The alliance between Renault and Nissan has been very successful over the years and it shows the future of automotive partnerships and the many advantages that can come from it. Not only are costs brought down, but better R&D and more efficient manufacturing means that better products are being brought into the market. Last year the alliance showcased to us their newest production strategy called the Common Module Family or CMF. It is not a new platform as the process can accommodate many different platforms into one single manufacturing process.
A Common Module Family is an engineering architecture that covers Renault-Nissan Alliance vehicles, from one or more segments, based on the assembly of compatible Big Modules that include engine bay, cockpit, front underbody, rear underbody and electrical/electronic architecture. Therefore, a CMF is not a platform; it can involve several platforms. A platform is a horizontal segmentation; a CMF is a cross-sector concept.
CMF is an additional tool that goes further than carryovers on a single platform, to expand the product range. The trend will be to increase the modules common to several platforms with a view to standardizing components and increasing the number of vehicles per platform. CMF will gradually be extended to Renault and Nissan ranges between 2013 and 2020. CMF will be first applied to the compact and large car segments, then to be followed by models in other segments.
Jean-Michel Billig, Engineering, Quality & IT Director of Renault said: “With CMF, the investments in vehicle architecture and non-visible parts are mutualized, resulting in significant cost reductions that allow us to roll out our innovation policy in terms of environment, safety and new technologies for all our customers.”