DAF Vlaanderen manufactures one millionth cab

07/07/2014

At DAF Vlaanderen in Oevel (Belgium), the 1,000,000th cab left the production line on Friday, July 4th, 2014.


“This is a tremendous milestone in the history of DAF’s axle and cab factory”, said Harrie Schippers, President of DAF Trucks N.V.

The history-making Space Cab was handed over symbolically to Louis De Wael, Managing Director of ‘Vervoer Van Dievel’ from the Belgian town of Mechelen. The company will receive the truck with the 1,000,000th cab shortly.

DAF opened its production facilities in Belgium in 1966. It started with the manufacturing of cabs, followed by the production of axles in 1971. Today, some 180 cabs a day leave the production line, destined for the popular DAF CF and XF series of medium- and heavy-duty transport.

In the past years, major investments have been made in the cab factory in view of the introduction of the newest generation of DAF Euro 6-vehicles, of which production started in 2013.

Large parts of the manufacturing process are fully automated, with welding robots taking care of most of the production process of the body-in-white. A completely new production area was created for installing the roof of the Super Space Cab, DAF’s most spacious cab.

Over the last ten years DAF invested about half a billion Euros in its axle and cab factory. Production takes place sequentially, following the ‘just-in time’ principle, which means that the cabs are delivered to the DAF assembly plant in Eindhoven and to Leyland Trucks in Great Britain in precidely the right order and at precisely the right time.

“The milestone of 1,000,000 manufactured cabs is a fantastic recognition of the employees of DAF Vlaanderen”, said Harrie Schippers. “Also thanks to their effort and dedication, we are able to supply cabs that are market leading in terms of interior space, comfort and fit-and-finish. Essential elements that contribute to the high driver comfort for which DAF trucks are known.”