The Smart way of building cars

摘要

Completed in October 1997, the so-called Smartville production plant, located near the small town of Hambach on the French side of the Franco-German border, is one of the most modern car plants in the world. When under construction, the impact it might have on the environment featured so high on the list that it was even considered "ungreen" to install any air conditioning systems on the site despite it being built on former swampland and, like many modern buildings, having a large number of windows. Nor do any of the buildings contain formaldehyde or CFCs while specialist company Trespa Meteon has supplied the high-quality wood-based fagade cladding to tone down the harsh shapes usually associated with industrial buildings. Heat recovery systems are used throughout the factory. The heat generated by air leaving the paint department and by the injection moulding section is taken through a rotating heat recovery system that also has the side benefit of eliminating the need for cooling towers.