BorgWarner Poland – turbocharged

BorgWarner Poland, which is part of an American concern operating in the automotive industry, is launching two new product lines in Jasionka. The three times larger area of the plant and the new workplaces are like a biturbo system for the engine for the plant – they will allow the company to further develop and strengthen its position on the automotive market.

Located in a small town in Podkarpacie, BorgWarner Poland has been producing turbochargers for gasoline and diesel engines for several years, which go to every corner of the world. In recent years, the main customers of the Polish plant have been the Ford and Fiat brands, but the company is dynamically expanding its project base by cooperating with manufacturers such as VW, Daimler, Jaguar, Land Rover and BMW.

BorgWarner is the author and owner of many patents, not only in the field of supercharger drives. The company has developed many innovative products that set trends on the market. These include two-, three- or even four-stage turbochargers, products with ball bearings or variable geometry, and an electric eBooster supporting the entire supercharging system. “For us, all these products are so-called game changer on the market” says Marek Ryczko, operational manager.

The company offers products for applications in diesel and gasoline engines, both small and large, as well as conventional and hybrid. BorgWarner turbines are designed and manufactured in a Design for Value culture. This means that at every stage of product development and cooperation with the client, the company is to provide added value for the client and its organization. Thanks to this approach, the company can offer the best and most innovative technological solutions. “We focus on making our products contribute to the reduction of fuel consumption and exhaust emissions as well as improve the performance of vehicles. We do everything to keep the drivers satisfied, ”says Ryczko. Other important factors for BorgWarner customers are: system volume, weight, choice of materials, temperature resistance, and many others that depend on the customer’s specificity. The company wants to support customers with a high level of the manufacturing process and deliver the highest quality product at the lowest possible cost. “The implementation of each project into serial production is to be exemplary” says Marek Ryczko.

What distinguishes BorgWarner from the competition is related not only to the product, but also to the method of cooperation that the company offers to customers. “We want the so-called customer experience to be at the highest level at every stage of cooperation and throughout the product life cycle: from the design phase, through the implementation phase, to the serial production phase” says Marek Ryczko. The correctness of this approach is confirmed by the fact that the plant in Jasionka near Rzeszów has already received the Ford award for the best supplier of turbochargers in the world twice in a row. This year, he was also awarded the Polish Quality Award, which is based on the concept of TQM (Total Quality Management) and is designed to promote modern management methods.

Expansion of the plant in Jasionka
In connection with the new contracts, two new product lines will be launched in the plant in the near future. One of them will cover the production of turbochargers for commercial vehicles, such as construction machinery, agricultural machinery, trucks, etc. The second is the regeneration of turbochargers while maintaining the highest production and product standards, the so-called remanufacturing. “New product lines in the plant enrich the offer and strengthen our competences,” says Marek Ryczko. Already in the first quarter of 2017, BorgWarner Poland will put into operation a new part of the plant, thanks to which its area will almost triple. “Works are underway to finalize construction works, prepare the layout of machines in the new hall, and refine the details before installing and launching new production lines” says Marek Ryczko.

All new projects and product lines will be located in the new part of the plant. “The gathering of the full spectrum of turbocharger production (for passenger cars, commercial vehicles; remanufacturing) in one place is unique in the world and few plants can boast of this. Of course, this involves many business, process and operational challenges that we will have to face, but at the same time it creates opportunities for development and strengthening our competences. We like such challenges, ”explains Ryczko. The development of the production capacity of the plant in Jasionka will also translate into an increase in sales and employment.

Work – stability and development
At the moment, over 1050 people work at the campus near Rzeszów. BorgWarner employees are mostly young, highly qualified people. They form an efficient and development-oriented team, the plan and work of which depend on the common goals of the company. “We provide all employees with a sense of stability and the possibility of genuine development in relation to the tasks performed and planned professional development,” says Marek Ryczko. All this gives the plant a unique organizational culture that is appreciated by the company’s customers and employees all over the world. Thanks to this, BorgWarner can also boast a very low crew rotation. “Even if people decide to change jobs and look for new challenges outside the organization, they often come back. We are competitive on the market thanks to the working conditions, social package and high standards in every respect. Our goal is to be a technology leader, which is why we focus on people, investments, research and development all the time” emphasizes Ryczko.

Due to the continuous development and launch of two new product lines in Jasionka, the company is looking for candidates for all positions, starting from production and ending with specialist and managerial in the area of logistics, purchases, maintenance, quality and IT. BorgWarner provides its employees with systematic access to training, the plan of which is always adapted to the direction of the company’s development as well as individual predispositions and expectations of employees. “We work with both Polish and foreign training companies. In our organization, qualifications and an attitude full of commitment are the main success factors. We try to be precursors of innovative solutions, create space for development for employees, giving autonomy and freedom of action, as well as a high level of independence, hoping that employees will show independence, initiative and self-control. Great freedom of action develops creativity” explains Ryczko. The company offers an environment and strategic goals, and the manner of their implementation is determined by the employees themselves. The company’s experience shows that this approach strengthens the integration of the employee with the company and the shared sense of responsibility.

Polish universities and the Technical Center
BorgWarner is constantly conducting research and development. The Polish company of the American concern has a tangible contribution to the development of products and solutions offered on the market. Engineers are appreciated throughout the organization for their experience and competences. A strong element of the global R&D capacity is the Technical Center in Rzeszów, which was commissioned in 2013. The research and development works carried out there – often in cooperation with the main universities in the region – resulted in the application for a patent for two solutions for the construction of a turbocharger for series production.

BorgWarner also cooperates with several universities in our country. The most active activities are carried out in cooperation with the Rzeszów University of Technology. The company provides technical support for universities by purchasing laboratory equipment or the necessary licenses, and students complete internships and apprenticeships, among others. in the Design, Simulation, Quality and Testing Department, Test Department or Application Department. The company enables an increasing number of students to gain practical knowledge. The best of them later find employment at BorgWarner.

Cooperation with another university, the University of Information Technology and Management, is a response to the challenges of today’s world. “On the one hand, we observe the demand of business for specialists in a given industry, and on the other hand, we appreciate the university’s readiness for practical training. As it is commonly known, the IT market is characterized by a special dynamics of changes and overcoming of successive barriers. The key elements of IT success are innovation and simplicity of the proposed solutions. In this regard, we are counting on students” says Marek Ryczko. For its part, the company offers students the opportunity to gain experience and work in the typical business realities of the automotive industry, where IT acts as a key partner supporting all production and support processes. Moreover, as part of IT operational activities, BorgWarner offers UITM students internships in the areas of IT infrastructure and applications. “Together with the university, we are working on a project to launch a new field of study in 2017: IT analytics in business” says Ryczko. As part of this project, selected students who decide to internship at BorgWarner will receive a package of specialized business training and the opportunity to write a thesis taking into account the specific requirements of the company.

Manufacture of turbines

What is the production of turbines at the BorgWarner plant? This process can be presented in a few steps. In the first stage, the plant receives an inquiry from customers. Thanks to the functioning of the Technical Center, the company has the opportunity to propose, adapt and produce a new turbocharger for each manufacturer in the automotive industry. The market launch cycle for a new turbocharger typically takes two to three years. It begins with detailed discussions with the client about the expectations in terms of engine construction, exhaust emissions and the development of optimal solutions in the selection of components. Based on data collected from working on previous projects, as well as using customer-supplied 3D engine models, the project groups create the first models and drawings of the new turbocharger.

In the next step, the computational models are verified and refined using simulation methods. Then, based on the drawings and data provided by the Simulation Department, the first prototypes of the new turbocharger are created. They are tested on site, i.e. in the Technical Center in Rzeszów on engines, stations or test cars, or sent to customers for specific tests. After their completion, the turbochargers go to the Technical Analysis Department, where the condition and functionality of each individual part is checked. Then, the components are subjected to microscopic surface analysis, material analysis, grain size and chemical composition analysis using an electron microscope with a possible magnification of up to 1 million times, as well as scanning with a computer tomograph. “Only when all the above steps are successfully completed, the new turbocharger can go into series production, during which we still maintain the highest standards” – explains Marek Ryczko.

In order to provide the customer with the highest quality product, the plant in Jasionka near Rzeszów has extensive quality and control systems. “Regardless of whether we are in the design and prototyping phase, or in the serial production phase, we select the right tools so that the product meets the highest requirements” says Ryczko. These can be appropriate product release procedures by authorized persons, control systems during the production process (the so-called poka yoke), final tests, computer systems supporting MES (Manufacturing Execution System) or two-way communication between machines. Cooperation with suppliers and appropriate awareness of employees are also important. “The confirmation of our high quality standards is the lack of complaints” says Ryczko proudly.

Downsizing and alternative drives

Large automotive concerns have been using downsizing for several years. This solution is based on the use of turbochargers in small engines. This allows you to significantly reduce exhaust emissions and reduce fuel consumption while maintaining or even improving engine performance. Although the latest standards set by the European Union are more and more difficult for manufacturers in the automotive industry to meet, these companies continue to focus on downsizing. However, it has been known for a long time that while preparing for even stricter EU standards, they are working on alternative propulsion, such as hybrids, electric drives, hydrogen targets and others. As Marek Ryczko says, the company from Podrzeszów has nothing to fear. “We are convinced that no matter what direction the automotive industry takes, BorgWarner will be part of this process. It doesn’t really matter to us whether car manufacturers will steadily move towards downsizing or alternative drives will become the future, as the company believes it will find a place for itself in the automotive industry. So no matter what the automotive industry will look like in 20 years, BorgWarner intends to have the right solutions to make a significant contribution to its development, just like today, says Marek Ryczko and adds that the products offered by the company are already They are also used in all types of vehicles with hybrid and electric drives.