Dana opens Wuxi R&D centre

Dana Holding Corporation has officially opened a 12,000 square-meter (129,000 square-foot) technical centre in Wuxi, Jiangsu Provence, China. The Dana China Technical Center will provide advanced product and applications engineering for original-equipment manufacturers in the light-vehicle, commercial-vehicle, and off-highway markets in China and throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

The Dana China Technical Center includes a 5,800 square-metre (62,000 square-foot) test lab and provides 3,200 square metres (34,000 square feet) of manufacturing space to supplement the 17,000 square metres (183,000 square feet) dedicated to manufacturing at the adjacent Dana Wuxi Technologies Company, Ltd., facility.

“Dana has a long history of product innovation, and the Dana China Technical Center will allow us to further leverage technology synergies across all the markets and customers we serve around the world,” said Roger J. Wood, president and chief executive officer of Dana. “We have recognized the importance of supporting the Chinese market for more than two decades, and we will continue to allocate an increasing share of our resources toward supporting our customers in the region.” 

R&D centre’s OE focus

Dana serves more than 100 customers in China including Beijing Jeep Corporation, BMW, Daimler, Dongfeng Motor, Ford, Jinbei, SAIC, Sany, SGM, Southeast Motor Corporation, Toyota, VW Group, XCMG, XGMA, and Zoomlion.

The Dana China Technical Center – the company’s 15th advanced engineering facility around the world – focuses on the research, design, development, and testing of drivetrain, sealing, and thermal-management products. 

Most of the engineering activities at the centre are currently focused on Dana’s growing off-highway portfolio for the region.  The company will take a balanced, strategic approach that leverages this engineering expertise to grow business across all market segments. 

“For more than 20 years, Dana has been building a reputation in China as the Tier One partner that OEMs can trust for the timely delivery of dependable powertrain solutions,” said George Constand, Dana’s chief technical and quality officer.  “Our research and development centre in Wuxi is the latest example of our commitment to better align with the unique technological and market requirements of our customers in the region.”

Dana demonstrated the value of local engineering and OEM support in the development of the Spicer Rui Ma brand of off-highway transmissions and axles launched at Bauma China last year. A quality complement to Dana’s flagship Spicer brand of technologically advanced drivetrain solutions, Spicer Rui Ma drivetrain solutions provide an optimized blend of product features, performance, dependability, and cost demanded by purchasers of the majority of construction and other off-highway vehicles manufactured in China today.

The Dana China Technical Center joins the company’s growing network of manufacturing, engineering, sales support, and aftermarket parts and service teams in China, as well as Dana’s global product service and support resources. Dana currently has 10 facilities in China that employ more than 8,000 people, including those operations in which Dana holds a minority interest.

In 2012, Dana announced the opening of a new aftermarket distribution center in Wuxi to increase product availability, improve delivery times, and provide additional support to its growing number of aftermarket customers. 

Dana also recently began producing five medium- and large-sized Spicer mining axle models at the company’s facility in Wuxi as part of an effort to increase output for growing demand in the mining market.  

In 2011, Dana purchased an increased stake in Dongfeng Dana Axle Co., Ltd. (DDAC), a China-based commercial-vehicle axle joint venture headquartered in Xiangyang, Hubei Province, to 50 percent. Through this agreement, DDAC has become Dana’s largest overseas axle manufacturing base.

Originally formed in 2005, DDAC is the primary supplier of truck axles to Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd. DDAC currently offers a complete range of truck axles in the Chinese market, including drive, steer, tandem, and hub-reduction axles for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty trucks, as well as buses.