Norgren helps VinFast to build Vietnam’s first mass-production stamping press

Automotive start-up VinFast has delivered Vietnam’s first mass-produced stamping parts in less than two years, in part thanks to tooling from Norgren, part of IMI, which is being used to produce the body panels on its flagship models.

To support VinFast’s Hai Phong site, which has the capacity to produce 250,000 cars per year, Norgren sites in China and USA collaborated to create the tooling, including saddles, sensors and tooling arms, which will be used to move panels through the VinFast manufacturing press process.

VinFast unveiled prototypes of its first two car models, a sedan and SUV, at the Paris Motor Show in October 2018, and Norgren was able to successfully deliver its tooling solution to VinFast earlier this year ahead of volume production.

Ceasar Ivan Torres Ballesteros, press shop technical manager at VinFast, says: “Collaboration with Norgren has seen us tap into its expertise and knowledge to develop a world-class solution that is helping us to deliver state-of-the-art cars.”

A spokesperson for Norgren automation solutions in USA says: “We offered VinFast our expertise and guidance on a solution it could trust.

“As a company which is really pushing the boundaries when it comes to automotive manufacturing, we are delighted that it has chosen us to support it in the launch of Vietnam’s first home-manufactured car.”

Alex Tham, managing director at Norgren, says: “The VinFast project demonstrates the customer centric culture and strong collaborative capability of Norgren.

“VinFast is a world-class customer with high quality standards, and by bringing together Norgren teams from across four countries in the United States, China, Singapore and Vietnam, we were able to work in close partnership to ensure we delivered on time and on budget.

“The success of the VinFast project further cements our credibility as a trusted partner with global capability to serve our customers.”

Securing the contract marks the first time tooling from Norgren has been adopted by an automotive plant in Vietnam.