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Nissan stamping line unveiled ahead of Qashqai launch

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Nissan has unveiled a £52 million extra-large press line at its UK manufacturing plant in Sunderland as preparations ramp up for the next-generation Qashqai. The Komatsu press, which weighs more than 2,000 tonnes and has taken 18 months to install, is part of a £400 million total investment by Nissan in readiness for the new Qashqai, which will be the third-generation of the crossover.

Investment in the new press includes a new recycling system to segregate and process scrap, along with upgrades to the existing blanking line, which will supply flat blanks to the machine. Nissan’s new press is capable of stamping more than 6.1 million vehicle panels a year, with a maximum combined force of 5,400 tonnes.

As part of the opening ceremony, the whole team behind the press project signed the first panel – a fender for the new Juke.

March 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of the first Juke to roll off the line in Sunderland. The all-new version has been made exclusively in Sunderland since October last year.

Steve Marsh, vice president - manufacturing, at Nissan Sunderland Plant, says: “Watching the first perfect panels coming off the press was a proud moment, and is a reflection of the tremendous skills we have here on Wearside.”