04/2020

ŠKODA Mobil - newsletter, April 2020.

• TITLE

• FLIGHT THROUGH THE ŠKODA WORLD

  Flight through the ŠKODA world

  Achievements and trophies

  Designers score big

  The KAMIQ GT and the fourth-generation OCTAVIA won the prestigious Red Dot Award 2020 for outstanding product design. An international jury of four dozen experts made selections among 6,500 products in one of the most recognised design competitions in the world. ŠKODA’s best seller was highlighted for the third time – its previous generations were awarded in 2006 and 2017. The KAMIQ GT, available exclusively on the Chinese market, became the first such awarded ŠKODA model that the SAIC Volkswagen design team had worked on.

  ŠKODA models have received the Red Dot Award since 2006  
  

  As they see us

  Topgear.com (29 Mar 2020)

  CITIGOe iV

  It’s one of the cheapest EVs YOU CAN BUY. And, Fortunately, it’s a good one, too.

  ideal for city traffic

  batteries don’t make the boot smaller

  interior feels rather dated
  

  Final verdict 

  7/10

  models and services
  

  KODIAQ Top version 

  in Czech Republic

  The limited edition of 300 new and exclusive KODIAQ RS CHALLENGEs is going on sale through the carmaker’s Czech dealership. Customers can acquire the brand’s most powerful diesel SUV with the most lavish equipment to date. It includes, for example, the Assisted Driving 2.0 package, nine airbags and a heated steering wheel. The recommended retail price is CZK 1,399,900.

  the RS version’s share of last year’s KODIAQ model range sales

  News from the Group

  There are more and more signs that the situation is returning to normal. There is a good chance that the Chinese car market will already return to last year’s level early in the summer.

  Stephan Wöllenstein

  Prezident of Volkswagen Group China

  Good news from China

  The VW Group brands’ production plants and dealerships gradually returned to normal in April. Thanks to the resumption of operations at the SAIC Volkswagen factory in Changsha, ŠKODA production in China has been in full swing since 6 April. Local dealerships already report that customers are interested.

  
  

  Old batteries

  also get utilised

  VW Group has joined forces with the Chinese start-up DU-POWER, with which it is planning to start serial production of fast-charging stations for EVs in the second half of this year. The flexible device with minimal placement requirements will be equipped with its own batteries to handle temporary disconnection from the grid. The developers want to utilise used batteries from electric cars to run the stations in the future.

• INTERVIEW

  Interview
  

  We want to keep all the Škodovians onboard

  Interview with the Chairman of the Board of Directors Bernhard Maier 

  The carmaker is resuming production. How are you going to protect the employees’ health?

  We have elaborated extensive “Safe Production” and “Safe Offices” concepts covering more than 80 specific measures. These include, but are not limited to, sufficient respirators and disinfectants or random temperature measurements at plant gates. We are striving to protect all employees in the workplace, whether in the production area or at the office. It is important for everyone to observe the given measures for the benefit of their safety and the health of their colleagues.

  In recent years, we have achieved record results and solid liquidity. Based on these results, I believe that we will overcome the dip produced by the shutdown. 
  

  Which economic impacts do you expect the coronavirus pandemic will have on society? 

  It is impossible to estimate the overall impact. However, we know for sure that we have not been spared by the crisis. We have evaluated various scenarios, but we won’t be able to catch up with the production cycle we have lost, given our capacities’ high utilisation. However, we can see from China’s example that customers will return to car showrooms and buy our cars. The gradual production restart is all the more important so that we can once again deliver our cars to dealers.

  Are the jobs at ŠKODA AUTO safe?

  We have made it a top priority to keep all Škodovians onboard. I’m very optimistic, and I believe that we will succeed. We will need every single employee to continue growing after this crisis. In recent years, we have achieved record results and solid liquidity. Based on these results, I believe that we will overcome the dip produced by the shutdown. Nevertheless, even this financial reserve is not infinite, so we do need to relaunch production as soon as possible.

  What makes you so sure that ŠKODA AUTO will overcome the crisis?

  In its 125-year history, the carmaker has already successfully solved several complex situations. In these times, I see how the entire and large ŠKODA family has grown even closer. I consider it great how we support each other and manage the crisis prudently while maintaining our ability to act. Thus, we are demonstrating the ŠKODA brand character: solidarity, team spirit and creativity. Thank you very much for that, dear Škodovians! My thanks also go to the KOVO trade union for its constructive cooperation based on mutual trust. RED

  

• CORONAVIRUS

  Coronavirus

  Fully against
  Covid-19

  The restart of production is accompanied by necessary safety measures drawn up by the carmaker together with the KOVO trade union
  

  COVID-19 InfoLink 326 819 696   MON – FRI 7–17

   fter more than one month of shutdown, production resumed again on Monday, 27 April, and employees who had been at home during that time are now returning to work. In order to provide for their safety, an SG and PS department-led taskforce, in cooperation with the KOVO trade union, prepared a set of more than 80 health, organisational and safety measures. These measures apply to production areas, as well as office space. Details can be found on the ŠKODA Space employee portal. It is especially important to pay close attention to wearing respiratory protection devices (depending on the character of their work, employees are entitled to one or two pieces), minimise contact with colleagues, wash their hands thoroughly and observe the smoking ban both indoors and outdoors on the premises. The measures are to be followed by everyone so that they remain effective. Please keep in mind that you are protecting not only yourself but also your colleagues.
  

  COVID-19 InfoLink 326 819 696   MON – FRI 7–17
  

  What you will find on ŠKODA Space

  Complete overview of all measures in one place

  Set of questions and answers updated daily

  Instructions on how to undergo a simple self-test with five questions prior to leaving for work

  Principles are to be followed by employees in Production and Logistics

  Information on the offices’ work organisation

  Instructions: how to wash your hands, handle protective equipment and follow technical measures

  A set of cards with measures responding to specific situations. They specify what to observe when eating, how to deal with attendance records, which measures apply to external companies, etc.

  See the signpost to security measures against Covid-19

  Where to get for information

  In the weekly Týdeník magazine, on leaflets and on noticeboards

  Additionally, managers and foremen will inform their teams and draw their attention to specific measures applicable to specific departments

  In addition to the ŠKODA Space portal (www.skodaspace.cz), you can continuously monitor up-to-date information on modified measures via other Internal Communication channels.

  Furthermore, you can still e-mail questions about the current situation with “Extraordinary situation” in the subject line to interni.komunikace@skoda-auto.cz

  The Vimeo Internal Communication channel shows you how to use protective equipment

• ŠKODA EMPLOYEES HELP

  ŠKODA employees help

  Together, we’ll get it done

  The carmaker and its employees are actively helping to fight the coronavirus pandemic 

   espite the measures designed to limited the spread of the Covid-19 disease, as well as the production shutdown, life at the carmaker certainly did not stop. Thanks to the dedicated commitment of many Škodovians, the #SKODAAUTOpomaha aid programme was launched. It provides support to healthcare professionals and people in need contributing to resolving the situation in the regions around the carmaker’s plants. In addition to organised assistance, however, a large portion of the employees were also involved in spontaneous activities.

  It is a great boost for people these days that perhaps our most important company thinks of us in this way. The rented car helped us, for example, with the delivery of face masks and other goods to our clients.

  Jan Šlosárek

  Head of the NAUTIS Personal Assistance and Sheltered Housing Centre

  During the pandemic, mobility is crucial. Consequently, in cooperation with the KOVO trade union, the carmaker decided to take the extraordinary step of donating 100 OCTAVIA cars worth CZK 85 million to organisations that help people. “We rely on fast, uncomplicated and efficient help. We support everyone who now depends mainly on field services”, said Bernhard Maier, Chairman of the Board. For example, hospitals, social services and facilities caring for the elderly can apply for these cars. ŠKODA AUTO has also lent an extensive fleet of 200 cars to non-governmental organisations, municipalities and volunteers, who are using them, for example, to transport food and medical supplies. The HoppyGo platform, established by the ŠKODA AUTO DigiLab innovation centre, is taking care of fleet management, including special insurance and thorough cleaning. It is linked to the BeRider project of shared electric scooters, which also serve to help. They can make life in Prague a little easier for doctors and paramedics, who now have 150 scooters available to use for free.

  These projects would not have been possible without the ŠKODA AUTO DigiLab teams members’ extensive commitment, and many employees from the SR, SG, VT, FIS, GK departments and brand dealers. RED

  10

  million Czech crowns is approximately the amount in immediate support to help people in need in the carmaker’s regions

  37,543

  people received help thanks to the #SKODAAUTOPOMAHA project

  9,822

  deliveries of food and supplies reached people thanks to these cars 

  
  

  100
  

  OCTAVIA cars, worth CZK 85 million, donated by the carmaker to organisations operating in health and social services

  158,366

  respirators and face masks went to those in need and were distributed by rented ŠKODA cars

  
  

  Crisis made people do their best

  Purchasing protective equipment has become a big topic – and not only in the Czech Republic. In collaboration with the SG – Health Services and Ergonomics department, BA/2 Purchasing – Units and Infrastructure demonstrated a huge commitment by succeeding in procuring 3.6 million disposable masks, half a million respirators, 40,000 litres of disinfectant, thousands of dispensers and much more. “In the first phase of the search in entirely unexplored markets, they’ve been working tirelessly at the expense of their families and leisure time”, says Dana Guitti BA/2 regarding her colleagues.

  A task for 3D-printing

  ŠKODA AUTO manufactures BASICS for high-end respirators and protective shields

   hanks to 3D printing technology, the carmaker has made use of its employees’ know-how in Technical Development to produce components for respirators of the highest protection class, FFP3, for hospital staff. The development was managed by the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics at the Czech Technical University (CIIRC), which ŠKODA AUTO also supported financially. The carmaker is one of the few Czech companies with a 3D printer using the Multi Jet Fusion technology, which it commonly uses to produce prototype components of future ŠKODA cars. But now the basic parts for respirators have been the priority. Printing one batch takes 16 hours. “Everything was fine-tuned so that the masks were as close to each other in the printing set as possible without interfering with each other and to make printing as efficient as possible”, says Martin Sova, coordinator of plastics production and of the 3D Printing Competence Centre at the Prototype Construction department. At present, ŠKODA AUTO is able to produce 65 units per day. Next, they still need to be assembled with components from other suppliers, whose collection the carmaker is also handling. The distribution is then organised by the Ministry of Health.  

  The printing method makes it possible for the material being formed to be homogeneous so that it does not have distinct layers and is not porous. This is a basic

  prerequisite for keeping it virus-free and easily disinfecting it.

  David Vaněk

  Head of EGV – Prototype Build and Model Making

  How the shields were created

  Technical Development’s (EGV/2) 3D Printing Competence Centre has also been used in the production of transparent protective shields. The Brand Management (PS), Brand Planning (PP) and Vehicle Production (PF) departments, as well as the ŠKODA Academy (SE), including its apprentices, have joined forces. First, it was necessary to establish a list of available 3D printers. After studying the technical documentation, inspired by the Prusa Research shield, the procurement of materials began. It was not enough to have only a 3D-printer cartridge, the so-called filament. It was impossible to finish the assembly without Plexiglas, which was placed on the front of the shields after cutting, and special rubber bands were used to comfortably fit the shield on people’s faces.

  In the last week of March, the first protective shields prototypes were produced in Mladá Boleslav and Kvasiny. After the Easter holidays, the carmaker’s employees had already produced more than 300 pieces. They then travelled to the ŠKODA Polyclinic and Klaudián Hospital in Mladá Boleslav, as well as the town hall and the hospital in Rychnov nad Kněžnou. Jana Polášek Filová

  Face shield in a few minutes

  Indian colleagues from the ŠKODA AUTO Volkswagen India Private Limited plant in Pune came up with an easy way to make face shields for local medical professionals who also need to prevent a coronavirus infection. All you need is a transparent foil, double-sided adhesive tape, a rubber band, a foam sponge and pads. It is just manual work assembling the device. They managed to produce between 150 and 200 units per day at the plant. The shields made at the Pune plant have been approved by the local Sassoon General Hospital. 

  We sew face masks

  Škodovians are proving that they not only have dexterous hands when making cars but are also talented sewers 

  whole range of employees started manufacturing face masks made from fabric not only for themselves and their loved ones but also for many other people in need. For example, home manufacturing was started by Jaroslav Burda, who works as a coordinator within the logistics system in the PLL-S/1 department. “We live in the Prague district of Holešovice. When the crisis started, our town hall asked citizens for help with sewing face masks, especially for the local care centre and the paramedics from the local polyclinic”, he says. Jaroslav and his wife turned on the sewing machine and picked up the raw material at City Hall. Their daughter, whose new year’s resolution had been to learn to sew on a sewing machine, also got to work doing exactly that. “Our daughter is very handy. It didn’t take long for her to learn how to sew. Gradually, we find more efficient cutting or sewing procedures, so the work will proceed faster and faster. But it’s tiring, and our muscles hurt, even some of those we had been barely aware of”, says Jaroslav. They believe that their work makes great sense and may save someone’s life. 

  Similar efforts are made by the family of Helena Gruškovská from the PFK-I – Internal Logistics department in Kvasiny. Face masks are sewn for the Karlov Therapeutic Community, which provides help to people recovering from addiction. “We chose them because young people also need help”, explains Helena.

  Admirable deployment

  Countless other Škodovians sat behind sewing machines, groping threads and fabric. They were organised thanks to, among others, the “Roušky pro Mladoboleslavsko” (Masks for the Mladá Boleslav region) initiative that Martin Netušil started on Facebook on 13 March. “This group is sewing and distributing face masks where urgently needed. Within a short amount of time, we’ve managed to supply enough to all the retirement homes in Mladá Boleslav, almost all the departments of Klaudián Hospital, children’s homes, shelters, dormitories and other organisations required for the city to run smoothly. We’ve already distributed several hundreds of homemade face masks to pharmacies and are prioritising pensioners. We’re gladly welcoming any other volunteers who wish to join us”, said Jana Szabóová from the PLD/5 – Metal Products I Disposition department, who actively joined the group.

  Martin Jílek (PFK-I), a logistics operator in Kvasiny, is also helping, along with his whole family and his friends. “My sister, mother and wife wanted to sew face masks for the public. I’ve been instructed to cut the fabric. My sister is a seamstress and does a very good job indeed”, says Jílek. The municipal office has helped to distribute the masks. As commander of the municipal fire brigade, Jílek has also volunteered to help supply the region with medical and disinfectant products and participates in activities to disinfect public spaces, like bus stops and playgrounds. RED

  VILÉM NÁJEMNÍK

  SE – ŠKODA Academy 

  On the day our plants closed, we met in front of a sewing machine and made 50 face masks for nurses at the Nymburk Hospital. Petr Voleník (PFS – Car Production Management) has been continuously innovating the production process while designing and cutting parts. I supported the training and human resources, provided for the production of additional components and the preparation of parts for assembly. José Figueiredo (BI/3 – Door Panels and Interior Cladding Parts) took care of cost optimisation and sat behind the sewing machine, where he covered the final assembly. At the end of the production process, there was a quality control point and, when necessary, Tereza Fabiánková redid the items. In a few hours, we were done with everything. The next day, nurses picked up this package with enormous gratitude.

  Do you want to join?  

  Information on where face masks are needed and how to get material to sew them can be found, for example, in the Facebook group “Roušky pro Mladoboleslavsko” (Masks for the Mladá Boleslav region).
  

  Trainees also joined

  A total of 6,000 disposable face masks were made at the end of March by a group of volunteers in Brandýs nad Labem, including 15 ŠKODA AUTO trainees. Nanofabric remainders from industrial production, rubber on a spool and office staplers were all they needed. The city then distributed the masks where needed.

  Support paramedics

  You can also provide financial help to support the fight on the front lines against coronavirus in the Mladá Boleslav, Kvasiny and Vrchlabí regions. At the request of ŠKODA AUTO, the Nadace rozvoje občanské společnosti (NROS) (Civil Society Development Foundation) opened a charity account for a one-off employee collection called “Pomoc zdravotníkům v boji s Covid-19” (Helping Healthcare Professionals in the Fight against Covid-19). The collection is supported by the company’s management and the KOVO trade union.

  The money can be transferred to a transparent account at the Česká spořitelna bank, account no. 8610022/0800

  You can also contribute with a one-time deduction from your salary using the @SMART Zaměstnanecké sbírky App (Employee Collection)

  The carmaker will double contributions up to CZK 500,000

  The collection will run until 31 May

  Donations will be used in the hospitals in Mladá Boleslav, Rychnov nad Kněžnou and Semily to purchase protective aids and medical equipment

• THINK DIGITALLY

  Until we find a solution 

  High-intensity workshops improve processes across ŠKODA 

   nvolving fresh heads to look for novel methods is one of the options to implement innovations faster and more efficiently. Application developers often resort to hackathons, which are sessions in which small teams of programmers and experts get together to look for and find solutions to various problems. The SVP team (ŠKODA Verbesserungsprozess) and GGS – Innovation Management used this concept as a source of inspiration to demonstrate the usefulness of hackathons for ŠKODA AUTO. “Generally, hackathons are seen as a tool used more or less exclusively by IT experts, but they can be useful in many other contexts and in basically any area of focus”, says Lenka France, SVP Expert at FCM – Controlling Methodology and New Projects. 

  The first event of this kind was a workshop designed to analyse financial differences between forecasts and reality. The objective was to set up the process methodology while creating a tool to calculate such deviations: These data are essential in the result management process, where a complex algorithm reflects a variety of overlapping impacts. 

  Production & Logistics was assisted by a data hackathon of the PSZ department to identify and eliminate duplicates in consumable material warehouses. “Our ambition was to identify the existing ones while preventing further occurrences. We found a solution that we are going to integrate into standard processes. We identified a total of 18,000 duplicate items through this project”, says Kiril Ribarov of the GGS department. 

  Division G held a product hackathon whose main focus was Simply Clever connectivity, electric mobility and user-vehicle interactions. Attended by, among others, university students, the event produced five ideas that made it as far as the feasibility study stage, including a project of predictive maintenance based on on-board sound analyses, owner-personalised ideas on how to kill time while their electric car is being charged, etc. ŠTĚPÁN VORLÍČEK

  Important source of information
  

  Friday, 3 April, saw the end of the Employee Portal and its replacement with ŠKODA Space. The benefits of the new solution became obvious right at the start of the production shutdown: ŠKODA Space is accessible to all employees from their own devices, wherever they are. “We continuously assess feedback received from employees: They have no doubt noticed the new homepage layout, including the resized teaser, the improved shifting functionality and the portlets on the right-hand side”, says Martin Šedivý of SB/4 – HR Digitisation and System Support. His team is now working on document/form search improvements and adaptations aimed at increasing the number of favourite apps and the number of items displayed in the My Tasks portlet.
  

  Effective also remotely

  The volume of work from home has increased dramatically during the production shutdown, and the InnoTeam had made use of their vast experience to put together a summary of useful apps, tips and tricks to make your home office work a lot easier. 

  You can find practical information about working from home at ŠKODA Space

  @SMART Apps

  Familiarise yourself quickly and easily with internally used abbreviations and check the validity of qualifications and the competence of your team members. 
  

  Systemic qualification search engine

  Designed to make it easier for superiors to check their subordinates’ qualifications, this tool uses the latest data from SAP and other HR applications. To access this app, go to Online Management. The system shows the current structure. Select the business unit for which you want to display the report concerned; then you can access either the Qualifications Validity Overview or the Qualifications and Competences Summary. The app warns you three months before any qualification approaches the end of validity and the respective employee needs to be trained accordingly.
  

  Glossary
  

  This new app will help you to find your way through abbreviations such as MOAP, A-NE, STC and many more – it is accessible by all employees who use company smartphones, as well as those who are part of the BYOD programme (Bring Your Own Device). “The version for iOS devices is downloadable from Apps@SKODA, the Android one from ŠKODA’s Play Store, subject to having a phone migrated to Android Enterprise”, says Petr Hložek of GMP/1 – Market and Business Intelligence. The app makes it possible to share abbreviations via e-mail, create lists of favourites and use a special feature through which you can take a picture of some text or image with your phone; the app then finds abbreviations automatically.
  

• NEW MODEL

  NEW MODEL

  A ramp-up full of challenges

  The new OCTAVIA is ŠKODA AUTO’s most comprehensive car to date

  roduction of the second car body version of the new-generation OCTAVIA already began before the shutdown that was implemented to combat the spread of coronavirus. The liftback complemented the estate version, which, thanks to its widespread popularity, was given priority at the SoP for the first time in history since the brand joined the VW Group. The first series-production car already rolled off the line in Shop M13 on 28 November last year, and the production of the liftback started there in early March.  

  According to Petr Kuba, Head of PA – Ramp-up Management, the launch of the fourth-generation OCTAVIA has been the biggest challenge for many departments until now. “It’s a very diverse car; it has the most derivatives, equipment sets and drive types of all the ŠKODA models”, he explains.  

  We are all used to having smart phones and consider push-button phones a retro experience; this is why the OCTAVIA has also replaced the buttons and their panel with a modern touch screen.

  PETR KUBA 

  PA – Ramp-up Management

  While the OCTAVIA has been using petrol, CNG and diesel engines, the new generation has added the plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid. On top of that, there are also several variants, which again increased production complexity. “The support provided by Technical Development played an extremely important role”, explains Martina Wagnerová from PAC – COMPACT Project Ramp-up Management, adding that when the model was entering production, everyone encountered a number of situations and solutions they had not known before. One of these was the completely new and permanently connected infotainment with full touch screen, as well as an affluent set of assistance systems. These devices place completely new demands on our assembly procedures and employees’ experience on the line. “The OCTAVIA is now a standalone smart product that takes care of your safety and keeps you informed and in maximum comfort”, says Pavel Ševela, Head of PAC – COMPACT Project Ramp-up Management.

  The model started production while the lines were running. New equipment was installed, and employees were trained over weekends and during planned shutdowns. Everything had to be carefully coordinated and planned during the production of prototypes and pre-series cars, also because some pressed parts were shipped to the Czech Republic from South Korea. Despite the model’s significantly greater complexity, the full SoP and market launches of all variants will take place at about the same rate as the previous generation. Luděk Vokáč

• Sales promotion

  Sales promotion

  Journalists behind the wheel

  Even during the pandemic, the carmaker cannot neglect the important sales promotion for the new OCTAVIA

  lthough the planned international presentation in Crete was thwarted by current restrictions, the new release was tried out for the first time by journalists – at home and under strict safety measures. Over three days in late March, the new OCTAVIA was tested by four dozen Czech editorial staffs. Each was given the opportunity to borrow the model for one day and test it at their discretion. The car handover took place with stricter sanitary measures than usual. “In addition to the usual thorough cleaning, each handover also included ozone disinfection, which removes 99 percent of viruses in the car and its HVAC system”, says Petr Kavrentzis from GKP – Product Communication, who was in charge of the organising. Summarising their impression, Pavel Jína, PR Manager at ŠKODA AUTO Czech Republic, said, “The first reactions of the professional public have been excellent. The journalists appreciated the opportunity to try out the car on routes that they know well, and they praised the new model for its overall high level of comfort and sophisticated technology.” RED

  10,000

  km covered by the journalists with borrowed OCTAVIA cars

  600

  km covered by the journalists with borrowed OCTAVIA cars

• How it works

  how it works

  Against the wind

  How the champion was tuned in terms of aerodynamics

  he fourth-generation ŠKODA OCTAVIA boasts perfect aerodynamics – the air resistance coefficient (Cd) is 0.24 for the liftback and 0.26 for the estate, which places her among the top in the world. It is the result of long development and tuning, as well as intensive cooperation between the aerodynamics team and many other departments inside Technical Development. Luděk Vokáč
  

• 100 days later

  100 days later

  Alois Kauer 

  Head of SE – ŠKODA Academy

  You came from Volkswagen Slovakia’s production plant in Bratislava. What was your job there? 

  I created and then managed the Organisational Development department for five years. The experience I gained will definitely be useful at ŠKODA AUTO.

  You also worked at the Audi Academy. How does it compare with the Czech facility? 

  In terms of content, they are very similar in many respects, although they still differ. They can learn a lot from each other, so I am trying to establish close cooperation. I think the ŠKODA Academy has a great advantage in its secondary vocational school (VSME).

  How did you spend your first days and weeks in Mladá Boleslav? 

  I got acquainted with the environment of the ŠKODA Academy and my new job before I started work, so the integration was quick and intensive. My experience so far has been very positive. I lead a strong team that is working on many interesting projects, not only related to education. 

  The automotive industry is changing. How does it affect education? 

  The demands on every employee have increased because of enormous changes. The role of the ŠKODA Academy is clear in this respect. It is about continuing to offer the upskilling of employees in accordance with the carmaker’s strategy and to support innovative ways of thinking, as well as developing the corporate culture and personal growth. It is not enough to keep up with the times – we need to be one step ahead!

  On what pillars do you want to build education at the ŠKODA Academy?

  I believe that the key to success is cooperation between people from different areas. Joint results bring joy. Enthusiastic and inquisitive people with open minds learn because they are interested and take initiative. They then find it easier to acquire skills and knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to start working with the young generation and to develop their interest in acquiring new knowledge, which will result in a desire to learn throughout their lives. red

• Green Future

  We’re helping to slow down global warming

  Central Technical Service puts a couple of eco-friendly boilers into operation in the Kvasiny Paint Shop

  hanks to modern technologies in the Paint Shop, the PSZ – Central Technical Service department contributes to lowering the production of CO2 and other harmful substances in the Kvasiny plant, bringing the carmaker closer to its goal of carbon-neutral production. Emission reduction and financial savings come from two newly installed burners that are part of the thermal emission control device, replacing the original ones that had been in continuous operation for 18 years. Specifically, they are thermal afterburners (TNV), which are used for the afterburning of VOC emissions. The resulting hot air is used to heat car bodies. “Their proper functioning ensures that the lines are working and the entire Paint Shop is running”, explains Lukáš Bartoš from PSZ. The Paint Shop depends on heat from the afterburners and cannot afford an interruption. It is the most critical bottleneck in production, and if stopped, the entire factory production will cease very quickly.

  To move the equipment to the Paint Shop building through the roof was a challenge even for seasoned crane operators. Because of the limited open space, the precision required was a matter of centimetres. 

  “The planning regarding future replacements took over a year. We had to prepare each step in meticulous detail so that everything went according to plan. The whole process could be described in three fundamental stages: preparing the space (we chose a completely new location for the electrodisposition afterburners), moving the equipment to the building (which, among other things, made it necessary to open the roof structure in order to bring it in) and connecting and commissioning the equipment”, describes Bartoš. 

  One burner instead of two

  In cooperation with local maintenance services, the PSZ department managed to install more efficient devices. The innovation made it possible to shut down the existing pre-electrodisposition (ED) oven, creating a modern shop floor with the most significant change on the ED coating line, where the device can do with just one burner. In the original boiler, one burner was used to heat the air for the pre-oven space, which prevents thermal shocks, and the other prepared the air for a higher temperature for the actual oven. Today, different temperatures are provided by the exchanger, which increases the overall operation efficiency. “We will see tangible savings only after a year”, Bartoš explains, adding that the expected reduction in gas and electricity consumption is already significant. Luděk Vokáč

  99 %

  THERMAL AFTERBURNERS (TNV) reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions with an efficiency of up to 99%

  
  

  980

  car bodies a day is the capacity of the Kvasiny Paint Shop, where the PAINT IS APPLIED TO THE SUPERB, KODIAQ, KAROQ and Seat Ateca models

  Darkness over gold

  Mladá Boleslav plant successfully fights light pollution

  sky full of stars is an amazing but increasingly rare sight. Just a few decades ago, over 3,000 stars were usually visible on a moonless night. Today, you can hardly make out 400 on a city’s outskirts. The reason is an effect called light pollution. Its rate is determined by the nine-level Bortle scale. One means perfect darkness – not just stars but also distant galaxies can be seen with the naked eye. At the opposite end, nine is common in the centre of Prague and elsewhere – the sky is so bright that a less experienced eye would not even recognise well-known constellations. We no longer experience level one in the Czech Republic today. Most of the territory is at a five and higher. However, there are three exceptions where it is possible to observe astronomical phenomena. The nearest one is located near Jizerka, a settlement in the Jizera Mountains.  

  The largest sources of light pollution are unshielded street lamps. Illuminated buildings at a wrong angle and advertising and entertainment lighting also contribute to the pollution. And as any other kind of pollution, the light pollution is bad for your health: You sleep less well, you are prone to depression, and research has also shown that it has an influence on obesity. Therefore, at selected locations in the Mladá Boleslav plant, the PSZ/4 – Service and Infrastructure Operation department has replaced a total of 148 old and unsuitable street lamps with new LED lights that do not disturb. The new lamps are used at the M1 test track, on the main street nicknamed Václavák in the old plant and on some roads, such as at Rolnická škola. The replacement has not only decreased light pollution but also saved about 30 percent of electric power, almost 80 MWh a year. Veronika Hrnčířová, Jiří Kvasnička

• INOVATIONS

  inovations

  NO PROGRESS WITHOUT COURAGE

  The carmaker’s employees have the potential to show more.

  his was clear from our second Innovation Mindset Index (IMX) measurement, conducted in January and February this year. The overall IMX, which follows four main indicators (open-mindedness, speed, mutual cooperation and courage), has increased by 0.5 percent to 55.2 percent. “It is our duty, and an action plan at the same time, to be a positive role model. The more challenging the times, the more we need good examples to follow, easy cross-area cooperation and the courage to do new things”, stated Kiril Ribarov of GGS – Business Strategy and Innovation Management. He is the innovation manager for the P area and led the IMX survey. In total, from among all the non-direct personnel and foremen, 5,634 people participated in the survey, which is 46% of all those invited.

  How to create an innovative and more creative climate

  Know your active innovators, personally dedicate your time to them and visibly support their work

  Compliment success. Accept failure and learn from it

  Show your innovation results outside your units as well

  Define and communicate about your innovation opportunities

  Create space for new ideas and use helpful InnoTeam tools

  Start using digital tools and apps

  Login to the IdeaSpace portal and see the IMX results summary

• Roušky – fotogalerie

  A number of Škodovians spontaneously started producing face masks from day one.

  
  

  The logistics system coordinator from the PLL-S/1 department, Jaroslav Burda, involved his wife and daughter in the work.

  In many households, this meant pulling out sewing machines after many years.

  
  

  Face masks for paramedics, retirement homes and many others could be made at home in large quantities.

  
  

  For example, Helena Gruškovská from the PFK-I – Internal Logistics Kvasiny department supplied the Karlov Therapeutic Community.

  
  

  The distribution and retrieval of material is handled by domestic producers via the “Roušky pro Mladoboleslavsko” group on Facebook.

  
  

• 3D tisk – fotogalerie

  ŠKODA AUTO operates a unique printer with the Multi Jet Fusion function. As a result, it can supply frames for respirators of the highest protection class, FFP3.

  It takes 16 hours to print one set containing 65 masks.

   David Vaněk from the EGV department – Prototype Build and Model Making, has handed over respirators to Karel Podhola, the head of ORL of Klaudianova hospital.

  The hospital staff were very pleased with the protective equipment.

  
  

  In addition to respirators, there were also face shields, whose components were created through 3D printing thanks to the carmaker’s operations.

  
  

  ŠKODA AUTO experts used the Prusa Research model for the shields.

  
  

• Škodováci pomáhají – fotogalerie

  More than 200 rented ŠKODA cars have helped with the delivery of food, stocks and protective equipment to people in need.

  
  

  The car has done a great service to the Sue Ryder organisation, which supports seniors.

  
  

  The carmaker has decided to donate 100 OCTAVIAs to organisations in health and social services.

  
  

  Catering company Aramark has also joined in. In Kvasiny and Rychnov nad Kněžnou, it donated 250 kg of food to social organisations.

  
  

  The carmaker has also prepared a number of humanitarian activities in India, where, for example, it produces face shields for paramedics.

• GreenFuture – fotogalerie

  The device arrives at the Kvasiny plant from Leer, Germany, about 850 kilome-tres away.

  
  

  Technicians have to lower the bulky equipment through the roof into the Paint Shop.

  
  

  Not only the installation but also pipes and other equipment are a challenge. 

  
  

  In order for the crane to anchor the boilers in the building, part of the roof needs to be removed. 

  
  

  Following the successful installation of the equipment, the service team repairs the roof. 

  
  

  Done. This is what the mounted device looks like after final cleaning.

  
  

  And here we are only waiting for the first lighting of the flame.

  
  

• Vyroba komponentů – fotogalerie

  Pracoviště dispečerů útvaru PKL/12 – Řízení výroby

  Grafické rozhraní nové aplikace PUUi

• Inovace – fatogalerie

  Ukázka rapid prototypingu pomocí 3D tisku v praxi 

  Na Dni otevřených dveří InIn si zaměstnanci vyzkoušeli představení prvků vozu pomocí QR kódů

  Na pravidelných setkáních týmů si často pomáhají kolegové napříč projekty

• Jak to chodí – fotogalerie

   The development of a new car’s aerodynamics begins with studies that propose measures to improve that model’s features. The core work initially takes place in the virtual environment of simulation programs assisted by CFD (computational fluid dynamics, which examines the flow – ed.). “We do around 80 percent of our work with this method. Thanks to its accuracy, we make important decisions based on the simulation results”, says Pavla Polická from EBW – Aerodynamics.

   One of the proposed measures involved using an active aerodynamic element – the so-called cooling blinds. Its wide application was used on the OCTAVIA for the first time. “It is a very demanding solution, which we developed from the beginning in cooperation with engine specialists”, says Vojtěch Hudeček on behalf of the aerodynamics development team. The four plates can close air access to the lower part of the radiator and, thus, improve the air flowing around. “The solution saves emissions, as well as our customers’ money”, he adds.

  
  

   Quite early on, at the stage when a number of other simulations are still underway, full-size models start to be measured. They are made of foam, from which the shape of the car body is milled. However, it is important that, for example, the engine compartment is fully engineered, as it has a significant effect on aerodynamics.

  
  

   Aerodynamic forces in the vehicle’s rear are not only affected by the design of that specific part. Everything is related to everything, so some effects from the front can have a negative effect only in the back. “Although two different teams participated in the OCTAVIA liftback and estate models, they had to work together so that their requirements in certain parts of the body did not damage the other body variant”, say team leaders Vojtěch Jakubec and Vojtěch Hudeček. The result of the cooperation is obvious: Both body variants are aerodynamically excellent.

  
  

   Wheels are also a kind of rocket science. “In cooperation with the design team, we’ve ensured that they are both aerodynamic and beautiful”, says Jakubec, giving a compliment. In addition to CFD simulations, ŠKODA AUTO also uses a unique technological solution in wheel development, which allows various wheel shapes made with 3D printing to be quickly tested in the wind tunnel. Vehicle properties are influenced by every design element, even the rim size. Owing to emission reporting, the WLTP standard then requires that all variants be tested.

  
  

   Complete vehicle prototypes are worked with in one of the last stages of aerodynamics development. One of the things tested in the wind tunnel by using a contrasting colour is the way water runs down the body. It is necessary to make sure that the driver has a good view of the wing mirrors through the side windows.

  
  

   The final work done by the aerodynamics team is usually to take measurements of pre-production cars in the wind tunnel in order to homologate each version. For this purpose, ŠKODA AUTO uses Volkswagen’s and Audi’s tunnels, as well as the tunnel of the University of Stuttgart. 

• Nový Model – Fotogalerie

  Careful manual work is required when gluing the windscreen.

  
  

  Attaching the rear group light to the body is a job for dexterous hands.

  
  

  Not a single insider would call joining the chassis with the unit to the body any-thing other than a wedding.

  
  

  The wheels are also added to the car in Hall M13.

  
  

  Only then do we proceed to assembling the doors.  

  
  

  After assembly, the plate fit has to be checked.

  
  

  This time, the estate is the preferred variant. The ceremonial start of production took place on November 28.

  
  

  The liftback was launched in early March. Production had already begun when coronavirus caused the shutdown. 

  
  

• VZOR

  Sysel při západu slunce na Radouči

  Bedřichov po cestě na přehradu 

  Zima v Arberu

  Přehrada Souš

  Kozí hřbety nad Špindlerovým Mlýnem

  Mléčná dráha nad osadou Jizerka

• Mistrovské rundy

  Mistrovské rundy v hlavním výrobním závodě proběhly 29. ledna

  V Kvasinách se uskutečnila 13. února dvě setkání

  Ve Vrchlabí proběhla runda v tentýž den za účasti vedoucího závodu Dr. Slimáka a vedoucího Výroby komponentů Christiana Bleiela