Automation – Page 233
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ArticleInterview: Porsche's Michael Drolshagen talks Spyder manufacture
An entirely new production area has been designed and built for Porsche's hybrid supercar. The director of production for the 918 Spyder talks about the creation of the ‘Manufactory’ at Zuffenhausen, GermanyAMS: What were the criteria for the 918 production area?Michael Drolshagen (MD): At the start of the project in ...
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ArticleBridging the gap
Laser welding is increasingly used in high-volume vehicle production, including at BMW Swindon in the UKBMW’s Plant Swindon in the UK manufactures the shared bonnet for the three- and five-door Minis, as well as the six different doors the vehicles use (left and right, front and rear) and a tailgate ...
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Article缩小差距
激光焊接术正逐步广泛应用于高产量汽车生产上，英国史云顿的宝马汽车公司就是典型一例。宝马公司在英国史云顿的工厂制造三门和五门Minis汽车发动机罩，以及六种汽车车门（左、右、前、后）和后挡板总成。从相对陈旧的技术到前沿领域的多种接合技术都在这里出现。成熟的卷边加工技术，现在只用来接合后挡板的外板和内板。但在发动机罩和车门上，激光焊接术已经代替卷边技术，成为接合组装内外挡板的主要手段。这种情况就需要使用接触式激光焊接术（TLW），将一个薄而长的钢丝插入焊缝间隙里，然后通过激光进行熔化接合，在挡板之间形成完美的缝合。在史云顿的工厂里，宝马公司已经成功开发了远程激光焊接术（RLW）。这种技术就是在机器人单元一侧生成一束激光，用一个光缆对机器人的中心进行控制，并通过一个镜面反射到需要作用的工件上。史云顿的技术已经成熟到可以将一个窗框安到内门套上了。所有的激光流程都是由17个机器人在部件装配车间的9个不同单元里完成的 — 5个单元是TLW工艺，4个是RLW工艺。在第一种工艺中的分配情况是：一个用于发动机罩，左右前门各占一个，两个后门各占一个。在第二种工艺里，工作的分配取决于门的种类。这里用铲车向各个单元运送零部件；传输系统因缺乏而引人注目。激光单元的循环时间是64秒。误差由单元内摄像系统监控，在任何情况下都控制在0.3mm内。极小的监控这里的人员配置非常少。每班只需2名专家就能修改所有的单元里的故障，继续运行。每个单元只要一个监督员就可以，有时一个人就可以监管2个单元。史云顿工厂里的接合专家Stuart Hilliard负责所有单元的正常运行，预防出现错误或灾祸。他说，存货只供2个小时的缓冲，供史云顿和牛津工厂的汽车装配使用。Hilliard说，在史云顿使用的接触式激光焊接和远程激光焊接术，体现了宝马公司逐步引进新技术的过程。尽管这两种工艺在史云顿都是新技术，但是他证实说，接触式激光焊接术已经在集团的其他部门使用了4年多。除此之外，发展成熟的接触点焊术，已经广泛应用于发动机盖和车门内部框架的装配上。每个发动机盖上大约有80个这样的焊点，而在车门上大约有50个。史云顿的焊接操作实际包括了三代的技术。Hilliard说，目前史云顿使用的两种焊接术都是在德国研究出来的。宝马公司之前的TLW，在应用和操作方面相对更加直接。他说，“只要把零部件固定住，就知道可行了”。但是，远程焊接术却是另一回事。他说，“史云顿的很多工作都是为了使这个工艺更加可靠。”工作的中心就是以软件和摄像机为基础的追踪系统，用于监控流程，以及焊接飞溅质量相关问题，保证Oxford的喷漆过程不出现任何闪失。提升的空间Hilliard承认，RLW工艺还在改进中。在初始阶段，该工艺的远程激光焊接的“结构位值相当简单”，只需要12个同样的焊接。但是事后便扩大应用范围到将车窗固定到内门组件上 — 这个过程需要考虑更多组件的可能性破坏。因此，这里需要30-32的远程焊接，每个焊接大概需要1秒钟。虽然如此，RLW技术的使用并不是偶然的；Hilliard说，这对提高设计与产品的一致性非常关键。虽然用点焊也不是不能完成目标，但是会非常困难，因为这需要非常小的焊嘴。“史云顿对RLW做了大量的开发工作，来增强工艺的可靠性” —— 宝马公司，Stuart HilliardHilliard说，在设备配置方面，激光源安置在每个单元的顶端，然后经过20米厂的电缆传到应用中心。他解释说，激光电缆绝对必要，因为激光对眼睛有害，而且所有单元都是不透光的。激光源来自Trumpf Trudisk 4001设施，光波长1030nm，功率达4kw。自从2013年，该技术在史云顿的投入使用以来，已经在莱比锡BMW生产线和荷兰VDL Nedcar的生产线（2014年中期开始生产Mini Hatch汽车）上大展拳脚。但Hilliard说，RLW系列在史云顿投入使用之前，先经过12个月的前期运作。因为，这非常需要德国宝马集团和其他技术供应商的大量合作以及投入。但是，在“反复试验”阶段也是付了不少“学费”。Hilliard还说，迭代过程的目标就是将3个不相干的技术元素融合在一起 — 即“机器人、摄像系统和控制软件”— 并让他们有效结合，保持焊接质量，这在激光头和工作件上的光源应用点之间达到400-600mm距离时，会更加困难。他相信，综合所有不同的技术因素的远程激光焊接，需要一个高水平的技术和知识团队。相反，由于两个工件之间的电缆层有效传输激光，接触性焊接技术变得更加简便。虽然如此，他说史云顿的远程技术和接触性焊接和点焊应用一样广泛，也就是一个星期5天，每天从早晨6点到第二天4:30一直应用。多主题产品远程激光焊接术的基础并不是新的。据Comau（意大利机器人系统供应商）公司的Nunzio Magnano讲，公司早在2001年就引进了使用CO2激光的RLW产品。从那以后，公司又引进了2个版本的后续系统（分别在2006年和2010年末），叫做SmartLaser。公司的车体焊接与装配部门的工艺技术全球总监Magnano说，SmartLaser系统是一部四轴机器人、一个扫描仪和一个控制系统激光（也是由Comau公司开发）的“完美融合”。系统格式里的激光源被安装在激光防护罩外面，与50米高的激光传导纤维连接，聚焦反射镜与工作间之间的最终距离大约有1,000mm。Magnano说，与点焊相比，远程技术的灵活性极高，便于使用，生产力高，故障少。最后他总结说，最重要的因素还是要归因于这种技术超凡的接合力。他说，一个单独的焊接点本质上是板材间的不对称接合，并不具有电阻优先定向。相反，激光焊接的线性拉伸，比如25mm长和0.8mm宽，根据不用的刚才能增加30%的电阻。SmartLaser系统的固定用户是菲亚特公司，于2006年和2009年分别在Lancia Delta和Guilietta汽车上是使用。现在该公司在FCA名下，正努力提高Jeep Renegade汽车的产量，在全球3个工厂里使用SmartLaser RLW技术。Magnano证实，意大利Melfi和巴西的Pernambuco的工厂已经在过去的12月里开始生产，而在中国泉州的第三个工厂，将于今年中期开始生产。多项申请Magnano说，事实上，Jeep Renegade项目具有在相同产品生产线上使用3中不同激光技术的特点：远程激光焊接用于前门和后门；激光钎焊用于后挡板；激光切割用于前段。Magnano说，SmartLaser系统能在门上每20mm长度就能缝合50针。最大的优点在于速度。RLW每秒钟能完成两针，而传统的点焊每3秒钟才能完成一针。边缘的尺寸也能减小。一个独立的SmartLaser单元还能完成造窝。激光钎焊目前只在FCA内应用。Magnano称，后挡板的复杂设计决定，不可能只在一片板材上冲压，因此需要用激光钎焊工艺将两片接合在一起。激光钎焊是通过加热冲压金属片，加上一种液态焊补材料完成的。在激光苏的作用下，加热温度要在450°C以上，基本金属熔化温度以下。因为激光可以聚焦到面积非常小的点上 — 只有2.2/3.6 mm — 功率密度极高，通常都在106W/平方厘米以上。结果既保证了高质量，又能呈现完美外形。Magnano称，三个工厂的激光应用基础设施完全相同，保证全球制造基地的质量保持一致。他说，系统支持灵活生产体制，每个小时需要60个工作岗位，实行3班制，每次持续450分钟。每个工厂每年能生产大约350,000辆汽车。
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ArticleCroft boosts technical team at Luxus
UK – The Louth-based plastics compounder and recycler appointed Christel Croft as project manager, leading research initiatives at its Technical Centre. Croft joins the company from BP, where she was most recently planning and performance manager at the Hull Research and Technology Centre.Croft will be responsible for the delivery of ...
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ArticleFCA opens $2.4bn Jeep plant, Goiana
Brazil – Hailed as the largest automotive sector investment in Brazil over the past decade, the investment of 7 billion reais consists of a 3 billion reais assembly plant and 2 billion reais supplier park. The remaining funds have gone towards product development and “other investments”, says Fiat Chrysler Automobiles ...
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ArticleGM Fort Wayne recognised for sustainability
US – The plant in Indiana has been ranked number five by the US Environmental Protection Agency in its list of the top 30 generators of on-site green power. Fort Wayne gains 43% of its energy by capturing methane from a nearby landfill, generating 53m kWh.Fort Wayne has benefited from ...
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ArticleFCA celebrates health, safety and energy accreditations
US – The OEM announced that it now has more manufacturing facilities certified with Occupational Health and Safety Series (OHSAS) 18001:2007 and International Oganization for Standardization (ISO) 50001:2011 than any other automotive company in North America. In less than 24 months, an accredited third party assessed 31 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles ...
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ArticleFord celebrates 100,000th Police Interceptor
US – The OEM’s wholly owned subsidiary, Troy Design and Manufacturing, has been the sole source for America’s bestselling law enforcement vehicles since 2012, supplying more than 125 packages with different lighting options, wraps and styles. Police Interceptor number 100,000 will be put into service with the Chicago police force ...
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ArticleJimenez nominated for GM board
US – In parallel with Joseph Jimenez’s nomination, the OEM announced that E. Neville Isdell will not stand for re-election at its annual meeting of stockholders in June, in accordance with the board’s retirement age policy.Jimenez has been CEO of Novartis since 2010, having joined the company in 2007 to ...
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ArticlePontos quentes de qualidade
AMS inspeciona os mais recentes desenvolvimentos tecnológicos impulsionando o controle de qualidade e monitoramento de processos de soldagem Soldadura de ponto é um processo mais comumente aplicado para unir chapas finas em estruturas corporais automotoras, com um carro da família típico contendo até 5.000 pontos de solda. No entanto, ...
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ArticleAliado ao sucesso
A colaboração entre a Renault, Nissan e Daimler continua a progredir - mas o que a faz funcionar?Renault e Nissan estabeleceram sua aliança de participações cruzadas e abrangentes em 1999. Agora, é a parceria internacional mais duradoura entre duas grandes empresas de automóveis na indústria automotiva moderna. Renault tem uma ...
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ArticleFCA Belvidere celebrates LEED Gold status
US – The bodyshop of the OEM’s Illinois plant was certified within the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building System after meeting strict environmental standards.With an investment of $700m, the 638,000 sq.ft bodyshop was built on a brownfield site near the existing assembly plant in order to ...
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ArticleSoldadura por puntos de calidad
Los últimos avances tecnológicos están impulsando el control de calidad y la monitorización de los procesos de soldadura La soldadura por puntos es el proceso más comúnmente aplicado en la unión de láminas delgadas de metal en las estructuras de las carrocerías de automóviles, conteniendo un típico coche familiar hasta ...
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ArticleAliados para el éxito
La colaboración entre Renault, Nissan y Daimler continua progresando. ¿Qué es lo que hace que funcione?Renault y Nissan establecieron su alianza de participaciones cruzadas y de amplio alcance en 1999. Es hoy en día la asociación internacional más perdurable entre dos grandes empresas de automóviles dentro de la industria de ...
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ArticleA wealth of welding options
An assessment of automotive joining trends reveals a healthy appetite for innovative new technologiesThe productive, cost-effective, yet high-quality welding of automotive assemblies and parts has become the Holy Grail in what is one of the most competitive marketplaces in the world. For body-in-white (BIW) applications particularly, different joining technologies are ...
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ArticlePSA to boost European output
France – In order to capitalise on growth within the region, the OEM will make an extra 60,000 vehicles by the end of August this year, raising volumes 10% higher than initially planned. The volume increase will occur across all three of the Group’s brands – Peugeot, Citroen and DS.For ...
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ArticleLotus hits 40,000 mark for small-car platform
UK – The milestone was reached 20 years after the company unveiled its Lotus Elise, which has continued to see developments in terms of weight and efficiency. The OEM hailed the “sheer production flexibility” of its small-car platform, which also forms the basis for the Exige, Europa, 2-Eleven, 340R and ...
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ArticleNissan Smyrna makes new Maxima
US – The start of production for the eighth-generation model comes 12 years after the first US-made Maxima rolled off the line at the OEM’s plant in Tennessee.“Today's launch of the all-new Maxima is the beginning of an exciting year for Nissan's US line-up, with new versions of the Altima, ...
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ArticleQuality hotspots in welding
The latest technology developments are boosting the quality control and monitoring of joining processesResistance spot welding is the most commonly applied process for joining thin metal sheet in automotive body structures, with a typical family car containing up to 5,000 spot welds. However, one aspect of the spot-welding process that ...
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ArticleSolihull produces 6 millionth Land Rover
UK – The Range Rover LWB Vogue SE was completed on April 2 at the company’s West Midlands plant, marking the 45th anniversary of Range Rover production. The landmark vehicle is destined for export to China, a growing market for the brand.Solihull has been producing Land Rover SUVs since 1948 ...