VM Motori: Innovation is the key VM Motori

VM MOTORI: INNOVATION IS THE KEY

VM Motori, a successful joint venture of Fiat and General Motors, is today a global leader in the design, manufacture and sale of diesel engines for a variety of uses.

IN its 65th year of activity, VM Motori is in a steadly growth with 50,000 engines sold last year and a rise of 20 per cent estimated to be achieved by the end of 2012. The story of VM Motori started when two entrepreneurs, Vancini and Martelli, whose initials were used to name the company, decided to set up a company to design and build diesel engines. The company is still situated in Cento, in the heart of Emilia Romagna, Italy.

In 2011 the company became a joint venture shared equally between Fiat and General Motors. “This is a really balanced situation for VM Motori in that both companies have an active interest in the company’s activities on the markets and they give us managerial freedom,” commented Gianluca Benni, Automotive Sales & PM Director. “Today 80 per cent of our turnover derives from the automotive sector and the rest from off-highway engines.

At first production was focused on industrial engines to be used in the marine and agricultural sectors. Starting from 1978, VM Motori developed a new range of turbocharged diesel engines that saw it start to make a name for itself in the automotive sector. Mr Benni

A.C.S.A. STEEL FORGINGS was founded in 1935.

Since the 1960s we are selling closed die hot steel forgings all over the world, with an export share of 70%.

We produce forgings from 0,5 kg to 250 kg using our 10 lines of presses from 1600 tons to 6300 tons, our 3 hot extrusions lines from 400 to 1250 tons for hollow parts with lengths up to 1000 mm and diameter up to 250 mm and our hammer line with power of 25.000 Kgm.

Our products are used in any possible industry sector, such as automotive (transmission and engine parts for cars, commercial vehicles and motorcycles), aeronautical, petrolchemical, oil and gas, wind power, earth movement, agricultural, machinery, and so forth. Wherever there’s a forged part ACSA can be the right supplier.

With the most updated technology (CAE) in our engineering department we can support our customers in their design phase by means of forging simulation which can optimize the forging process and their product. Our tooling department is completely autonomous and equipped with latest generation CNC-machines fully handled by CAD/CAM.

Specifically for engines we produce crankshafts, camshafts, rods, cylinders, counterweights, gears, fl ywheels and countershafts which we deliver to most of the well-known OEMs. We can also supply twisted crankshafts (e.g. for 6, 8, 12 cylinder engines, or others) which grant excellent performance thanks to their proper grainfl ow.

We can certify our products against any regular worldwide standard or also against marine standards.

We are certified ISO TS 16949, ISO 9001, ISO 14000, TUV and Lloyd’s and others. Please refer to our website www.acsa.it for further information. recalled the first achievements of the company, “Our first diesel car engine was designed for Alfa Romeo. We developed a line of 3, 4, 5 and 6 cylinders modular engines. The following two decades saw the company growing through the supply of engines to first-rate companies such as Ford, Rover, Toyota and Opel.” In 1992, VM Motori started a 20-year long prolific collaboration with Chrysler which chose their diesel engines for the Voyager, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee. “Our current most important clients are Chrysler, Jeep, General Motors, London Taxi and Mercury in the marine sector,” added Mr Benni.

A.C.S.A. STEEL FORGINGS SPA Via per Solbiate 43, I-21040 OGGIONA CON SANTO STEFANO (VA) - ITALY Tel: +39.0331.712011 Fax: +39.0331.712055 E-mail: acsa@acsa.it Recent investments and geographical presence

VM engines are turbocharged and intercooled and have electronically controlled direct injection, second-generation common-rail systems. VM Motori’s most recent innovation consists in the V6 3.0L diesel engine. With 250 CV this 3.0L 24 v turbocharged engine leads the way in power, torque (550 Nm @ 1800 rpm), refinement and emissions. It was launched in 2011 and immediately gained huge favour among consumers, buyers and experts in the field. This engine is particularly

flexible in its design and can be tailored to meet each individual client’s requirements. Technical features include a chain-driven, double overhead camshaft with four valves per cylinder, Compact graphite iron block and 2000 bar injection system. Mr Benni talked proudly about the success on the market of the V6 engine, “Eighteen months from the launch on the market, production is still at its maximum with sales higher than our forecast. The V6 diesel engine is fitted on Grand Cherokee and Lancia Thema models. Not only are these vehicles being sold in our traditional European markets, but also in Australia, Korea, Russia and South Africa. Thanks to this success on the international markets, the demand for our products stays high despite the instability of the European market.”

The V6 engine is currently undergoing a further development to meet the stringent US emission regulations and will be launched on the Nafta market by beginning of 2013. The same engine configuration will be capable of meeting the Euro 6 emission limits two years in advance compared to the legal requirement of 2015 thus confirming the continuous company focus on exhaust emissions reductions and environmentally sustainable products.

Apart from the production plant in Cento, where 1100 employees work on the whole production cycle from design and produc-

2.8L I4 200CV 3.0L V6 250CV

tion to sales and customer service assistance, VM Motori has a subsidiary in Detroit, VM North America. “This subsidiary mainly deals with engineering activities, on-site customer support and development of new vehicle applications. There are 25 people directly involved in assisting clients with services such as programme management, and calibration that are carried out at the client’s site ,” explained Mr Benni. “There are also people from our team who look after vehicle production plants in North America. For instance, Cherokee and Wrangler are manufactured in Toledo, Ohio; Grand Cherokee in Detroit and Voyager and Lancia Thema in Canada.”

VM Motori is also present in China, Korea, Thailand and Brazil thanks to specific licence agreements whereby partners produce diesel engines on site. Among them there are Hyundai, General Motors , Weichai and SAIC.

Innovation is the key

“The R&D department is the core of our company. It is one of our main assets. For this reason, even during the tough times that followed the 2009 economic crisis we never stopped investing in researching and developing new solutions. Today’s success is the result of that strategy,” commented Mr Benni. The R&D department counts around 300 specilised technicians and engineers.

An additional winning factor is the company’s ability to adapt to market fluctuations and its ability to respond quickly to market requirements. “From time to time, we make use of external consultancy; however, most of the company’s activity is carried out here in Cento. Having under our immediate control the whole production cycle is a great advantage to us as we can take rapid decisions and respond quickly to market changes,” said Mr Benni. “This ability is fundamental in our field where products become rapidly outdated and thus production times need to be tight. That is why we have reduced our production cycle from four years to less than 24 months.” n