Proton recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of its stamping facilities in Tanjong Malim, introducing the new E and F Lines. This expansion aims to increase the volume of parts stamping at Proton Tanjong Malim in preparation for the relocation of Proton Saga production from Shah Alam by 2026.
The project, which has an allocated budget of RM253 million, is designed to support the growing overall production volume and accommodate new models set to be introduced in the near future. This marks the second expansion of Proton’s parts stamping capabilities in recent years, following the inauguration of the D-Line stamping plant on March 14, 2023, by the Menteri Besar of Perak, Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.
During the ceremony, Proton’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Li Chunrong, emphasized the importance of the new stamping lines for the company’s future growth. “The addition of the parts stamping E and F Lines is critical to Proton’s future volume expansion plans as it gives us more flexibility to ramp up our production and meet market demand. For the whole of 2023 and up to June 2024, our Tanjong Malim plant has stamped out 6,067,064 components, of which 395,211 are from the new D-Line. This number will grow exponentially when production for the Proton Saga is relocated here in 2026,” he stated.
The E-Line will feature a four-stage stamping process with a 1600-tonne stamping machine and three 800-tonne machines. The F-Line will employ a five-stage stamping process using a 2000-tonne machine, a 1200-tonne machine, and three 1000-tonne machines. Robots will transfer parts between workstations, and IR 4.0 technology will be implemented to use real-time data and machine learning, enhancing the quality of parts produced.
The new stamping lines will reduce Proton’s reliance on imported parts, shielding the company from potential global trade disruptions and improving the local parts supply. Additionally, this investment will enhance the competencies available in Tanjong Malim and contribute to the ongoing development of the Automotive High Tech Valley (AHTV).
Dr. Li Chunrong further commented on Proton’s commitment to local sourcing and production consolidation in Tanjong Malim. “As Proton moves towards consolidating our production operations in Tanjong Malim, we continue to work towards increasing our local parts sourcing. Aside from cost and parts security considerations, we continue to champion the government’s aim to grow local participation in the automotive industry via job creation on multiple levels,” he added.
