WUXI, China – Dana Holding Corp. has announced the official opening of the company’s new 129,000-square-foot technical center in Wuxi, Jiangsu Provence, China.
The Dana China Technical Center will provide advanced product and applications engineering for original equipment manufacturers in the light vehicle, commercial vehicle, and off-highway markets in China and throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
The Dana China Technical Center includes a 62,000-square-foot test lab and provides 34,000 square feet of manufacturing space to supplement the 183,000 square feet dedicated to manufacturing at the adjacent Dana Wuxi Technologies Company Ltd. facility.
"Dana has a long history of product innovation, and the Dana China Technical Center will allow us to further leverage technology synergies across all the markets and customers we serve around the world," said Roger Wood, president and CEO of Dana. "We have recognized the importance of supporting the Chinese market for more than two decades, and we will continue to allocate an increasing share of our resources toward supporting our customers in the region."
Dana serves more than 100 customers in China including Beijing Jeep Corp., BMW, Daimler, Dongfeng Motor, Ford, Jinbei, SAIC, Sany, SGM, Southeast Motor Corporation, Toyota, VW Group, XCMG, XGMA and Zoomlion.
The Dana China Technical Center – the company’s 15th advanced engineering facility around the world – will focus on the research, design, development and testing of drivetrain, sealing and thermal-management products.
Fully integrated into Dana’s global research and development system, the Dana China Technical Center has been equipped to support new products from concept development through launch, as well as to adapt technologies developed elsewhere in the world for the specific needs of the China market.
Currently home to more than 50 engineers, the engineering staff at the Dana China Technical Center will increase to a total of 130 by 2016 to facilitate the delivery of new product offerings for China and the rest of the region.
Most of the engineering activities at the center are currently focused on Dana’s growing off-highway portfolio for the region. The company says it will take a balanced, strategic approach that leverages this engineering expertise to grow business across all market segments.
"For more than 20 years, Dana has been building a reputation in China as the Tier One partner that OEMs can trust for the timely delivery of dependable powertrain solutions," said George Constand, Dana’s chief technical and quality officer. "Our research and development center in Wuxi is the latest example of our commitment to better align with the unique technological and market requirements of our customers in the region."
The new test lab in Wuxi is outfitted with the latest testing equipment for axles, transmissions, materials, NVH, prototyping, inspections and machining to ensure that products engineered and manufactured by Dana in China meet the company’s high standards for performance and durability. The off-highway test equipment includes an axle dynamometer, three beam fatigue testers, a reverse torsional fatigue tester, a static torsional strength tester and a 7.5 KW spin rig.
The Dana China Technical Center joins the company’s growing network of manufacturing, engineering, sales support and aftermarket parts and service teams in China, as well as Dana’s global product service and support resources. Dana currently has 10 facilities in China that employ more than 8,000 people, including those operations in which Dana holds a minority interest.
