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27 AutoData | May 2018 ch are connected to systems that enable integrated and remote management. In April VW announced another pro- ductive investment, now for the factory in São José dos Pinhais, PR, which will be the birthplace of its first national SUV, T-Cross. R$ 2 billion by 2020, of which R$ 1.4 billion will be used to acquire, among other equipment, 239 robots. In the market forefront they are not alone: GM also bets heavily on renewing its lines for the production of newvehicles. Last year, R$ 4.5 billion was announced for three company units: Gravataí, RS, São Caetano do Sul, SP, and Joinville, SC. Carlos Zarlenga, president, says that much of the resources will be invested in new technologies and manufacturing concepts. The arrival of a new product also mo- tivated Renault’s investment in its Brazi- lian operation. Kwid demanded R$ 500 million from the assembly line in São José dos Pinhais, PR. In addition two years ago Renault acquired 3D printers to assist in the development of parts and also ap- plied investments in augmented reality, to simulate and analyze production flow, maintenance and other parameters. The- re is another R$ 750 million separated for expansion and modernization of the engine factory. SUCCESFULL PLAN When domestic sales were on a de- creasing rate one waywas to seek shelter in exports. The plan worked out: we ne- ver exported as much as in 2017 and the numbers keep increasing in 2018 - we are having the best first quarter in shipments, with 180 thousand 200 units, 3.3% more in the annual comparison. The volumes are directly related to the contributions and the modernization of local production. And a great reference lies in the truck industry. Mercedes-Benz invested R$ 500 million in the traditional São Bernardo do Campo plant at ABCD in São Paulo to build a brand new truck assembly line. Philipp Schiemer, president of the com- pany in Brazil and CEO for Latin America, considers the new area the most modern of the company in the world and the ini- tiative as fundamental for solidification of the concepts of Industry 4.0 in the country. Just before, MAN invested R$ 1 billion to produce the new Delivery line, a good part of which was applied to more mo- dern equipment for manufacturing at the Resende plant in Rio de Janeiro. Adílson Dezoto, vice president of pro- duction and logistics, said that exports accounted for a fundamental reason for updating the line, which included the mo- dification of the entire production structu- re, with appropriate integration of sectors: “We made a heavy investment with technological upgrades that put us in the context of manufacturing 4.0. It Is happe- ning a great artificial intelligence connec- tivity revolution as well as customization. The products are more complex, which demands equally complex processes”. Processes that use obsolete technology tend to over cost production. The shorter the time to manufacture a vehicle, the lower the cost.