Audi 2011 Annual Report Download - page 85

Fuel consumption and emission fi gures at the end of the Annual Report
In a bright hall on the grounds of the Ingolstadt
plant, the new Audi RS 4 rests on a stand of solid
steel, accessible from all sides. The Ibis White
paint of the RS 4 is covered with colorful numbers,
lines and stickers: Gap, concept, 0.3, 0.2 and 0.1 are
written on the engine hood. Every detail of the vehicle is
checked here on the master jig. Measurements are taken
to make sure, for example, that the Singleframe is fl ush
with the engine hood and the gaps are even. Deviations are
precisely measured to a tenth of a millimeter.
The measurements on the master jig are just one of
the checks that an Audi has to undergo. Each has a long
quality history. From the fi rst design sketch to the fi nished
product and beyond, all specialist areas place great
emphasis on quality. Vehicle reliability and durability are
just as important here as precision and visual appeal.
The understanding of quality goes far beyond the relia-
bility so appreciated by the customer. “Quality encom-
passes everything that a customer can experience in our
cars. Quality is what you can see, hear, sense and feel,”
says Werner Zimmermann, Head of Audi Quality Assurance.
“The incomparable Audi experience – high reliability
together with comfort and sportiness, precision and
sophistication – would not be possible without it.”
This holistic approach to quality begins with the choice
of materials. From the leather for the seats to the
carbon used in the body and the mix of materials in the
engine block: Everything is carefully examined. Every
piece of leather used in an Audi vehicle – on the steering
wheel, in the cabin or on the seats – undergoes 45 tests
alone to test its durability. The fi rst stage is completed
when all components satisfy the brand’s stringent quality
requirements.
An Audi comprises some 12,000 parts. With the
numerous equipment versions of the individual models,
there are millions of possible ways to put them together.
Work in the master jig therefore begins long before the
start of production. The aim is to fi ne-tune the fi t, the
visual appeal and the haptics for both the interior and
exterior – and this applies to each and every model.
Individual parts are grouped into assemblies or complete
vehicles and assessed. “Despite modern digital modeling
methods, this tangible master jig is indispensable for us,”
says Zimmermann.
That’s because the master jig enables not just the fi ne-
tuning of strictly objective criteria, but also the subjective
consideration of the whole. The gaps around the fuel tank
cap of the RS 4, for example, are intentionally diff erent
Audi vehicles are measured, described and evaluated both inside and out on the master jig. Any deviations are recorded on the car.
The objective is to coordinate all components, gaps and fl ush alignments precisely with one another.
PHOTOS | BERNHARD HUBER/AUDI AG (2); MYRZIK UND JARISCH/AUDI AG (3)
From the sketch to the fi nished car, Audi always places great emphasis on quality.