Factory Tour Daimler AG
Visit the Mercedes Benz Museum 2010

See also the report about the program on the SAFRI website

Report: "Daimler Chrysler Plant Visit" by Nicho Mabilane

Whether the world´s finest luxury cars are produced by the Germans or the Americans remains a highly contetious issue. I recently had the privilege of visiting the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen, Germany, and witness the complex process involved in the making of each Merc. Sadly, I am not a car fanatic and I hold strong opinions against automisation. However, the visit to the plant left me short of breath.

From a distance, the reception foyer appears to be like our normal South African Merc car dealerships. Nonetheless, this 2.9 square kilometre plant is the largest Merc plant in the world with a production capacity exceeding 2000 cars a day! Even the notorious, ostentatiously priced flagship Maybach is produced there.

The most informed electronics fundi among my colleagues remarked that He had never seen such advanced robotics in place anywhere. On the other hand, our faint-hearted ladies thought for a moment that it was a science-fiction movie coming to life. With over 2700 robots in place, I doubt that such automisation would have positive reception in South Africa. Local critics argue that robotic automisation has a negative bearing and deprives the needy of employment. Pity to those critics! (I was one of them before my visit to the plant!) I doubt that any human being would tirelessly work 24 hours a day and still attain the high precision and quality like those robots. Moreover, I learned that Mercedes-Benz trains its own technicians in 20 different fields and currently employs over 37 000 people in only its Sindelfingen plant! To me that is enough social investment in the community and anyone blaming robots for unemployment is out of his mind.

Mercedes-Benz has always set a benchmark in safety standards. This starts from the design process where 3D simulations and intensive crash tests are used to ensure high uncompromised safety standards. I doubt that any of my colleagues wants to drive any car other than a Merc after our visit. For a car manufacturer whose 9000 dedicated engineers and designers are already designing year 2030 cars, Merc is really years ahead of its competition. I strongly believe that the old man Karl Benz deserved a special accolade for his contribution in the first steps towards high vehicle craftsmanship.

That morning we all forgot to have our breakfast due to excitement and high anticipation. Hence, the special lunch treat that followed shortly at the Merc Museum after our plant tour, came on time !! I wont stop talking about this tour when I get back to South Africa, although one question still clinging on my mind is ´ How do I become the owner of one of these grand saloons soon ? ` Many thanks to the sponsors!

By Nicho Mabilane
(DaimlerChrysler Plant visit on 19 January 2010)




                  Report: "Mercedes Benz Museum" by Zakithi Zinhle Dlamini

If someone had told me before that mercedes benz have their own car museum ,i wouldn`t have believed them. I've always believed that museums were mainly about historical things that one might want to look at when bored or wanting to do some sort of research.Never had i imagined that a car company would have a place where it displays it collection of historical inventions and actually call it a musuem! But then again this isnt just any car we are talking about,it's the legendary mercedes benz. Today we were honoured and privilegded to visit this magnificednt sight.We had just been wowed and amazed by the mercedes factory where we had the pleasure of seeeing how those breathtaking machines are put together! Later we were in this huge museum where we had our wonderful lunch,we even had a v.i.p section reserved especially for us!! After lunch we had a grand tour of the place,not forgetting the lifts/elevators, they were out of this world! Almost like the ones you would see in star wars movies.
Not only does this place have a collection of all the mercedes inventions from private cars to trucks,buses,police vans,ambulances,fire trucks,e.t.c,it also has a shopping mall.Where you will find the mercedes brand in every item from clothing,accessories,and miniature cars.The place is massive! It would take you the whole day just to get around and it has about 4000 visitors frrom across the world,a day! Needless to say we had a wonderful time taking pictures, and some of us made use of the mall and did some shopping.The memories we made there will remain our hearts and minds forever.

Thank you mercedes for giving us the time of our lives and for making this day a memorable one for us! And also a big thank you to Barbara and her team,and everyone else involved in this project for offering us this once in a lifetime opportunity!!!

Much love
Zakithi Zinhle Dlamini