The Mercedes-Benz Trucks production facility in the city of Wörth in Germany’s Rhineland region covers an area of almost three million square metres (740 acres), making it the largest in the Daimler Truck global network and more akin to a mini city than a simple ‘truck factory’.
This largest truck production facility in Europe currently has 11,000 employees comprising of 70 different nationalities working at the site which commenced production of trucks in 1963.
Up to 470 trucks built to customer specifications can leave the Wörth plant per day, commonly at the rate of one new truck every 130 seconds.
To date, more than 4.4 million trucks have been constructed at the plant and one in five current model European trucks of all brands is being manufactured there.
The Mercedes-Benz Actros is the most produced truck model from the plant, and Arocs and Atego trucks are also built at the factory along with the Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks Econic, Unimog and Zetros models.
Series production of the battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros 300/400 models commenced in 2021, followed by the second series electric Mercedes-Benz eEconic municipal trucks in 2022.
The eActros 600 for long-distance transport went into series production in the Wörth facility at the end of November 2024. The production process employed at the plant allows for maximum flexibility accommodating different individual truck models and not just making batches of similar units which is more typical in vehicle production.
Contrary to the astounding rate of finished vehicles each day, human activity on the production line itself does not appear to be frantic. Since production began, in addition to completed trucks, around 790,000 Completely Knocked Down (CKD) vehicle kits have also been shipped to numerous overseas markets for final assembly.
Items ranging from tyres to radios to bolts make up the 550 inbound truck-loads of components which arrive every day and the Wörth plant’s automated component warehouse utilises 12 robotic placement and pick up machines which are 14 metres high and have 150,000 unique parts locations.
Mercedes-Benz Trucks is focusing on electric trucks in its own supply chain and aims to electrify 100 per cent of delivery traffic into the Wörth plant by the end of 2026. Currently, 20 per cent of the deliveries of production materials ordered directly by Daimler Truck have already been electrified.
An integral part of this future concept for inbound logistics using emission-free delivery traffic has been the establishment of a plant-owned charging infrastructure at the Wörth site with eight charging points already installed and operating within the factory precinct.
This in-house charging infrastructure ensures transport companies can charge their electric trucks during waiting and unloading times. The plant has its own harbour facilities on the adjacent Rhine River and its own electricity generating station. The recent installation of extensive photovoltaic systems on the roofs of many of the Worth plant’s buildings is contributing to the ‘green’ power credentials of the overall facility.
The various individual panel components of the cabs are stamped at another Daimler Trucks site and are robotically assembled and welded within the Wörth plant through the use of 240 robots.
During our visit to this section of the facility the almost total absence of any human workers was noticeable until the tour guide explained that it was the morning tea break, something that robots don’t require.
Cathodic immersion priming is the term given to the dunking and rotating of complete cabs in huge tanks of primer paint. The cabin and the paint are given opposing ionic electrical charges, so they are literally attracted to each other.
Once the primer is dry the topcoats are applied using a robotic spray system with a similar opposing electrical charge system that is so efficient only four litres of paint is required per cab.
Mercedes-Benz offers a selection of up to 450 different colours including 40 shades of blue which allows fleets to have their corporate colours applied at the factory. Once welded together and painted each cab is checked for accuracy by cameras using 150 reference points. Should a deviation from specifications be identified it is rectified and then subjected to a further check using lasers scanning 1,000 attributes.
The frame assembly line is one kilometre long and each chassis is pre-marked by lasers so the workers can identify the exact locations where various components are to be mounted, and the markings even determine which bolts are used in the multiple of pre-drilled holes.
The engines are manufactured at the Mercedes-Benz engine plant 60 kilometres away in the city of Mannheim. The drivelines meet the chassis in what is called the ‘Engagement Station’ and the relationship theme is continued at the ‘Wedding Station’ where the cabs are fitted to the now-complete chassis.
As the future for Daimler Trucks is committed to include electrified transport, the company launched the new TruckCharge brand in Europe at the 2024 IAA event, commonly known as the ‘Hanover Truck Show’.
Through TruckCharge, Daimler Trucks is combining its services relating to e-infrastructure and the charging of electric trucks.
The TruckCharge offering covers factors such as consulting, and operation relating to e-infrastructure and the charging of electric trucks throughout Europe in order to make e-mobility simple and profitable for customers beyond the initial purchase of electric trucks.
A new fast-charging park with six additional 400kW charging stations has also been constructed, with the option of adding two more charging stations which meet the requirements for future megawatt charging needs.
The new fast-charging stations are located in the immediate vicinity of the entrance through which delivery traffic enters the Wörth plant and is constructed to appear similar to a traditional service station but, takes into account the additional time required to charge vehicle batteries.
In addition to the TruckCharge charging stations, a new transformer station with an output of 6 megawatts was also built to supply power to the high-performance fast-charging stations. This is connected to the plant network via a new 20,000-volt high-voltage line.
“Changes and challenges have always been taken seriously and mastered in an excellent way at the Wörth plant,” remarked CEO of Mercedes-Benz Trucks Karin Rådström at the plants 60th anniversary in 2023.
“That’s why I’m proud of the plant’s history and look forward to its future with confidence”.
ARTICLE WITH THANKS TO PRIME MOVER MAGAZINE