Škoda Auto has inaugurated a new ‘central pilot hall’ at its headquarters in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic. In the development phase of new models, comprehensive analyses will now be carried out here and pre-production cars manufactured. They will be subjected to extensive testing by the Technical Development and Quality Assurance departments prior to the launch of serial production.

The facility, which cost 20.4 million euros, houses a body shop and an assembly shop as well as a measuring centre and a virtual reality studio. It is also future-proofed for the era of electromobility, with charging points and relevant assembly areas including options for testing electrified vehicles.

Dr Michael Oeljeklaus, Škoda Auto board member for production and logistics, said: “The pilot hall will act as an interface between the company’s production and logistics, technical development and quality assurance departments prior to the start of production.

“Here, we will make the necessary preparations to ensure a smooth commencement of serial production of new models. Fitted with ultra-modern equipment, the new central pilot hall offers the ideal prerequisites for carrying out complex analyses, for example, to perform necessary tests and inspections, or to optimise machines and tools before we use them in series production.”

The new facility fitted out with virtual reality devices and 3-D printers, provides Škoda Auto design engineers with their own mini factory. In addition to robot stations where the car bodies are joined, the new facility also houses areas for assembly and final inspection.

Ready for serial production
The equipment and processes are designed in such a way that both vehicles with a combustion engine and partially or fully electric cars can be subjected to all the necessary tests and analyses. As soon as a model meets the stringent quality requirements, it leaves the pilot hall – the vehicle and process are then considered ready for serial production.

The two-storey building on the factory site is 22m high and covers an area of 12,142m² – equivalent to more than 1.5 football pitches. It offers excellent working conditions for the permanently based staff as well as for employees from other departments and visitors. In addition to rooms for meetings and training courses, there are also charging stations for all-electric vehicles. A light tunnel creates the best conditions to present the pre-production vehicles.

In order to be able to use the latest technology for the assembly of pre-production cars in the future, the facility is designed to be retrofitted with flexible robot cabins, for example, if required.

In the 1970s, the building was initially used for the electrogalvanisation of the Škoda 100s bumpers, and later the carmaker used the complex as a warehouse. Now that the conversion, which began in September 2019, has been completed on schedule, the space and much of the building can once again be used more effectively.

The pilot hall also meets the highest standards in terms of energy efficiency. The exterior walls have been thermally insulated and Škoda Auto uses LED technology for the lighting of the entire building, while solar panels can also be installed.