RobbiZ4
⌛ Ignore-Listen-Pfleger ☕
- Registriert
- 21 Juni 2016
- Wagen
- BMW Z4 e89 sDrive30i
Seit 3,5 Jahren bin ich gelegentlich auf der Suche nach dem ersten Besitzer meines Z4.
Via Google bin ich heute auf eine Success Story eines Zuliefers gestoßen, in dem über die Entwicklungsphase des Z4 E89 berichtet wurde. Im Original scheint das ein in Flash erzeugtes Dokument gewesen zu sein. Ich habe nur noch Textfragmente gefunden, sie hier zusammengesetzt und ein wenig korrigiert. Winzige Passagen scheinen zu fehlen.
Ich finde es ganz interessant zu lesen:
(Hinweis 2022: diese Story gibt es zwischenzeitlich als PDF, ist einfacher zu lesen. Nachfolgend jedoch der initial mühsame Weg der Recherche...)
Page 32 in Future by Semcon - 2 2009
text David Wiles
photo Christoph Maderer
bmw z4 – hooked on a feeling It’s no ordinary car, and neither was developing it. The team behind the new BMW Z4 faced extraordinary challenges in order to create the standard by which future projects will be judged.
Page 33 in Future by Semcon - 2 2009
photos
Page 34 in Future by Semcon - 2 2009
that is a conqueror – that can win customers from our competitors. So the new Z4 was to be positioned in another way to its predecessor. The frst Z4 was very sporty, but the new Z4 is also more comfortable – but still highly emotional.” With the concept for the new Z4 established on the drawing board, one of BMW’s frst major decisions, in mid 2006 after concept confrmation and before entering series development, was to bring in an external engineering partner. That partner should take care of the design and development as well as the functional deployment of the body-in-white, doors, faps and bumpers, as well as optimisation of components and some testing, and the management of the series development teams. “We needed a partner with a lot of knowledge of body-in-white development, who could not just work on demand but deliver their own solutions proactively” says Gerhard Schmidmayer.
“We did a benchmark of motion is a word that often crops up in discussions about roadsters. The combination of the wind in your hair and the growl of a straight-six generates a range of sensations: joy, exhilaration, freedom and pride a mong them. However it is not all roadsters that can elicit this magical mix of feelings. To get emotion from a car when you drive it, according to BMW’s Gerhard Schmidmayer, you have to put emotion into it. And that is exactly what happened during the development of the German manufacturer’s new Z4.
“There was this feeling in the whole project team – everyone had this desire to make the best roadster in the world,” he says. “It was a very personal experience for me, and a feeling that I have never had in any other car project.”
With that passion the team created a roadster which has won awards and been hailed by the motoring press – and all in the face of a chain of one-off events during development which could easily have derailed a less driven team.
bmw began production of its first Z4 at its plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina in 2002. Four years later it was followed by a coupe version. At the end of 2008 BMW announced a single model to replace both, the new Z4, which was to be a more grown-up version of its predecessors; “the rebirth of the roadster”, according to the company. It would have better performance but also be more luxurious, with a two-piece retractable hardtop making it both a roadster and a coupe.
“The roadster segment is stable in terms of volumes,” says Gerhard Schmidmayer, the project manager for the Z4s bodywork structure, body-in-white, who has worked at BMW for nearly three decades. “So we needed a care[...]
Page 35 in Future by Semcon - 2 2009
Gerhard schmidmayer age: 52 . Title: project manager for the new BMW Z4 body-in-white. drives: BMW Z4.
Stefan von Czarnecki age: 35. Title: project manager for the BMW Z4 at semcon. drives: bmW 5-series touring.
Page 36 in Future by Semcon - 2 2009
[...] the market and saw that Semcon was the best partner to do this project with.” as a standalone model not interlinked with any other cars in BMW’s line-up, there was more freedom for the new Z4 team than if they had been working on, say, the 3-Series or 5-Series with their numerous derivatives. But as a roadster there were specifc demands on the project. “You have a very sporty and high performance car so you need to have a lot of functionality and performance within the body-in-white itself, in terms of body stiffness, torsion and weight,” says Stefan von Czarnecki, Semcon’s project leader for the Z4. “And you also have to have a very high-quality appearance and maximum customer added value in the appearance and the functionality in comparison with competing vehicles.”
Switching from a soft-top to a hardtop cabriolet roof without compromising the classic roadster profle would be a challenge. The chosen solution was a two-piece lightweight aluminium shell which opens and closes within 20 seconds at the touch of a button. “Some of the competitors only achieved this with a high boot lid, but the Z4 was to have a very low, fat boot lid,” says Gerhard Schmidmayer.
“You wouldn’t expect this car to have a hardtop if you saw it open.” The fact that there is no permanent roof to stabilise the car structure was also an issue to solve. “For stabilising the structure you have to increase the stiffness in the lower structure, unlike in a touring or a sedan where you can use it like a tube,” says Gerhard Schmidmayer.
The resulting solution was a basic body-shell which is a full 25 per cent stiffer than on the frst Z4. Achieving this was not just a matter of throwing more bulk into the structure, as that would have a knock-on effect on the all-important handling and performance. “You always need to find the solution which fits the different variables; the cost, the functionality, the weight, and the performance,” says Stefan von Czarnecki. even before semcon got on board, the Z4 project was thrown a curveball. Start of production (SOP) was to be a full seven months earlier than on a standard development project, and the reason was simple: the weather. While most types of car can in theory be launched at any time of year, it makes sense that you want to coordinate the launch of a roadster with the sun coming out. “You need to hit the beginning of the season when people are keen to buy this kind of car and start using it immediately,” says Stefan von Czarnecki. “Entering the programme everyone knew it was going to be a challenging task to meet this schedule.” To do so meant fewer hardware build stages and a reduced number of prototypes but with increased use of virtual development.
“It was very important to get the results earlier so we had to do the development in a highly-effcient way,” says Stefan von Czarnecki. “So we changed the priorities of the open issues. You basically have to do the most important things frst.” a second significant challenge arose in May 2007, about a year into the project, when the decision was taken to switch production from Spartanburg in the US to Regensburg in Germany. The convertible 3-Series was already under production at the German plant and the move was the result of BMW designating Regensburg as its competence centre for cabriolets. In the same way, production of the X3 moved to Spartanburg so that experience and competence in the X range of SUVs could be concentrated at that factory. A different plant means different manufacturers. We needed a car that conquers, that can win over customers from our competitors.” Gerhard Schmidmayer, project manager body-in-white BMW Z4.
Page 37 in Future by Semcon - 2 2009
[...]turing processes, which means changes to the way the structure of the car is designed. “These plants are two different worlds,” says Gerhard Schmidmayer. “They have different assembly processes and different body-in-white processes.”
For example, when designed for production in the US, the front end of the Z4 was assembled on the production line. In Germany, with that plant’s higher degree of automation, the front end was to be preassembled by a supplier and brought complete to the production line. “Also to put a seat into the car is completely different at Spartanburg and Regensburg,” says Gerhard Schmidmayer.
The US plant has a higher level of manual process, while in Germany there is more automation. “So you have adapted to the layout of the production line in Spartanburg and you need to check whether production line in Regensburg is capable of assembling the parts as you have planned, or whether you have to adapt some processes in Regensburg to the car,” says Stefan von Czarnecki. “We had a quite intense shift and quick but sophisticated verifcation of the features of the car and whether they fit the production capabilities.”
Next into the mix was the looming credit crunch and associated global economic downturn, with all that entailed for the automotive industry. “BMW was two steps ahead of other OEMs in recognising the situation before the crisis really kicked in,” says Stefan von Czarnecki. “We had budget restrictions for the project and so decided on which content we could leave out, where we could optimise solutions and look for synergies, and achieve all the targets. But because of our highly-effcient approach and processes we managed to deliver the project within budget – even within the budget reductions. And the end product did not suffer at all as a result.”
budget cuts, shortened time schedules and shifts in production: surely the new Z4 project became a nightmare as start of production neared? Not at all. In fact, the project has become a new benchmark within BMW. At start of production Gerhard Schmidmayer had pinned up a poster in the project area proclaiming the successful status that the project team had achieved: “Imagine it’s SOP and no one has noticed”, it read. “Normally when you are approaching SOP it’s a really stressful time,” says Stefan von Czarnecki. “You have five people sitting around a table, each with a red flag, and each of them is thinking ‘I’m not going to make SOP’, and waiting for someone else to raise their flag frst.”
But that didn’t happen. More than 70 people involved on the body-in-white, of whom 60 working for Semcon; 700 individual parts for Semcon to coordinate, manage, design, maturate; plus a full load of different requirements from legal, performance and dimensional management standpoints. And just as the poster said, SOP passed largely unnoticed. “We had all the problems identifed and under control,” says Gerhard Schmidmayer. “We managed to have this really smooth and professional launch process which no one really recognised. Everybody was surprised when we said: OK, that’s it. Job done.”
That spirit, that emotion which the project team brought with them and infused the Z4 with during 28 months of series development must really have been something. They overcame unexpected challenges and emerged as the standard by which future BMW projects will be judged. Asked if he can describe in more detail exactly what that emotion was, really put his fnger on the feeling which made the Z4 what it is today, Schmidmayer laughs and answers:
“Drive it and you’ll find out!”
shape and design are key factors for a successful roadster. the new BMW Z4 is both sporty and comfortable.
Via Google bin ich heute auf eine Success Story eines Zuliefers gestoßen, in dem über die Entwicklungsphase des Z4 E89 berichtet wurde. Im Original scheint das ein in Flash erzeugtes Dokument gewesen zu sein. Ich habe nur noch Textfragmente gefunden, sie hier zusammengesetzt und ein wenig korrigiert. Winzige Passagen scheinen zu fehlen.
Ich finde es ganz interessant zu lesen:
(Hinweis 2022: diese Story gibt es zwischenzeitlich als PDF, ist einfacher zu lesen. Nachfolgend jedoch der initial mühsame Weg der Recherche...)
Page 32 in Future by Semcon - 2 2009
text David Wiles
photo Christoph Maderer
bmw z4 – hooked on a feeling It’s no ordinary car, and neither was developing it. The team behind the new BMW Z4 faced extraordinary challenges in order to create the standard by which future projects will be judged.
Page 33 in Future by Semcon - 2 2009
photos
Page 34 in Future by Semcon - 2 2009
that is a conqueror – that can win customers from our competitors. So the new Z4 was to be positioned in another way to its predecessor. The frst Z4 was very sporty, but the new Z4 is also more comfortable – but still highly emotional.” With the concept for the new Z4 established on the drawing board, one of BMW’s frst major decisions, in mid 2006 after concept confrmation and before entering series development, was to bring in an external engineering partner. That partner should take care of the design and development as well as the functional deployment of the body-in-white, doors, faps and bumpers, as well as optimisation of components and some testing, and the management of the series development teams. “We needed a partner with a lot of knowledge of body-in-white development, who could not just work on demand but deliver their own solutions proactively” says Gerhard Schmidmayer.
“We did a benchmark of motion is a word that often crops up in discussions about roadsters. The combination of the wind in your hair and the growl of a straight-six generates a range of sensations: joy, exhilaration, freedom and pride a mong them. However it is not all roadsters that can elicit this magical mix of feelings. To get emotion from a car when you drive it, according to BMW’s Gerhard Schmidmayer, you have to put emotion into it. And that is exactly what happened during the development of the German manufacturer’s new Z4.
“There was this feeling in the whole project team – everyone had this desire to make the best roadster in the world,” he says. “It was a very personal experience for me, and a feeling that I have never had in any other car project.”
With that passion the team created a roadster which has won awards and been hailed by the motoring press – and all in the face of a chain of one-off events during development which could easily have derailed a less driven team.
bmw began production of its first Z4 at its plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina in 2002. Four years later it was followed by a coupe version. At the end of 2008 BMW announced a single model to replace both, the new Z4, which was to be a more grown-up version of its predecessors; “the rebirth of the roadster”, according to the company. It would have better performance but also be more luxurious, with a two-piece retractable hardtop making it both a roadster and a coupe.
“The roadster segment is stable in terms of volumes,” says Gerhard Schmidmayer, the project manager for the Z4s bodywork structure, body-in-white, who has worked at BMW for nearly three decades. “So we needed a care[...]
Page 35 in Future by Semcon - 2 2009
Gerhard schmidmayer age: 52 . Title: project manager for the new BMW Z4 body-in-white. drives: BMW Z4.
Stefan von Czarnecki age: 35. Title: project manager for the BMW Z4 at semcon. drives: bmW 5-series touring.
Page 36 in Future by Semcon - 2 2009
[...] the market and saw that Semcon was the best partner to do this project with.” as a standalone model not interlinked with any other cars in BMW’s line-up, there was more freedom for the new Z4 team than if they had been working on, say, the 3-Series or 5-Series with their numerous derivatives. But as a roadster there were specifc demands on the project. “You have a very sporty and high performance car so you need to have a lot of functionality and performance within the body-in-white itself, in terms of body stiffness, torsion and weight,” says Stefan von Czarnecki, Semcon’s project leader for the Z4. “And you also have to have a very high-quality appearance and maximum customer added value in the appearance and the functionality in comparison with competing vehicles.”
Switching from a soft-top to a hardtop cabriolet roof without compromising the classic roadster profle would be a challenge. The chosen solution was a two-piece lightweight aluminium shell which opens and closes within 20 seconds at the touch of a button. “Some of the competitors only achieved this with a high boot lid, but the Z4 was to have a very low, fat boot lid,” says Gerhard Schmidmayer.
“You wouldn’t expect this car to have a hardtop if you saw it open.” The fact that there is no permanent roof to stabilise the car structure was also an issue to solve. “For stabilising the structure you have to increase the stiffness in the lower structure, unlike in a touring or a sedan where you can use it like a tube,” says Gerhard Schmidmayer.
The resulting solution was a basic body-shell which is a full 25 per cent stiffer than on the frst Z4. Achieving this was not just a matter of throwing more bulk into the structure, as that would have a knock-on effect on the all-important handling and performance. “You always need to find the solution which fits the different variables; the cost, the functionality, the weight, and the performance,” says Stefan von Czarnecki. even before semcon got on board, the Z4 project was thrown a curveball. Start of production (SOP) was to be a full seven months earlier than on a standard development project, and the reason was simple: the weather. While most types of car can in theory be launched at any time of year, it makes sense that you want to coordinate the launch of a roadster with the sun coming out. “You need to hit the beginning of the season when people are keen to buy this kind of car and start using it immediately,” says Stefan von Czarnecki. “Entering the programme everyone knew it was going to be a challenging task to meet this schedule.” To do so meant fewer hardware build stages and a reduced number of prototypes but with increased use of virtual development.
“It was very important to get the results earlier so we had to do the development in a highly-effcient way,” says Stefan von Czarnecki. “So we changed the priorities of the open issues. You basically have to do the most important things frst.” a second significant challenge arose in May 2007, about a year into the project, when the decision was taken to switch production from Spartanburg in the US to Regensburg in Germany. The convertible 3-Series was already under production at the German plant and the move was the result of BMW designating Regensburg as its competence centre for cabriolets. In the same way, production of the X3 moved to Spartanburg so that experience and competence in the X range of SUVs could be concentrated at that factory. A different plant means different manufacturers. We needed a car that conquers, that can win over customers from our competitors.” Gerhard Schmidmayer, project manager body-in-white BMW Z4.
Page 37 in Future by Semcon - 2 2009
[...]turing processes, which means changes to the way the structure of the car is designed. “These plants are two different worlds,” says Gerhard Schmidmayer. “They have different assembly processes and different body-in-white processes.”
For example, when designed for production in the US, the front end of the Z4 was assembled on the production line. In Germany, with that plant’s higher degree of automation, the front end was to be preassembled by a supplier and brought complete to the production line. “Also to put a seat into the car is completely different at Spartanburg and Regensburg,” says Gerhard Schmidmayer.
The US plant has a higher level of manual process, while in Germany there is more automation. “So you have adapted to the layout of the production line in Spartanburg and you need to check whether production line in Regensburg is capable of assembling the parts as you have planned, or whether you have to adapt some processes in Regensburg to the car,” says Stefan von Czarnecki. “We had a quite intense shift and quick but sophisticated verifcation of the features of the car and whether they fit the production capabilities.”
Next into the mix was the looming credit crunch and associated global economic downturn, with all that entailed for the automotive industry. “BMW was two steps ahead of other OEMs in recognising the situation before the crisis really kicked in,” says Stefan von Czarnecki. “We had budget restrictions for the project and so decided on which content we could leave out, where we could optimise solutions and look for synergies, and achieve all the targets. But because of our highly-effcient approach and processes we managed to deliver the project within budget – even within the budget reductions. And the end product did not suffer at all as a result.”
budget cuts, shortened time schedules and shifts in production: surely the new Z4 project became a nightmare as start of production neared? Not at all. In fact, the project has become a new benchmark within BMW. At start of production Gerhard Schmidmayer had pinned up a poster in the project area proclaiming the successful status that the project team had achieved: “Imagine it’s SOP and no one has noticed”, it read. “Normally when you are approaching SOP it’s a really stressful time,” says Stefan von Czarnecki. “You have five people sitting around a table, each with a red flag, and each of them is thinking ‘I’m not going to make SOP’, and waiting for someone else to raise their flag frst.”
But that didn’t happen. More than 70 people involved on the body-in-white, of whom 60 working for Semcon; 700 individual parts for Semcon to coordinate, manage, design, maturate; plus a full load of different requirements from legal, performance and dimensional management standpoints. And just as the poster said, SOP passed largely unnoticed. “We had all the problems identifed and under control,” says Gerhard Schmidmayer. “We managed to have this really smooth and professional launch process which no one really recognised. Everybody was surprised when we said: OK, that’s it. Job done.”
That spirit, that emotion which the project team brought with them and infused the Z4 with during 28 months of series development must really have been something. They overcame unexpected challenges and emerged as the standard by which future BMW projects will be judged. Asked if he can describe in more detail exactly what that emotion was, really put his fnger on the feeling which made the Z4 what it is today, Schmidmayer laughs and answers:
“Drive it and you’ll find out!”
shape and design are key factors for a successful roadster. the new BMW Z4 is both sporty and comfortable.
Zuletzt bearbeitet:
