UK manufacturing has received a huge boost with news that part of BMW Group’s £750M investment plan has been completed at BMW’s UK engine plant at Hams Hall near Birmingham.
The production of new three and four-cylinder engines is already being ramped up on brand-new production lines and more than a million components will be machined at BMW’s UK engine plant for the first time this year as supply extends to other plants in the Group.
BMW boost for Birmingham
- £750M BMW investment strategy;
- Production of next generation engines has started on brand-new facilities in Birmingham;
- The manufacture of machined engine components is to double;
- Number of apprentices has trebled.
The project has ensured the Hams Hall site remains a state-of-the-art facility, capable of producing the next generation of engines and securing a long-term future for the plant and will also see apprenticeships treble.
Hams Hall engines feed into several BMW models including MINI – the new Clubman model goes on sale in just a few weeks’ time, as well as the new BMW 7 Series, also launched this month.
Plant director Markus Fallboehmer says: “The transformation in our plant has been huge. Over the last few years we have completely re-developed our two main production areas and installed over 600 brand-new pieces of equipment and machinery.
“While a high level of technology and automation ensures our plant remains a state-of-the-art facility, the ergonomics of the workstations where we have more manual input have been carefully thought through and adjusted to suit each individual member of the team.
“A large investment has also been made in our workforce via a number of training programmes and opportunities for people to upskill and take on new job roles. We have changed the make-up of our workforce as well with over 100 people securing BMW contracts, some of whom were previously working for us on a temporary basis.
“Looking further ahead to the future, we have trebled the number of apprentices training with us to ensure we have a strong, skilled workforce for many years to come.”
Production of a small number of new engines was first introduced at Hams Hall last year. Three-cylinder BMW TwinPower Turbo technology 1.5-litre petrol engines are hand-built exclusively at Hams Hall on a special production line for the BMW i8, the first purpose-built, plug-in hybrid sports car. This engine has already contributed to a series of award-wins for the revolutionary vehicle as well as two class and an overall win at the International Engine of the Year awards.
To get a glimpse inside the Hams Hall engine plant, tune in to the new BBC2 series ‘Building Cars Live’, presented by James May, Kate Humble and Ant Anstead. The Hams Hall plant is one of the key suppliers to MINI production at the Oxford-based vehicle manufacturing plant that will feature in the programme this autumn.
