Flexible automotive automation contract awarded

Mitsubishi Electric Automation has won major automotive contract to supply automation products, machine controls, IT validation, startup, training and support services.

Mitsubishi Electric Automation has announced a major automotive contract to supply automation products, machine controls, IT validation, startup, training and support services at two new Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance (GEMA) manufacturing plants in Dundee, Michigan.

GEMA is an alliance between Chrysler Group, Mitsubishi Motors, and Hyundai Motor Co, to manufacture four-cylinder automotive engines.

When completed, the two facilities will produce approximately 840,000 "world engines" annually under a manufacturing partnership agreement among the three automakers.

The new plants will use leading edge, flexible machining, assembly and process technologies and techniques to produce these globally designed engines.

The "world engine" is a family of four-cylinder, 1.8, 2.0 and 2.4-liter gasoline engines, designed jointly by Chrysler Group, Mitsubishi Motors and Hyundai.

These "world engines" will be used in future small and mid-sized Chrysler Group and Mitsubishi Motors vehicles in North America.

Two GEMA facilities are being built on the Dundee site.

Engine production at the first plant is scheduled to start in September 2005, and in September 2006, at the second GEMA plant.

Mitsubishi Electric Automation will provide the GEMA plants with highly reliable, functional, and flexible machine control solutions.

This new flexible machinery controls concept will help Chrysler Group attain overall cost savings of $100 million annually when compared to previous traditional powertrain plants.

"GEMA is an outstanding example of what teamwork, perfect choreography of people and technology can contribute to improved value for customers and shareholders," said Bruce Coventry, GEMA president.

"It is helping us to evolve to a more high performance business model.

As a source of state-of-the-art process innovation, it's feeding the transformation of Chrysler Group; teaching us what is possible when people are capable, motivated, equipped and empowered to achieve breakthrough performance." The GEMA plant will use approximately 250 Mitsubishi Electric Q PLCs, 400 A900 GOT HMI's and more than 100 MR - J2S servos for complete engine assembly line and complete head and block lines.

More than 100 Mitsubishi compact C64 CNCs will also be used for complete head, block lines, and gantries on machinery controls.

Mitsubishi Electric Automation will also provide the entire plant with IT validation, customized training and extensive support services.

This machinery is being provided to GEMA through major automotive suppliers such as Nippei Toyama Corporation (NTC), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), DURR, ICA Cinetic Automation, Harry Major Machine, and Comau Pico.

"We're delighted that Mitsubishi Electric Automation was chosen for this important project," said Richard Bertolone, vertical marketing manager for Mitsubishi Electric Automation.

"Industrial automation equipment is usually installed for the life of the plant's machining and assembling lines, which could exceed 25 years.

Our expertise in automating manufacturing facilities, and our well-established product quality standards will help GEMA cost-effectively produce a quality, reliable engine that meets the demanding standards of the automotive industry, as well as the GEMA alliance." * About Mitsubishi Electric Automation - Mitsubishi Electric Automation, a U.S.

subsidiary of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation of Japan (President and CEO: Tamotsu Nomakuchi), serves a wide variety of industrial markets with a family of automation products including automation platforms, programmable logic controllers, variable frequency drives, operator interfaces, software, industrial computers, motion control systems, servo amplifiers and motors, computer numerical controls, industrial robots, uninterruptible power supplies and industrial sewing machines.

Mitsubishi Electric is one of the world's largest suppliers of manufacturing plant industrial automation equipment.

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