BMW-Z4

BMW Z4



Engine Casting & Assembly

Landshut Germany.

Engine Animation. "Inline 6 Engine"  Most of manufacturers built V6 Engine.

Engine Block

Liquid Aluminium

Inner Cylinder Head.
Deep inside the casting machine, the liquid aluminium was injected into the mold.

Aluminium (Water Cooling) and Magnesium (Oil Cooling)

Notice the different color of inner alloy is aluminium and outer alloy is magnesium.
Water ran and surrounded the outside piston.
Outside the aluminium, the square shape is for oil cooling.

Magnesium is harmless, as it stayed in solid bar.
After dropped magnesium into the oven, it became fire hazard.

Robot loaded it into fifty-eight ton airtight mold.

Inject Magnesium and surrounded the center aluminium engine block.

Finish engine block

Ship the finish engine block to BMW Munich

BMW Headquarter.
It's fitting design, because what happened in a massive plant complex behind
the office building.

Cross Section Engine

The layout of BMW

Robot installed the crankshaft.

Install Crankcase Cover.
Note that this engine is different from other engines, because it has two crank case cover.

Install the piston and connecting rod.

Install the Wrist Pin and Connecting Rod. 

Install the piston into the engine block.

Cold Test. The engine was cranked by external electrical motor and checked mechanical
system and sensors.

Install Exhaust Pipe.

Just Robot. Robot can do everything!!!!!!

Industry Revolution. We called this Mass Production.
The scene resembles the fictional movie space. A little surreal!! 

Ship the engine form Munich Germany to South Carolina U.S.A.

BMW Manufacturing.

Z4 and X5 were built in the same assembly line.

Mount the engine on the front axle assembly.

Rear Axle

Install Rear Spring

Check the Drivetrain.

Front Car Body

Dashboard kit







Load the car body components for the robot to weld.

Robot weld the car body. It looks a little terrible.

Rear Car Body

Roll Bar. In case of roll over the roll bar can protect the passengers.

Weld the roll bar. Safety First.

Rear car body was done

Center floor of car body

Robot weld the front, center floor and rear car body together.

Before the car body enters into the paint shop, it gets the first car wash.
Remove the residues form the car body.

Anti-Corrosion process. Submerge the car body into mineral water. Zinc, Nickle, Manganese, ...
**I can not listen to what the last step is.
 Also referred to "Rolls Royce-Phantom".



E-coat. Electrical charge positive and the ground carrier gave Z4 negative charge.
As the car body submerges, e-coat paint will magnetically attract to every surface.
The result is paint intensely clings to the car body and even surface.

E-coat bond is so strong, excess paint can be washed away by water, before the e-coat even dried. Then get into the oven to dry.

Pvc seals the gap between metal panel and joint and makes the car watertight.

Using the ostrich feather to gather stain and dust.

Robot paint the car body. How efficient !!

Electrical static charge primer are magnetically attracted by the body surface.

Like the primer process, the paint is electrical static charge is attracted by car body.

Final layer paint for glass surface.

Install Gas Tank. This is the tilt conveyor  which turns the car body into comfortable position for workers.

Install firewall protector and soundproof material.

Install wire

Dashboard installation

Install Roll Bar Cover

Install Center Console

Lear Corporation

Seat Assembly

Seat Assembly

Wind Shield

Install Steering Wheel

Air Bag Installation

Car Body and Drivetrain are ready to be engaged.

Hovercraft for exhaust pipe installation. The pipe is so heavy that would take technicians' ergonomic toll.

BMW recognized Front Bumper.

Roll Test.

Z4 badge

Z4

Drive It to Home ~

[Highlights]
Engine Block (Aluminium inner and Magnesium outer)
Paint: Anti-Corrosion-->Primer-->Color

[Questions]
1.Different material for engine block, different heat transfer coefficient,
   Would it create crack or fatigue problem ?
2.Inline 6 Engine V.S V6 Engine

All pictures were captured from NGC