Belgian-Dutch cooperation

DAF is doing extremely well in the Benelux, with top places in terms of registrations in the three countries. Through various measures and new investments, the efficiency of the cab and axle plant in Westerlo and that of the truck plant in Eindhoven was again increased. As a result, DAF produces new trucks faster and in a more environmentally friendly way.

New paint shop
The Belgian branch of production in Westerlo, where cabs and axles are made, received a new, state-of-the-art cab painting line. The new paint shop represents an investment of 100 million euros. The investment is intended both to make painting more environmentally friendly and to further increase productivity and quality. Thus, capacity grew by as much as 50 % to 300 cabs per day (70,000 per year). 

The new paint shop is largely automated and has one paint line 144 meters long. The facility can spray as many as 3,000 different colors from which customers can choose. It is one of the most modern in the world. The plant was built in cooperation with suppliers Cordeel, Eissenmann and Dürr. Thanks to the advanced paint systems, a 50% reduction in emissions was also achieved.

In Eindhoven, in turn, truck production was addressed, including a new engine line and more powerful pressing equipment.

More modern engine plant
A completely new line to machine the blocks and heads of the Paccar MX-11 engine was built in Eindhoven in the past two years. That used to be done in America, but they need the production capacity themselves because of the popularity of Paccar engines. For that machining line, an area of 7,500 m2 was cleared in the Eindhoven plant. This was followed by the installation of 43 state-of-the-art machines and 10 robots. It is immediately the largest project in the field of blocks and heads since the investments in Euro 4 and Euro 5. It involves an investment of nearly 40 million euros.

Another innovation can be found in the press hall, where the arrival of a new press was used to modernize the entire hall. That new press is a giant with a dead weight of 680 tons and a pressing force of 2,500 tons. The foundation of the press is eleven meters deep and the press stands on large shock absorbers so that it no longer transmits vibrations. With the investments in the production lines, DAF wants to prepare the company for the future and the growth of recent years. Anchoring production in the Benelux is an important element in this. DAF has been working at a production rate of 235 trucks per day since February 2018. Partly for this, the new investments were necessary. In 2017, DAF already produced a record number of trucks, of nearly 61,000. 

Comfortably on the road with an XF 450 FAT 6×4.

A ride on the XF 450 FAT
During the visit to the Eindhoven and Westerlo production sites, we also got the chance to take the wheel ourselves to drive a brand new XF from Eindhoven to Westerlo. An excellent opportunity to refresh our memory and understand why so many drivers swear by the XF's large cabin. The feeling of space is extraordinary; this is still the largest cabin in terms of interior space. In addition, the XF drives extremely nicely with very good steering feel and pleasant comfort. The engine and driveline are almost inaudible and the driver is supported at all levels by effective assistance systems. Of particular note here was the flawless and soft-shifting automated transmission. It is certainly not a punishment to be on the road daily with such an XF.