In recent years, electronic regulation systems have become increasingly integral to the automotive industry. These systems are pivotal in enhancing vehicle performance, contributing to significant advancements in lightweighting, and playing a crucial role in the reduction of emissions. As the automotive market continues to evolve towards more efficient and environmentally friendly technologies, the demand for high-quality electronic actuators has surged.

FAIST Control Systems has long been at the forefront of producing advanced regulation systems, particularly for turbochargers. Our expertise spans across, yet it not limited to, regulating wastegate and variable turbine systems, both of which are essential components in modern internal combustion and hybrid engines in the automotive sector. In response to the growing market demand and the need for more sophisticated electronic regulation solutions, FAIST Control Systems is planning a strategic capacity increase from 2024 through 2028.

This planned expansion is not just about scaling production; it reflects FAIST’s commitment to innovation and leadership in the field of automotive regulation systems. As the industry trends toward more electrified and efficient vehicles, FAIST’s capacity increase is designed to meet the future needs of the market while continuing to deliver the high standards of quality and reliability that the company is known for.

Today, we have the opportunity to speak with Eng. Domenico Carnevale, Manufacturing Manager at FAIST Control Systems and Industrial Business Units, to gain deeper insights into this planned capacity increase. We will explore the strategic motivations behind this expansion, the technological advancements that will accompany it, and what it means for FAIST’s future in the automotive industry.

Q.: Several lines for the production of Wastegate Electronic Actuators (WG REA) are already operational in various FAIST CS’ production sites across the world. What is currently planned for this application in terms of increase of capacity for subcomponents and for the finished product itself?

FAIST is actively expanding its capacity for both subcomponents and finished Wastegate Electronic Actuators (WG REA) across various production sites globally.
Considering the final assembly lines, FAIST is following basically two directions: basing the new lines localization on market demand and with an improvement in terms of efficiency compared to the lines currently installed.
This means increased lines’ flexibility, quality improvements and bottlenecks removal as main targets, elements that concur to an output increase for each line.

At subcomponent level, supporting the decision with specific business cases, we are planning the aforementioned increases to mitigate risks linked to long lead times due to transportation. Examples of that are represented by the two cover lines, one for FAIST Metalmex in Mexico and one for FAIST Emissions Control in China, the body line in China and the gear train components line for Mexico.

Q.: For the other main application, the Variable Turbine Electronic Actuator (VT REA), FAIST CS currently has a line in SOP stage in the Suzhou plant, FAIST Emission Controls. Does the current plan include additional capacity also for this product?

VT REA projects started some years later than Wastegate and we are currently in SOP phase both in Montone (FAIST Componenti) and Suzhou. We are therefor following the set-up of the planned capacity, from final assembly to subcomponents.
We have no immediate plan to increase the capacity but we’ll start, at the beginning of the year, an inter-functional design activity to include, in the future line, the opportunity to produce different models of VT actuator, as the market is asking for that.

Q.: Could you provide an overview of the medium-term capacity increase plan for FAIST Control Systems in the context of electronic actuators?

With regards to China demand of WG actuators, we introduced in H1/2024 two new cover models, to sustain new actuators projects, while in H2/2024 we should be able to achieve a 10% output increase in the current WG final assembly line.
Starting from Q1/2025 also a new model of output shaft will be available, with a focus on cost saving performance.
At the beginning of next year, we should review the opportunity to increase our portfolio with new actuator models, not linked to ICEs. We plan to be ready for this at the end of 2026.

Regarding North America’s WG actuators demand, FAIST will complete shortly the introduction of the new cover line, more flexible and modular than the previous generation. Further developments in 2025 foresee a new body line and a new WG final assembly line.

With regards to VT actuators, at the end of this year we will complete the ramp-up of the two available lines, maximizing the current OEE, while next year we plan to increase the capacity of the geartrain components in FEC.

Next year, for upcoming projects, we will start also the design of a line capable to produce two models, one is the current VT REA and the other is the AXIAL version.

Q.: What specific changes will be implemented to achieve this capacity increase? Are there particular technologies or processes that will be upgraded or introduced?

Since the beginning of these projects we defined, in agreement with our R&D department, a set of basic processes that are not going to change. Anyway, even in partnership with suppliers, they are continuously improved in terms of efficiency and quality performance.

The main changes are focused in handling solutions’ design, where a different mix of operator and robot activities allows us to reach an increased productivity. An example is the new cover line designed for the Mexican plant, that is currently in internal homologation process.

The opportunity to produce different models in one line will be then the challenge of next year.

Q.: What challenges do you anticipate during the implementation of this capacity increase? How does FAIST plan to address these challenges?

With regards to lines to be installed or upgraded in a short term, challenges are represented by lead-times constraints, and by the fact that we have to work in parallel with production.

For new line design, flexibility, modularity and cycle time are our main drivers but we are also keeping a close eye on the investment level required by these improvements while executing.

Q.: How does FAIST plan to maintain or improve product quality during this expansion? What measures are in place to ensure that the increased production capacity does not compromise product reliability?

Being IATF certified in all plants, we follow the norm requirements all the time, and the introduction of new lines is no exception.

At the same time, we are constantly increasing our competences, regarding the “new” products and the “new” processes, to have empowered data monitoring and lesson learnt activities.

We can mention additionally that all these lines collect and make available in real time thousands of parameters tracing each single product. This simplifies the characterization of our products and our processes output.

Q.: How does the increasing demand for electronic actuators reflect broader trends in the automotive industry?

The increasing demand for electronic actuators is linked since years to engine downsizing and to ICE innovations, aimed at increased fuel efficiency and lower emissions. Furthermore, these systems support and will support significantly more efficient internal combustion engines as hybrid configurations.

Nowadays, electrification and Autonomous or Smart Vehicle technologies are introducing new applications for electric actuators, that will be responsible for managing complex systems like battery management, regenerative braking, and precise control over electric drivetrains.

Electronic actuators are pivotal to the industry's shift toward cleaner, more efficient, and smarter vehicles due to their ability to provide precise control and adaptability.

Q.: How does the FAIST capacity increase align with FAIST’s broader strategic goals?

FAIST is living the present and ready for the future. The current investments we are developing are a response to the demand we foresee for the next 5 years, looking to the specific local market demands, aligning capacities in all production sites. All Manufacturing design activities are then focused to maintain this capacity and ensure the proper flexibility to welcome new products with different application areas than ICEs.

Our customers can therefor be sure that we are actively engaged in maintaining our role of preferred source for development and manufacturing.

Q.: How does FAIST stay ahead of technological advancements in the production of regulation systems?

To stay ahead of technological advancements in the production of regulation systems, FAIST employs a multi-pronged approach that includes investments in R&D and manufacturing processes, collaborations with academic institutions, and proactive market adaptation.
We are adopting cutting-edge manufacturing techniques such as automation and Industry 4.0 technologies, helping streamline production, improving quality control and reducing lead times.

The common path of our R&D and Manufacturing teams is another key aspect to stay ahead and develop new solutions for engine management, focusing on improving precision, efficiency, and durability, always adapting the design to processes opportunities reducing cycle time and improving quality.

Q.: As we close, can you reflect on how the Manufacturing team at FAIST has grown over the past years through the lessons learned from previous installations?

The manufacturing team has experienced five years of complex installations across multiple sites all over the world, which have increased our people's competences and upskilled them, making them more efficient and proactive in finding new solutions. This is fully reflected in the efficiency reached in the design workflow.

More in detail, by refining automation processes, balancing better manual and automated tasks, material handling and quality control processes, we managed to reduce bottlenecks and improve the overall output.
An important step forward for us was the modular plug-and-play concept in the installation process, which we managed to extend as a standard to partners working with FAIST. That is reducing significantly installation time and debug phase.

We also keep improving our internal systems to store and share lessons learnt, so that all the people involved in the Manufacturing functions can have a reliable source of information and share their knowledge amongst all of us in the team.