Purpose
- Upgrade automation system for customer’s production line
- The plant produced 70 different car variants.
- The semi-automated system had 29 independent stations and 2 conveyors equipped with 30 control PCs and 2 servers.
Project Scope
- Design, development, assembly and remote/on-site support of production line.
- Production processes for assembly of components in different steps and stages
- Semi-automated system for testing and calibration of semi-finished and final products
Solution Approach
- Line database server for shop-floor data collection to manage traceability, BOM, resources and materials, recipe management, work instructions, reporting on Andon screens and intranet, etc.
- Traceability feature was realized using the Manufacturing Execution System.
- Individual stations were controlled by industrial PCs leveraging the LabVIEW platform.
- Each station had its own internal network to be able to communicate with peripherals like digital or analogue inputs and outputs, controlled resources, cameras, scanners, etc.
The Results
- Easy setup production parameters from one central location
- Operator on-screen guidance
- Rapid changes of desired production variants
- Detailed on-line reporting
- Production data available anytime
Systems, Tools & Services Expertise
- Mitsubishi SCARA robots
- Honeywell Barcode scanner
- Montrac conveyor systems
- Database and reporting- Microsoft SQL
- Industrial Control PCs and servers (MS Windows + LabVIEW)
- Cameras and camera sensors
