Volkswagen’s extensive training programs engineered to educate today’s students for tomorrow’s technologies

“We have developed a platform designed specifically for electric cars,” says E-Mobility chief Christian Senger. “The I.D. models will not be combustion engine versions that have been converted; they will be designed to be 100 percent, thoroughbred electric vehicles. And they will be engineered to be online, upgradeable- and update-compatible. We’re making optimal use of the possibilities this technology brings.”

Up to 27 worldwide MEB models are expected to hit the streets by 2022.

“Training has been developed to support the ID line,” Technical Training Manager Dan Planz tells Aftermarket Business World, “and we will eventually include battery repair training in the curriculum. Volkswagen has offered electric vehicle repair training to our technicians for some time in order to service the Volkswagen e-Golf.”

Coordinated at its plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., “Volkswagen has technical training centers around that nation that support Volkswagen dealership employees with technical/sales and aftersales training. We also have a collision training facility that our technician teams can utilize,” he notes.

“Volkswagen does not urge or require prospective technicians attend any specific vocational schools,” says Planz. There are numerous educational institutions throughout the country that offer VW-specific training, some of which are augmented through the “Partners in Education” program that the company rolled out in 2008 with a $2.1-million investment in the region surrounding Washington, D.C.

At the Fairfax County Public Schools, for example, officials point out that the funding and donated vehicles “allows the school system to offer additional relevant, hands-on and timely training for students – something our business community continually tells us it wants.”

An evolving curriculum
Concurrent with the service center aspect is VW’s commitment to emphasizing education within the engineering, design and production development realms, as evidenced by collaborative agreements with Chattanooga State Community College and the local Hamilton County Schools.

The Robotronics Program is a dual-education endeavor that combines vocational classroom education and paid on-the-job training in one course. With a length of two years and an optimized pay scale, the curriculum is based on Industry 4.0 advanced manufacturing principles including robotic technologies, engineering design processes, manufacturing technologies, IT network programming, cyber physical systems and troubleshooting/maintenance.

“As our factory and the product lineup grows and evolves, so does the curriculum for our apprentices. The new program will prepare our apprentices for the future,” says Antonio Pinto, Volkswagen Chattanooga’s president and CEO.

Dr. Bryan Johnson, the Hamilton County Schools’ superintendent, observes that “graduates from this exciting program are on the superhighway to success in additional college training or a career after high school graduation.” Students split their time between traditional classroom learning and the hands-on technical training aspect, remaining attached to their home high schools for sports and social activities.

A transformational era
In September VW became the first automaker to apply the latest 3D printing technology via the “HP Metal Jet” process to simplify and speed up metallic 3D printing on a mass-production scale. Working together with printer manufacturer HP and component manufacturer GKN Powder Metallurgy, “3D printing plays a particularly important role in manufacturing of individual parts,” according to Dr. Martin Goede, head of technology planning and development.

“Automotive production is facing major challenges,” he says. “Our customers are increasingly expecting more personalization options. At the same time, complexity is increasing with the number of new models. That’s why we are relying on state-of-the-art technologies to ensure a smooth and fast production.”

An individual vehicle is produced from 6,000 to 8,000 different parts. Previous 3D printing processes are only applicable for special production of individual parts or prototypes. But now the additive 3D Metal Jet technology enables the production of a large number of parts using 3D printing for the first time – without having to develop and manufacture the corresponding tools.

“That’s why the new HP Metal Jet platform is an important step into the future for us as an automotive manufacturer, but also for the entire industry,” says Goede. “And we look forward to helping shape this development and thus creating further added value for our customers in the future.”

In partnership with HP and GKN, VW is further developing the technology so that design elements can be printed in a small series at first. Beginning in 2019, this will be a prerequisite regarding production of individualized design parts such as tailgate lettering, special gear knobs or keys with personalized lettering for customers without a great deal of effort. These inaugural design elements are to be used to further develop the technology so that the first structural components for mass-production vehicles can be printed within two to three years.

“A complete vehicle will probably not be manufactured by a 3D printer any time soon, but the number and size of parts from the 3D printer will increase significantly,” Goede says. “Our goal is to integrate printed structural parts into the next generation of vehicles as quickly as possible. In the long term, we expect a continuous increase in unit numbers, part sizes and technical requirements – right up to soccer-size parts of over 100,000 units per year.”

The HP Metal Jet system is an additive process in which parts are produced layer by layer using a powder and binder. The component is then “baked” into a metallic component in the so-called sintering process. This differs from previous processes in which powder is melted by means of a laser.

“Volkswagen is driving unprecedented innovation as the automotive industry goes through its most transformational era since cars first rolled off the assembly line,” says Stephen Nigro, president of HP’s 3D Printing division.

“Together we are engineering and testing solutions for mass-customization and the creation of higher-performance, lower-cost functional parts,” he elaborates. “And as electrification ushers in entirely new vehicle architectures, we’re excited to collaborate on future 3D applications such as the lightweighting of fully functional and safety certified metal parts.”