Volkswagen Puebla halts Golf production due to issue in the stamping process

15 June, 2018

Warning: foreach() argument must be of type array|object, bool given in /home/mexiconow/public_html/sites/mexiconow/wp-content/themes/mexiconowwpnew/single.php on line 253

Volkswagen assembly plant in Puebla idled production of the Golf family of vehicles from Thursday June 14 to next Wednesday due to failures in the stamping equipment, employees revealed in their personal social media accounts.

Some local news sites first reported that the stoppage occurred due to the low demand of vehicles from the Golf family in foreign markets that the Puebla facility serves. But some workers posted claims in social media that denied such reports.

“It was actually a problem with a stamping machine in the facility 1 what caused the stoppage,” said an employee. “The lack of stamped parts led to a stoppage in the body shop located in the facility 2, hence the rest of the production line,” he added.

Such assertions were confirmed by the local union, which added that the equipment is expected to be operational by next Wednesday. During the stoppage, workers may choose between taking some days off of their vacation package or a temporary leave without pay, but the second option allows them to keep their vacation package untouched for later occasion.

The production line builds 300 vehicles each day and according to union estimates the idle will create a shortage of about 2,000 vehicles in the production schedule, which will have to be compensated in the near future.

According to Volkswagen official data, from January through May the assembly plant built 155,835 vehicles including the all-new Tiguan, the all-new Jetta, the Golf and the Beetle.

The Puebla facility builds nearly every variant of the Golf, except for the electric unit eGolf and the sporty version known as the R-Line, which are built in Germany.

Second stoppage in two weeks

The production stoppage of the Golf is the second incident in Puebla in two weeks. Earlier this month, production of the new Jetta halted for at least three days due to a strike of teamsters in Brazil which led to the lack of supply of certain components, local media reported quoting as source a leader of the automotive sector in that state.

Ulrich Thoma Kiwus, president of the automotive and auto parts sector of Canacintra, which is the country’s main manufacturers chamber, made clear that it was not the lack of engines what caused the stoppage, but the shortage of certain casting components coming from South America.

These parts are supplied to the Volkswagen engine plant in Silao, Guanajuato, where the product is finished and sent to the assembly facility in Puebla. Without specifying a specific figure, Thoma said the stoppage extended beyond the three days originally planned.

The official made clear that the strike did not imply any monetary losses, since the production goals will be met by working during weekends until the number of scheduled units is completed.

Thoma added that only the production of the Jetta has been slowed down, while the Beetle, Tiguan and Golf models continued rolling out of the facility without any problems.

MexicoNow

- Volkswagen halts Jetta production in Puebla due to teamsters strike in Brazil