Germany trip- part 3 Audi factory

[Scott=John=Mockry%Mktg%TM@banyan.bv.tek.com]

Hello, the plot thickens--

Eliot was correct about the blue wagon at the Porsche factory, must have 
been the Rs2 Avant. Not the S4 Avant.I left the Porsche factory Wed. at 
noon and drove north to Neckarsulm for the Audi A6 tour.  The A8 and the 
A6 are built here. The Neckarsulm plant has a visitors center (looks like 
a small car dealership) where customers can pick up their new car. Audi 
provides a free lunch and tour to their customers. There was a Quattro 
Boutique gift shop which had various Audi t-shirts, jackets, hats, model 
cars etc. The showroom had one of the A8 aluminum frames displayed with 
some technical details. There was a huge old Audi sedan in the showroom as 
well.

The factory tour was unfortunately given in German so I can only provide 
limited details. The tour group was very large with 25-30 people in 
attendance, many were picking up new cars that day. The guide passed out 
wireless headsets for everyone. The tour started in the body part pressing 
and sheet metal fabrication area.(The BMW tour on Thurs. went through a 
similar metal pressing area and I have more details on the large hydraulic 
presses used).The building was HUGE and the noise was deafening! We walked 
inbetween the large two story hydraulic presses as various body parts were 
being shuffled automatically from one press operation to the next to 
complete each part.The floor was covered with this oily slime that was on 
all the sheet metal parts. 

We then went into the automated welding area which was very fascinating. 
It looked like something out of Star Wars as each body section would 
appear at a station, several robots would swing around and attack with 
their spot welding tongs. We were standing pretty close and several times 
huge sparks came flying by in our direction. It was amazing how fast the 
robots could perform the detailed welding process. The welded sections 
were quickly shuffled to the next station for more parts and welding.  
Behind us were some workers with wire-feed welders tacking certain areas 
of the body as they moved by. I never realized how automated the assembly 
of the body could be. As in all the tours we were not taken into the paint 
area but headed over to the final assembly area. 

The bodies were moving in one direction on a conveyor and next to the body 
the engine/trans with front axles and suspension would head in the 
opposite direction towards the body and at the last minute would make a U 
turn and come underneath the body. It was stuffed in place in a few 
minutes by several workers. I saw a 4 cylinder, then a V6 and finally a  
turbo engine package installed while we were standing there. The headliner 
installation is done automatically in one step. This giant clam shell 
shaped arm would come in through the front windshield area holding the 
headliner with adhesive which it would then press into the roof in less 
than a minute! We saw some ofthe windows and interior parts being 
installed after that. The tour was rather short and ended without seeing 
the final testing of the finished product. The booklet I got from the tour 
shows the vehicles being tested on a dyno after assembly is completed. 
Seeing the whole process gives you a renewed appreciation for what it 
takes to build a car.

We did not see any engine assembly although this might be done in the 
Ingolstadt factory. The other end of the factory has another small 
showroom which has some historic NSU vehicles on display along with an A8 
sedan. Outside in front there is a galvanized V8 body on display 
demonstrating the anti-corrosion properties.

I picked up some AUDI brochures dated from 1/94 to 9/94 at the local 
Seifert VW/Audi dealer and here are the different engines available in the 
A4, Coupe, A6, and the S6. The S2 brochure was dated 1/94 which has the  
Limousine (sedan), Coup'e and Avant (wagon). Is the S2 coupe still 
available???

HP=Horsepower
TDI=Turbo diesel, direct injection
1.9 liter is 4 cylinder diesel
2.5 liter is 5 cylinder diesel
1.8 liter is 4 cylinder
2.6 is V6

9/94 A4(HP)		1.9TDI(90)	1.6(101)	1.8(125)	
			1.8Turbo(150)	2.6(150)	2.8(174)


9/94 A4 Quattro		1.8(125)	1.8Turbo (150)			
			2.6(150)	2.8(174)



7/94 Coupe	2.0(115)	2.6(150)	2.8(174)

7/94 Coupe Quattro		2.6(150)	2.8(174)


5/94 A6 Sedan	1.9TDI(90)	2.5TDI(115)	2.0(101) 	2.0(115)	
		2.6(150)	2.8(174)


5/94 A6 Wagon	1.9TDI(90)	2.5TDI(115)	2.0(115)	2.6(150)	
		2.8(174)
		
5/94 A6 Quattro-Sedan and Wagon		2.6(150)	2.8(174)
							

5/94 S6 Sedan and Wagon		2.226 liter 5cyl(230)	
				4.2 liter V8(290) 
				

1/94 S2 Sedan, Coupe, Wagon	2.226 liter 5cyl(230)


That is all for now. BMW tour is next.
Scott M.