’s largest wheel manufacturer Maxion Wheels implements digital transformation solutions that will set an example to Turkish industry.

 

President of Bosch Turkey and Middle East Stephen Young says, ‘Our strategy at Bosch is to be both a main user of Industry 4.0 solutions, and a strong partner providing these solutions to the market.’

 

He continues, ‘We have started sharing our experience gained in over 270 Bosch plants across the world with Turkish industrialists so Turkey does not miss out on the fourth industrial revolution.’

 

Chairman of the Board of Maxion İnci and Maxion Jantaş Mustafa Zaim says, ‘It is a cause for great pride for Turkey to be selected by Maxion Wheels, the greatest wheel manufacturer in the world, for digital transformation amongst its 19 plants worldwide…’

 

Zaim, also a member on the Maxion Wheels Global Leaders Board, continues, ‘Our target is to transform all our plants to smart digital organisations incorporating all relevant processes by 2030.’

 

Global leaders Bosch- and Maxion İnci Wheels Groups take a step that will make a significant contribution towards Turkey’s Industry 4.0 transformation. The Bosch Group has begun to share its global experience on Industry 4.0 transformation with industrial companies in Turkey aiming to achieve digital transformation. Consequently, the Maxion İnci Wheels Group, a joint venture between the global wheel giant Maxion Wheels and İnci Holding, has announced plans to cooperate with Bosch on its journey of digital transformation.  

 

Speaking at the press conference held at the launch of the project at the Maxion İnci Wheels Group Manisa Aluminium plant, Steven Young said, ‘We have begun to share our experience gained in over 270 Bosch plants across the world with Turkish industrialists so Turkey does not miss out on the fourth industrial revolution.’ Mustafa Zaim, for his part, highlighted Maxion Wheels’ position as the largest wheel manufacturer in the world, and added, ‘As part of our drive to move to Digitalisation and Industry 4.0, we aim to create flexible production lines, improve our speed to market, operate with minimum stock levels, improve performance in trouble-free launch of new products and increasing product complexity, achieve digital integration of supply chains, and gain a competitive edge in production.’

 

Bosch targets savings of €1 billion by 2020

 

Highlighting Bosch’s extensive know-how in the world of things and the world of IT, Steven Young said, ‘Our first priority was to convert all our consumer products to smart versions; next, we digitalised our existing ecosystems. This was followed by the Industry 4.0 transformation aiming to connect all value flow from supplier through to plant and customer. Today, we supply all mobility systems for industry, buildings, security, and energy, and we connect them to one another. Our strategy at Bosch is to be both a main user of Industry 4.0 solutions, and a strong partner providing these solutions to the market. We have groundbreaking Industry 4.0 projects across the globe, and our Industry 4.0 solutions target a saving equivalent to 1 billion Euro by 2020.’

 

Remarking on Bosch’s pioneering role in initiating the Industry 4.0 transformation, Young added, ‘We have announced our willingness to share our solutions and experience with Turkish industrialists; these announcements were met with great interest in the business world. We have already launched into collaborative projects with industrialists keen to join in the transformation. Our expert local Industry 4.0 team currently meets with these industrialists and conducts field studies. To this end, we have initiated a significant, exemplary cooperation in Turkey by committing to consult on the Maxion İnci Wheels Group’s Manisa plants Industry 4.0 transformation project.’  

 

State subsidies: major motivators for digital transformation in industry

 

Emphasising the urgency of Turkey’s need to embrace the Industry 4.0 transformation, Steven Young stated, ‘Connected industry is now a reality; and success is dependent upon all the players within the process working together to implement it, by being open to change. Previously, we would have attempted to optimise our own internal processes within our own plants, or staying within the limits of our company; our thinking now needs to consider business ecosystem and focus on overcoming obstacles between companies.’ Young added that state subsidies were major motivators for digital transformation in small- and medium-size industries intending to develop the necessary roadmaps and implement digital transformation.

 

Exemplary project amongst 19 Maxion Wheels plants worldwide

 

Chairman of the Board of Maxion İnci and Maxion Jantaş Mustafa Zaim said, ‘We have decided to partner with Bosch in the next stages of our digital transformation and Industry 4.0.’ Noting that it is a cause for great pride for Turkey to be selected by Maxion Wheels, the greatest wheel manufacturer in the world, for digital transformation amongst its 19 plants worldwide, Zaim continued, ‘The Maxion İnci Wheels Group owes its current leading position in the sector to the cultural change and continuous development journey we have initiated since 2000. We are aware of importance of digital transformation in today’s world. Digital transformation is changing our life, habits, and business methods. We are in the midst of a tremendous process of change, and keeping up with that change is of vital importance for companies. The global automotive sector is on the verge of fundamental changes. Similarly momentous changes are anticipated in the field of transport. The traditional, engineering-focused structure of the automotive sector will soon be digitised, transformed into an informatics- and service-focused one across the entire supply chain much more integrated with other sectors.’

 

Our target is to transform into smart digital organisations by 2030

 

Expressing his conviction that Bosch’s global experts in the sector and on-site implementation successes will further strengthen Maxion, Mustafa Zaim said, ‘The Maxion İnci Wheels Group will continue to increase capacity and output by implementing digitalisation projects.’ 

 

Zaim stated that their global giant partners in different sectors on 12 projects were selected through the Four Lenses of Innovation method and added, ‘The groundbreaking Maxion İnci Aluminium plant was picked as the pilot site for this project by Maxion Wheels. Key reasons were its size (the biggest plant manufacturing aluminium wheels for passenger cars in the world), its sophisticated infrastructure, and up-to-date technology. We employ 11,000 in 19 plants in 15 countries spread over five continents; we supply one out of every eight wheels used by main industry worldwide.’

 

In the meanwhile, the project initiated with Bosch comprised three phases, said Zaim; the first step would be taken in pilot lines this year, and the entire three-phase project would be complete by 2023. He also added, ‘Our target is to transform all our plants to smart digital organisations incorporating all relevant processes by 2030.’