Customer Case Study

Production tooling to Maximise productivity at Stellantis UK

Over 7 years of partnering with 2 of the largest automotive manufacturing plants in the UK to provide production tooling solutions.

About Stellantis

Stellantis Group are the fifth largest vehicle manufacturer in the world, holding a 19% market share globally.

Their 2 UK sites make passenger cars and light commercial vehicles for the domestic and export market.

With an output of over 250,000 vehicles annually and a work force in excess of 2,700 people.

“Abbey have been instrumental in the efficiency and productivity of our production process. Their custom solutions and the team’s collaborative presence on-site have been key to helping us reduce our downtime, lead times and cost per car.”

Gareth Pennington, General Assembly Process Engineer, Vauxhall, Ellesmere Port

The Challenge

Improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the manufacturing process with production tooling solutions

Maintaining productivity is vital at both sites. Just an hour of downtime can cost Stellantis thousands of pounds in lost revenue. Experiencing faulty parts, ageing assets, and long lead times for replacement parts, Vauxhall and IBC needed to act fast to prevent the impact on end-product quality, production costs, and business reputation.

To make every minute count, Vauxhall and IBC needed a partner to resolve production and supply issues within the general assembly and body shop. They brought in the experts at Abbey to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of their manufacturing processes.

Our Approach

1) Problem Solve

Our first step was to address common faults like scratched alloy wheels and door misalignment using production tooling and programming solutions to prevent damage to product quality and the need for rework.

2) Reduce Lead Times

To reduce lead times, Abbey implemented a consignment stock programs for both sites, ensuring a large inventory of over 370 tools and accessories on-site. This has enabled them to quickly access the assets they need without delays.

3) Optimised Solutions

Providing innovative solutions in areas such as electric vehicles and battery production, helps operators stay safe in the evolving motor vehicle industry. We also host innovation days and product demonstrations to ensure all operators have the best practice knowledge to implement these solutions daily.

Conclusion

What began as problem-solving at the time of need soon evolved into an always-on partnership providing custom solutions to complex production problems.

Abbey Industrial Solutions have been a key partner to both sites for over seven years. During this time, our expert team have become an essential part of the supply chain and production process for both companies, helping to keep downtime to a minimum and output to a maximum.