Volkswagen Group South Africa's (VWSA’s) 500 000th EA111 engine has rolled off the engine plant production line, marking the two-millionth engine produced at the manufacturer’s Uitenhage facility.

Production of the EA111 engine, which is used locally in the Volkswagen Polo and Polo Vivo models, began in 2010 with the engine plant producing 89 000 engines a year.

Following an overhaul of the plant’s production capacity last year in response to increased demand from China, VWSA has increased engine production to 175 000 a year.

“Of the 175 000 engines [to be] produced this year, 77% are targeted for export to international markets,” said VWSA engine plant head Richard Reid.

“Our international customers include manufacturing factories in China, India, Malaysia, Taiwan and Mexico.”

He added that, among the new technologies to be introduced on the production line to handle the increased capacity, was a testing facility, which ensured that each engine was fully proof-tested before leaving the line.

The proof-testing process includes leak, cold and electro-check testing. The cold test involves a dynamic test that turns the engine at 2 000 rpm.

“This technology replaced the old hot testing procedure, which involved every engine being taken off the line to separate testing facilities. The hot test process was time consuming, as it took nearly 15 minutes to test each engine. It was also costly as it involved testing the running of the engine with fuel and water,” Reid explained.

Another development was the introduction of interactive machinery, which assisted the operators by guiding them with instructions via a screen that was connected to the electronic bolting equipment.

The company believed that the assembly line, which now boasted the latest block machining centres and highly trained employees, ensured that the highest quality standards were maintained.

“These improvements have enabled us to produce an engine every two minutes. The introduction of the new technology and enhancement of our production processes has ensured that we continually improve our products for both the local and international markets,” VWSA MD David Powels commented.