• 1,800 staff manufacturing top-quality product

• Only 4.5 hours assembly time per car

• Approx. 2,500 orders per week

• 35-hour week introduced

Scarcely two years after the innovative MCC plant went on stream, smart production at Hambach in France is at a high level in every regard. More than 400 vehicles are being built every day in a two-shift operation. Following the relaunch of marketing and sales activities in early 1999 incoming orders in the second quarter of 1999 showed a clear increase to 2,500 cars per week. This means that more than 30,000 orders were received for the City-Coupé in the first half of the year, and more than 50,000 in total since the market launch.

The size of the workforce in smartville - as the production plant is called - has also increased. The 35-hour week which was introduced with effect from June 28, 1999 was one of the factors in the six-percent increase in the workforce at MCC and the individual system partners. Some 1,800 workers are currently employed at smartville.

The smart production plant on the Europôle de Sarreguemines industrial estate in France, about 30 kilometers south of Saarbrücken (Germany), is one of the most modern car plants in the world. The plant, which was completed in October 1997, covers an area of 68 hectares. smartville is operated by MCC France SAS, in which DaimlerChrysler AG has a 75 percent holding. The second shareholder is the French state-owned company SOFIREM (Société Financière pour favoriser l'Industrialisation des Régions Minières) with a holding of 25 percent.

Close co-operation with suppliers

The smart's manufacturing process is just as unique as the product itself. The partnership model practised in Hambach embodies the logical development of the conventional manufacturer/supplier relationship. Thus the carmaker bears overall responsibility and is also the module system integrator, process manager and manufacturer. At the same time, however, each system partner also shares a considerable amount of responsibility. The advantage of this modern form of co-operation is that it motivates the partners to contribute to the success and the achievement of the corporate goals by means of their own input and ideas.

System suppliers :

• Magna : Space Frame

• Unipart (Ymos) : Doors

• Surtema (Eisenmann) : Paintshop

• Bosch : Front Powertrain, Breaks, Lights

• Mannesmann VDO : Cockpit

• Dynamit Nobel : Plastic Body Pannels

• Krupp Hoesch : Rear Powertrain

Efficient and quality-conscious production

The production system, known as smart-Plus, is in the shape of a cross. This layout enables maximum flexibility with excellent quality. The smart production system is held in high esteem by relevant experts. Only 4.5 hours are required for the final assembly of a smart. The in-house manufacturing rate is less than six percent - a figure which is unsurpassed in Europe.

The seven autonomous system partners provide 1,100 of the total of 1,800 jobs in smartville. These companies supply their modules which are pre-constructed in Hambach directly to the production line, which substantially shapes the efficiency of the production process and reduces inventory to almost zero. When the plant is operating at full capacity, smartville will provide some 2,300 jobs.

Excellent environmental compatibility

As the world's youngest carmaker, MCC is also setting standards in terms of environmental compatibility at its plant in Hambach. Stringent regulations to protect water, soil, air and the surrounding landscape and also relating to energy saving and the protection of resources have been in force since production started. Environmental protection is also extremely high on the agenda in the development, use and also, ultimately, the recycling of smart cars.