Passion for perfection: Ducati manufacturing in Thailand
14/05/2018
![HKEY0122](https://blogs.cranfield.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/HKEY0122-2.jpg)
Headquartered in Bologna, Italy, Ducati, the passionate motor bike manufacturer, expanded their operations to Thailand in 2011. On the fifth day of our study tour we visited their assembly plant that has a footprint of 45,000 sqm and gives about 200 passionate employees a chance to make Ducati’s vision a reality outside of Italy.
Welcomed by the Managing Director, we have been guided through a basic presentation about Ducati’s global strategy. They have only two manufacturing plants worldwide and produce approximately 55,000 bikes per year.
However, Ducati’s secret does not lie in volume but rather in their attention to detail and focus on creating the perfect performance bike. Therefore, Ducati does not compete with volume manufacturers from the far east but rather relies on their Italian confidence in style and passion. Their bike models such as “Monster” and “Diavel” let the name speak for itself. If you are not convinced by the name, either the elegance and perfect shape of the bike will get you or the sheer performance will blow you away.
Recently Ducati introduced a brand that gives free-spirited and freedom-loving bikers a way to express themselves through their bike – The model is called the “Scrambler”. This bike gets manufactured in the Thailand plant for sales in the entire world except for Europe. Overall Ducati ensures their quality across their organization and targets to produce their bikes in the same way, be it in Thailand or in Italy.
We had the chance to walk their production hall, where we learned that everything happens under the same roof. Spare parts are received, the frames are welded together and painted, the bikes get assembled, quality tested, packaged for transport into the local market or strapped into steel cages for export – a screw goes into the plant and one of the most powerful bikes comes out from under the same roof…very impressive.
Ducati’s passion captured our group, so that we could not get our hands off the bikes. Everybody took turns getting a feel for the machines. In summary, a very interesting morning visit. Thank you very much Ducati for opening your doors to us!
Kristin, Brian, Kai, Anton
Categories & Tags:
Leave a comment on this post:
You might also like…
Keren Tuv: My Cranfield experience studying Renewable Energy
Hello, my name is Keren, I am from London, UK, and I am studying Renewable Energy MSc. My journey to discovering Cranfield University began when I first decided to return to academia to pursue ...
3D Metal Manufacturing in space: A look into the future
David Rico Sierra, Research Fellow in Additive Manufacturing, was recently involved in an exciting project to manufacture parts using 3D printers in space. Here he reflects on his time working with Airbus in Toulouse… ...
A Legacy of Courage: From India to Britain, Three Generations Find Their Home
My story begins with my grandfather, who plucked up the courage to travel aboard at the age of 22 and start a new life in the UK. I don’t think he would have thought that ...
Cranfield to JLR: mastering mechatronics for a dream career
My name is Jerin Tom, and in 2023 I graduated from Cranfield with an MSc in Automotive Mechatronics. Originally from India, I've always been fascinated by the world of automobiles. Why Cranfield and the ...
Bringing the vision of advanced air mobility closer to reality
Experts at Cranfield University led by Professor Antonios Tsourdos, Head of the Autonomous and Cyber-Physical Systems Centre, are part of the Air Mobility Ecosystem Consortium (AMEC), which aims to demonstrate the commercial and operational ...
Using grey literature in your research: A short guide
As you research and write your thesis, you might come across, or be looking for, ‘grey literature’. This is quite simply material that is either unpublished, or published but not in a commercial form. Types ...