The Volkswagen Phaeton factory in Dresden, Germany is known as the "Transparent Factory" because the entire assembly line is visible through glass walls. The factory uses innovative technologies like an embedded magnetic floor guidance system to automatically direct robotic sleds transporting supplies throughout the facility. This increases efficiency by ensuring the correct parts arrive just in time for assembly. Customers can even watch their vehicle being built on the moving assembly line or participate directly in its construction. The factory aims to provide a high-quality, personalized experience for both workers and owners.

1. Volkswagen Phaeton Factory
Dresden Germany
By Max Wagner

2. Location
• The Phaeton factory is in the heart of
downtown Dresden Germany.
• Dresden is known for the old buildings and
historic sites

3. A Higher Class in Production
• The Phaeton factory is known as
the “Transparent Factory”,
because the whole factory is
surrounded by glass.
• The architecture is one of a kind
for an assembly line.
• Instead of concrete floors, VW
uses Canadian Maple

4. Real Wood Floors!

5. Only Factory Where:
• You, the visitor, can see the cars being made
• Has a museum in addition to assembly plant
• Customers are allowed on the floor of the
plant to participate in the production of their
own car.

6. Ethical Implications
• People of Dresden worried it would bring lots
of traffic, noise, and pollution because it is in
the middle of town.
• VW’s Answer to concerns:
– The “Transparent Factory” is part assembly
factory, part museum
– Factory is a beautiful piece of architecture
– All supplies come on the “CarGO Train”

7. CarGO Train!
• All parts and supplies for the factory come
from a train that travels on the public rails of
Dresden, and is unloaded at the factory
• Thus, eliminating the noise and pollution from
the production of parts and tools for the
assembly line.

8. “Transparent Factory” Innovations
• Once the supply train drops off the supplies,
the supplies are sorted into containers and
placed on robotic sleds.
• The robotic sled drives itself from the train,
throughout the assembly hall, up and down
elevators, and parks itself at the desired
location for the supplies in the assembly line.

9. How does it work? Magic?
• No its not magic…
• The sled is directed by magnets in the floor, through a special robotic magnet
guidance system
• There are over 60,000 magnets embedded in the floor of the Phaeton factory
to guide the robots, like a road map

10. Advantages of the Magnetic System
• Because the robotic sled takes the correct amount of supplies needed to the proper
location, the assembly line is never slowed down due to shortage of parts.
• This increases the efficiency of the assembly line
• Another advantage of the magnetic floor system is, it allows the assembly line to be in
constant motion on a conveyor belt that goes throughout the whole facility.

11. More from the Floor!
• The floor also delivers energy through the 60,000
embedded magnets, by means of conduction.
• The floor powers the sleds and portable work stations
– The work stations glide across the floor, and have a computer
which is connected to the server.
– The server tells the worker what job to do, and how much of
that job is left to do.
– The portable work station also tells the employee when a bolt
is fully in place, decreasing the chances of flaws in the Phaeton
throughout production.
• This also tells the computer and assembly line when the
car is ready for the next stage in the production.

12. Work Stations and Storage Units

13. A bird? A plane? No… A Car!
• Once the body of the car is put together, the
undercarriage must be installed.
• To make the work easiest and most successful,
the Phaeton is suspended in mid air and can be
turned any way to accomplish tasks for the
chassis and undercarriage.
• This also goes in a loop like the conveyor belt
previously mentioned.

15. A True Owner’s Experience
• Customers who have already bought their car, can go onto the
production line and watch their car be put together.
• Those customers who’ve bought a Phaeton and awaiting for it to
be built, can help put bolts and other parts in place; because the
work stations have the intelligent system, it is not a liability.
• Most customers go to see the body/chassis be bolted to the drive
train of the car, known to be one of the most crucial stages in
production.

16. Chassis Meets Drive Train

17. “End of the Line”
• To increase the personalization customers
have with their car, customers have the
option to literally drive the car off the
production line.

18. How does it affect me?
• How does this affect the quality of living?
– This clearly enhances the quality of living for the customer, because
they feel more confident about the quality of their car they bought,
decreasing the level of worry for customers.
• This new way of looking at car production clearly is a step
forward in car production.
• The new technologies in the Dresden factory is clearly not a
fad, and will be an integral part for future car production.
• Questions?

19. Works Cited
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
nd5WGLWNllA
• Pictures-
– http
://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?1837641-A-
Dresden