Forvia advances automated packaging and load building in digital supply chain push
Forvia Interiors is accelerating the digital transformation of its packaging and logistics processes as part of a wider push to build a more transparent, automated and predictable global supply chain.
Forvia’s products, including door panels, instrument panels and centre consoles, rely on highly synchronised just-in-time flows that are increasingly volatile as OEM schedules fluctuate. Speaking at Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Digital Strategies Europe 2025, Zvonimir Zaja, head of global supply chain and logistics for Forvia Interiors, said the interiors division is deploying data-driven automation across its plants, from injection moulding to truck loading to cut inventories, improve load utilisation and strengthen resilience.
Automation reshapes packaging at lighthouse Spain plant
Zaja highlighted the company’s digital ‘lighthouse’ plant in Tarazona, northern Spain, which produces door and instrument panels for a major OEM. There, Forvia has digitalised the full injection moulding process across 30 machines, recording temperatures and other parameters and feeding the data directly to supervisors via dashboards.
One of the most significant steps for packaging logistics at the company is the introduction of an automated “auto-packaging” process. “This is one door panel that is being now used in the machine where we're doing so-called auto packaging,” Zaja said. “We are producing and putting these parts directly into the shelf”. Parts move straight from injection to ready-to-ship packaging locations without manual handling, reducing labour needs and the risk of mispacking or damage.
This packaging activity is integrated into an end-to-end automated material flow driven by AGVs. “This is one part of the end-to-end automation. We have used and implemented this AGV coming from the injection moulding into our so-called second level shop stock. It is going automatically line feeding to the assembly line or even going further,” Zaja said. The AGV system connects injection, packaging locations and assembly lines through a multi-level internal layout designed for high-mix, high-volume component flows.
Load building and forklift-free handling
Forvia is also piloting forklift-free logistics and automated load building to optimise outbound flows. At Carazona, the team has tested unmanned forklifts for internal deliveries and is now validating automated truck loading and virtual load-building tools. “We’re measuring data and using it to understand some parameters and patterns. This is one part of our delivery where we have tested forklift without man. This is the truck loader load building, we have a truck that we can load physically and in the system to really understand what the truck utilisation rate is to optimise costs,” he added.
The enhanced load-building system uses MRP inputs and transport management data to generate optimised loading patterns that make fuller use of trailer space, helping reduce transport costs and CO₂ emissions. This capability is being extended globally as Forvia looks to standardise packaging formats and integrate physical and digital load verification.
Embedding resilience in packaging and logistics
Forvia’s long-term aim is to embed risk awareness and predictive capabilities directly into its packaging, warehousing and transport decisions. The company is developing new data-focused roles, including digital twin analysts and data engineers, to build and maintain the required models and ontologies. Change management remains essential, with teams conducting parallel testing to build trust in AI-supported recommendations.
Packaging sits at the centre of this transformation. Automated packing, forklift-free handling and more intelligent load building serve not only to improve efficiency but also to increase resilience in a supply chain where short-notice changes can ripple through operations. With a strong business case emerging from early pilots, Forvia is now sizing the next phase of network-wide deployment.
