PROTON To Relocate Saga Production To Tanjong Malim

National carmaker PROTON is preparing to move out of its production facility in Shah Alam. The Proton Saga, which is still produced there, will be relocated to Tanjong Malim by 2026. In line with this move, the company recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for new additions to its stamping facilities in Tanjong Malim.

The new stamping lines, designated as E and F-Line, are set to enhance the volume of parts stamping at the Tanjong Malim plant. This expansion will also accommodate increased production volumes and potential new models in the near future. The project has a budget of RM253 million and is a continuation of PROTON’s efforts to bolster its parts stamping capabilities, following the launch of the D-Line stamping plant on 14 March 2023.

Dr. Li Chunrong, Chief Executive Officer of PROTON, highlighted the importance of these new additions. He stated, “The addition of the parts stamping E and F-Line are critical to PROTON’s future volume expansion plans as it gives us more flexibility to ramp up our production and meet market demand. For the whole of 2023 and up to June 2024, our Tanjong Malim plant has stamped out 6,067,064 components, of which 395,211 are from the new D-Line, and this number will grow exponentially when production for the PROTON Saga is relocated here in 2026.”

The new E-Line will feature a 4-stage stamping process with a 1,600-tonne stamping machine as well as 3 800-tonne machines, while the F-Line will have a 5-stage stamping process utilising a 2,000-tonne, a 1,200-tonne, and 3 1,000-tonne stamping force machines. Robots will also be employed to transfer parts between workstations, and IR 4.0 technology will be implemented to use real-time data and machine learning to improve the quality of parts produced.

This expansion is expected to reduce PROTON’s reliance on imported parts, insulating the company against potential global trade disruptions and improving local parts supply. Additionally, it will build on the existing competencies in Tanjong Malim and contribute to the development of the Automotive High Tech Valley (AHTV).

“As PROTON moves towards consolidating our production operations in Tanjong Malim, we continue to work towards increasing our local parts sourcing. Aside from cost and parts security considerations, we continue to champion the government’s aim to grow local participation in the automotive industry via job creation on multiple levels,” Dr. Li Chunrong added.