Nexteer Automotive has opened a 40,000-square-metre manufacturing facility in Liuzhou, China, integrating automated production systems with a localised supplier network to improve operational efficiency.

The facility features digital and automated operating models designed to synchronise with an adjacent supplier collaboration industrial park. By co-locating supply chain partners with automated production lines, Nexteer aims to increase supply chain resilience, reduce lead times, and improve overall manufacturing efficiency for automotive components.

The integration of smart manufacturing systems with a closely linked supply chain allows the company to adjust production flexibly based on real-time data. This synergy enables the plant to rapidly scale the manufacturing of electric power steering systems, motor controller modules, and related components while maintaining product quality and responsiveness to fluctuations in customer demand.

“Our new Liuzhou plant strengthens Nexteer’s global manufacturing network with advanced, flexible capabilities that will help us respond more quickly and reliably to evolving customer needs,” said Robin Milavec, president and global chief operating officer at Nexteer Automotive.

The upgraded manufacturing infrastructure will support the scaled delivery of existing products to domestic and Southeast Asian markets. The facility’s flexible production lines are also designed to support the future deployment of advanced chassis technologies, such as steer-by-wire systems, as automakers transition toward software-defined vehicles.