KUALA LUMPUR: National carmaker Proton has recently kicked off its RM253 million expansion project, adding new stamping facilities in Tanjong Malim, which will be known as Stamping E and F-Line.

In a statement today, Proton said the project will increase the volume of parts stamping at Proton Tanjong Malim as the company prepares to relocate production of the Proton Saga from Shah Alam by 2026.

The expansion is also expected to accommodate growing overall production volumes and any new models to be introduced in the near future.

"This is the second planned expansion to Proton's parts stamping capabilities in recent years after the inauguration of the D-Line stamping plant on March 14, 2023 by the Menteri Besar of Perak, Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad," the company said.

Proton chief executive officer Dr Li Chunrong said the addition of the parts stamping E and F-Line is critical to the company's future volume expansion plans, as it provides more flexibility to ramp up production and meet market demand.

"For the whole of 2023 and up to June 2024, our Tanjong Malim plant has stamped out 6.067 million components, of which 395,211 are from the new D-Line. This number will grow exponentially when production of the Proton Saga is relocated here in 2026," he said.

The new E-Line will feature a four-stage stamping process with a 1,600-tonne stamping machine and three 800-tonne machines, while the F-Line will have a five-stage stamping process utilising a 2,000-tonne, 1,200-tonne and three 1,000-tonne stamping force machines.

In addition to the stamping machines, Proton said robots will be used to transfer parts between workstations, while IR 4.0 technology will be implemented using real-time data and machine learning to improve the quality of parts produced.

Furthermore, the new stamping lines will reduce Proton's reliance on imported parts, insulating the company against potential disruptions to global trade and improving the local parts supply.

"At the same time, the investment builds on competencies available in Tanjong Malim and will contribute towards the ongoing development of the Automotive High Tech Valley (AHTV)," Proton said.