Key Takeaways
- Macro Scale: Managing a 20-person interpreter team working in a three-shift system for 9 months.
- 360° Logistics: Coordinating accommodation, transport, and facilities for nearly 200 people across 3 locations.
- High-Tech: Interpreting processes for multiple engine types and the innovative Nanoslide® technology.
- Result: Over 12,000 man-hours of consecutive interpreting delivered directly on the assembly line.
- Beyond Translation: Evolution of the role from technical interpreter to project manager and 'troubleshooter' for crisis situations.
The Calm Before the Storm: Recruitment and Kick-off
The cooperation with the automotive giant from Stuttgart began innocently enough. In the spring of 2018, I was invited to a pre-project meeting in Legnica – the command center for Project NeMo (Neue Motorenfabrik) at the time.
The assumptions seemed simple: a dozen or so production staff members would go to the German plant to learn the secrets of the assembly line. The group, consisting of foremen and team leaders, needed the support of two interpreters for less than two months. It sounded like a standard job, a walk in the park.
Reality initially confirmed this scenario. The start was intimate – the entire team fit into three Vito vans. We worked one shift, and I, shoulder to shoulder with the employees, learned the engine construction and assembly line logic from scratch. No one suspected then how much this project would evolve.
Operational Context: The Heart of Mercedes Beats in Thuringia
The project was carried out at the MDC Power GmbH plant in Kölleda – a key engine factory belonging 100% to the Daimler AG group (now Mercedes-Benz AG). It is a massive production complex with an area of 287,000 m², of which 162,000 m² is production space.
The plant, employing nearly 1,900 people, specializes in assembling powertrains that go into a wide range of models. They form the heart of the A and B-Class, E and S-Class limousines, as well as SUVs (GLA, GLC, GLE) and vans.
It was in this setting that the training of the core team for the newly opened factory in Jawor took place. Here, we walked thousands of steps every day, circling from station to station to ensure smooth and error-free communication.
Full Throttle: From Pilot to Full-Scale Operation
The first phase of the project was an exciting warm-up. We got to know the production line inside out – both automated and manual stations – mentally dismantling the engine into its prime factors. These few weeks allowed for something more than just knowledge transfer: we built lasting relationships with both the Jawor team and our German hosts.
Therefore, we received the news about the continuation and expansion of the project with enthusiasm. However, no one expected the pace at which the escalation would occur.
The assignment grew from month to month. Kölleda quickly became the main training hub for hundreds of new employees from Poland. Along with them, the demand for language support grew. My role evolved – from an interpreter, I became a coordinator. At the peak, I managed a team of over 20 interpreters rotating in a three-shift system to ensure 24-hour training continuity.
Despite new management tasks, I did not leave the front line. I remained the lead interpreter – both in the noise of the production hall and outside the plant. With the growing number of group members, the spectrum of my duties expanded to handle emergencies. Doctor visits, dental emergencies, or assistance during hospital stays became everyday life. My commitment even extended to logistics and... construction, when it became necessary to organize the building of a kitchen and dining room in one of the hotels accommodating guests from Poland.
At some point, the burden of organizational tasks became so heavy that for the last six weeks of the project, my team was reinforced by an additional coordinator. He took the helm in logistical matters – from managing accommodation and transport to servicing apartment equipment – which allowed me to withdraw from active project participation and head for a well-deserved rest.
Technological Deep Dive: What's Under the Hood?
The project in Kölleda (MDC Power) was not just about assembling screws – this is where the heart of Mercedes innovation beats. During interpreting, we had to master technologies that define modern automotive engineering:
- NANOSLIDE® – Lightweight Technology: Instead of traditional, heavy cast-iron liners, the sister plant in Arnstadt uses a futuristic Twin-Wire Arc Spraying (LDS) process. An iron-carbon alloy is melted by an electric arc and sprayed onto the cylinder walls, creating an ultra-thin, nano-porous layer. The result? Friction reduction by 50% and engine weight savings of up to 4.3 kg.
- The AMG Legend (M133 Engine): A true school of precision. The project included a line dedicated to the unit mounted in Mercedes-AMG models (e.g., A 45). At the time, it was the most powerful mass-produced four-cylinder engine in the world. It required employees – and the interpreter – to understand extremely high quality standards where there is simply no margin for error.
- Seven Hearts in One Body: A logistical challenge was the parallel conduct of training for as many as 7 different engine series. We had to fluidly switch between terminology for diesels (from popular OM651/OM654 to the powerful six-cylinder OM656) and the specifics of gasoline units (M270, M282).
Project Balance: 12,000 Hours and... One Transmission
When I look back at this project, the numbers still impress me. At its peak, the operation covered logistics for nearly 200 people located in three locations within a 30 km radius of Kölleda.
Together with a team of 20 interpreters working in a three-shift mode, we delivered over 12,000 man-hours of consecutive interpreting. We trained hundreds of production employees, transferring the knowledge necessary to launch the factory in Jawor.
For me personally, it was the biggest lesson in humility and crisis management of my career. I emerged with "pro-level" knowledge of engine construction, but also with personal costs – the intense commuting between home and work ultimately destroyed the transmission in my company car. But it was worth it.
The success of this undertaking would not have been possible without the fantastic people I had the honor of working with on the line. A huge thank you to the entire "Dream Team":
Anna, Bożena, Violetta, Sandra, Marta, Barbara, Julianna, Marcin, Krzychu, Jakub, Atanazy, Piotr, Darek, Michał, Maciej, Seweryn, Kajetan, Aleksander, Krzysztof, Michu.
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