Valeo Factory of the Future 2017

Valeo Factory of the Future 2017

Factories of the Future

Valeo Ghislenghien is one of the model plants of this French car group.

The Belgian branch employs about 900 people who build multifunctional lighting systems with a high added value for the automotive industry. Supported by the strong culture of "lean" production and competitive delivery periods, Valeo set out on the path towards industry 4.0. Among other things, the very fast implementation of collaborative robots and AGVs (automated guided vehicles) on the shop floor and the introduction of electronic work instructions were a big step forward. The company invested heavily in far-reaching automation and full digitalisation of processes. The Kanban system, for instance, was recently replaced by a software that sets priorities digitally.

These transformations resulted in excellent performance, not only in the factory in Ghislenghien, but also within the entire Valeo group. This also means that a number of activities which had been outsourced to suppliers will be returning in-house.