Vestel, the Largest Electronics Factory In Europe
In Vestel City, near Izmir, Turkey, Vestel manufactures all kinds of consumer electronics and household appliances for a wide range of international brands. Visit of two factories in this industrial complex considered as the largest electronics production site in Europe.
- Kuka robots for palletizing drums
- 70 steps
- Two refrigerator factories
- Expansion of production in progress
- Vestel invests $ 150 million in two household appliance factories in Turkey
- Vestel is expanding
- Work with more than 100 brands
- The Turkish manufacturer depends on sales outside Turkey
Vestel City, 40 Km from Izmir, the third-largest city in Turkey after Istanbul and Ankara: We are in the industrial complex of Vestel, the largest electronics production site in Europe. The site covers 110 hectares, includes several factories and employs some 15,000 people. It manufactures all kinds of consumer electronics and household appliances: LCD televisions, decoders, smartphones, tablets, LED lamps, refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers… The production capacity reaches 35 million products per year.
Kuka robots for palletizing drums
The Turkish manufacturer has its own brands for its local market. But for export, which accounts for more than 80% of its sales, it hides behind international brands. In the washing machines alone, it sells its products under more than a hundred brands. “Except for Miele and Samsung, we work with everyone,” says Adil Zafer Aydin, Quality Manager. And the portfolio has recently been enriched with such prestigious Japanese brands as JVC, Sharp and Toshiba.
The washing machine factory measures 24,000 m2 and employs 950 people. It produces 2.5 million devices per year. It has three lines for the automatic production of drums by stamping sheet metal. At the end of each line, a Kuka robot ensures the palletization of the products. “We tend to use robots for handling tasks,” says Adil Zafer Aydin. This to be more productive and better meet quality requirements.”
70 steps
The factory also manufactures the other key component, the cabin, on three parallel lines. Once these two components have been made, they are sent to the assembly lines where the work remains manual. The assembly is carried out in 70 steps. To avoid bottlenecks, operators work on both sides of the line. At each stage, the operation consists of mounting one or two components. The assembly of a washing machine takes between 45 minutes and 1 hour. No paper on the workstations. Operators are guided in their tasks by instructions displayed on a flat screen. Visual management screens are arranged along the lines. They indicate in real time the production objective, the result achieved and the difference. At the end of the assembly, all the machines undergo a series of checks and tests. An operation completed by a full-scale functional test by sampling in the test lab. Depending on the brand, the sampling rate ranges from 3 to 5% of production batches.
Two refrigerator factories
Vestel has two refrigerator factories, one of 55,000 m2 and the other of 90,000 m2. Production reaches 12,000 refrigerators per day, or 3 million units per year. The two factories employ 6,000 people. The assembly is spread over four 500-metre long lines: two for the assembly of the outer elements, two for the assembly of the inner elements. It takes an hour and a half to assemble a large two-door fridge. Here again, the assembly is finalized by control and test operations.
Expansion of production in progress
The site is so extensive that our visit can only be an incursion. Due to its development in Europe and the arrival of new brands in its portfolio, Vestel already feels cramped. It is investing $150 million in the expansion of the site with two factories dedicated to washing machines and dryers and one to dishwashers.
Vestel invests $ 150 million in two household appliance factories in Turkey
The Turkish electronics manufacturer Vestel is building two new factories in Turkey, one for washing machines and dryers, the other for dishwashers. A $150 million effort that is part of the objective to increase its exports by 15%.
Vestel is expanding.
At its industrial site in Manisa, near Izmir, the Turkish manufacturer of consumer electronics and household appliances is building two new factories, one for the production of washing machines and dryers, the other for the manufacture of dishwashers. The total investment amounts to $150 million.
Today, Vestel has a production capacity of 2.5 million washing machines and dryers and 1.25 million dishwashers in Manisa. The investment aims to increase them by 1.5 million and 900,000 respectively.
In 2014, the Japanese company Sharp had entrusted it with the operation of its brand in household appliances on the Old Continent.
Work with more than 100 brands
Vestel has its own brands for Turkey, the Middle East and the countries of the former USSR. But for other markets in Europe, it operates mainly with European, Japanese or international brands under licence. In total, more than a hundred, according to Adil Zafer Aydin, quality manager for the production of washing machines and dryers. Including the Koreans Daewoo and LG.
The Turkish manufacturer depends on sales outside Turkey.
In 2016, its exports will amount to 2.6 billion dollars or 82% of its turnover. Thanks to the reinforcement of prestigious brands such as Sharp, the objective is to boost the export figure to 3 billion dollars. A real challenge, according to Alberio Lissoni, European Marketing Director of Sharp Home Appliances.
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