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Audi

Pushing the limits of automotive production

Flawless automation alone was no longer enough. Audi raised the bar with software-defined automation, Industrial AI, and scalable virtualization. The result: an adaptive production that redefines flexibility and pushes automotive production beyond its limits.

Scale smarter, not harder

New functions require new hardware – inefficient, costly, and too rigid for today’s demands. Audi and Siemens developed a virtual PLC that scales with Audi’s needs, plus AI solutions that raise quality and enable the shortest cycle times. With data and AI, Audi gains new insights to optimize both availability and quality. The next step is to deploy these solutions globally.

Taking production to the next level

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Flexibility

The software-driven factory allows Audi to enhance quality, processes, and employee workflows by adding software features. New functions can be integrated during production without exceeding computing power or memory limits.

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Scalability

The Industrial Edge infrastructure supports both virtual PLCs and AI solutions, enabling quick and easy scaling in response to changing demand. Audi can easily deploy these solutions in other factories worldwide.

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Maintainability

The standardized Edge infrastructure makes maintenance and upgrades easier. From a single dashboard, operators can monitor automation on the shop floor and deploy updates centrally.

Bringing IT and OT together

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Automotive AI on the shop floor

Because AI excels at analyzing data in near real time, it can identify defects in car parts much faster than human workers can. Audi uses its own AI models to detect cracks in the press shop and weld splatters in the body shop. The challenge was deploying the AI models on the shop floor in a way that was easy, scalable, and maintainable. Thanks to Industrial Edge and the Industrial AI Suite – which are part of the Siemens Xcelerator open business platform – Audi can use a comprehensive AI infrastructure solution that integrates seamlessly into its automation environment.

Virtualization of automation

Audi aimed to virtualize shop floor automation to accelerate production, increase robustness, and enhance flexibility. The ability to deploy new features onto the shop floor without installing new hardware enables Audi to scale up more quickly and maximize availability. Siemens met these demands with the SIMATIC S7-1500V virtual PLC, the first TÜV-certified virtual fail-safe control system that sets new standards for flexible and safe production. The virtual PLC is hosted in a remote data center while its functions are deployed on the shop floor using Industrial Edge as the infrastructure.

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Automotive smart manufacturing

Automotive manufacturers face pressure to deliver EVs and autonomous vehicles faster while managing complex plants, supply chains, and regulations. Traditional processes can’t keep up. Virtual Manufacturing Engineering enables precise digital planning and validation to cut costs and risks. Rapid Factory Transformation with modular, IT/OT-integrated operations supports EV needs, while an intelligent, closed-loop manufacturing process drives efficiency, availability, and sustainability. In short: The future demands defining, not adapting.

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The convergence of IT and OT is at the heart of the Digital Enterprise. Our vision is to understand physical processes in the digital world.
Dr. Henning Löser, Senior Manager Audi Production Lab, Audi AG