Automotive Assembly Line
In production line assembly, cars on computer-assisted process systems (power screwdriver systems, testing systems and pick-to-light systems) are often still identified by scanning the car ID manually using a barcode scanner.
The Challenge
Automation of Car Assembly
The corresponding assembly order is then automatically loaded to the process system to be carried out. Scanning manually is both laborious (many tens of thousands of times every day) and error-prone. The aim is to enable the cars to be identified and assigned to the process system fully automatically. The assembly order - unique to the car and the process system - should be loaded reliably, in real-time and without manual interaction.
The Solution
Continuous Location of Cars and Tools
Solution Description
The solution is based on the Ubisense Real-Time Location System to track cars and tools with high resolution. The assignment of a process system (e.g. power screwdriver) to an individual car is made by evaluating the spatial relationship between the system component and the car in real time. The
manual scanning process can be entirely dispensed with: the trigger by which the assembly order is loaded to the relevant system is the entry of the tool or test component into one of the zones assigned to the car.
Process Description
In the car factory, around 1000 vehicles are assembled simultaneously and worked on using 150 power screwdrivers.
- Each power screwdriver is associated with one active tag. The power screwdriver ID is assigned to this tag.
- Each car on the assembly line also is associated with an active tag. The tag is positioned on top of the engine compartment. The tag ID is assigned to the car ID and to the car type fully automatically.
- A spatial zone is automatically assigned to the car, in accordance with its type.
- Cars and power screwdrivers are continuously located with high spatial resolution (30 cm) and up to 0.1 seconds temporal resolution.
- When the power screwdriver 123.4 approaches car 4711, i.e. the power screwdriver is in the vicinity of the car, the assembly order for this car is loaded to the power screwdriver.
- The same interface can be used for controlling the power screwdriver as is used to scan the barcode.
- Manual intervention by the assembly
