Industry 4.0, what is a car factory like

Source：Updated：2018-03-30 08:10:01

The automotive industry is the most widely used area of robotics, and the high automation of automobile manufacturing makes robots increasingly appear in factories. It is not enough, however, connected age puts forward higher requirements on industrial manufacturing, automated factory further upgrade, add the concept of the Internet: the factory machines and people to connect to the network, between machine and machine, the realization of dialogue between human and machine.

Information based on physical systems (CPS) and the combination of information and communication technology, the factory will introduce analysis optimization technology of data management, in computer virtual environment, simulation, evaluation and optimization of the whole production process, will eventually realize automation, intelligent, the production of interconnection.

In the German concept, a factory that can do this is called a smart factory. One of the directions of the industry 4.0 strategy is the smart factory. In the new change, car manufacturers, suppliers, software providers such as standing on their demand of intelligent factory has its own interpretation, thus also brought the practice of different levels, and different forms of intelligent manufacturing solutions.

From manufacturing to "intellectual"

Widely used in automotive industry automation, digitization, intelligent workshop, has become the automobile intelligent manufacturing important carrier. Here, you can see the workers less and less, instead, only higher efficiency and precision of intelligent robot, has been more and more key process by robot instead of workers. Has emerged in recent years "unmanned" workshop, arc welding, spot welding, assembling, handling, spray paint, detection, pallet, grinding polishing and complex operation, such as laser processing to industrial robots to do a conveyor belt, hundreds of different types of machine have a clear division of responsibilities, with both sides, just a short 1 minute, a complete car is in the robot's "hands busy feet disorderly" "birth".

In our country, industrial robots are mainly used for spraying and welding of automobile and engineering machinery. With the increasing demand of automobiles, industrial robots have been widely involved in the four major processes of automobile production and the production of key parts of automobiles. In the production of car body, a large number of die casting, welding, testing applications, such as these are completed by the industrial robot in at present, especially the welding line of welding robots in automobile manufacturing industry plays an irreplaceable role. Welding robot is developed on the basis of industrial robots, advanced welding equipment, is engaged in the welding (including cutting and spraying) industrial robots, mainly used in industrial automation field, its widely used in automobile and parts manufacturing, motorcycle, engineering machinery and other industries, the auto production of stamping, welding, painting, assembly and four production process are widely used, the largest applications is given priority to with arc welding and spot welding. Compared with artificial, the use of robot welding has three advantages, such as quality stability, increase in efficiency and safety.

In the production of automotive interior trim, it is necessary to weaken the robot, the foaming robot and the final product cutting robot. The spraying of the car body is usually replaced by industrial robots due to its large working capacity and high risk. Flexibility in recent years, to adapt to modern car manufacturing technology, ling jie, intelligence and informatization, the development trend of domestic automobile manufacturing in auto production AGV (also known as mobile robot) technology is introduced, the car assembly production organization, information management and logistics technology to achieve a qualitative leap.

Changes in foreign parts factories.

In Germany Bosch Humboldt factory on a production line of hydraulic products, all parts are equipped with a unique radio frequency identification (RHD), and can talk with checkpoints along the way automatically, when the workpiece reaches a station, the display screen accordingly will prompt employees required to deal with the specific work content, and each workstation can automatically adjust according to the employee's personalized Settings.

Bosch in more than 250 factories worldwide industrial application 4.0 ideas and technology, the factory is located in the suzhou is also one of its industrial pilot base for 4.0, where, on the basic of the paperless office to the implementation of the automatic preparation system has become a reality. In future Bosch's factory, the video image of a tablet will give the integrated information and maintenance instructions of the display parts, and the workers can process the information directly through the touch screen.

HeinrichHiesitiger, chairman of thyssenkrupp's board, argues that the introduction of the concept of industry 4.0 is a lot of preparation. Must be prepared for the IT infrastructure, for example, network must have the guarantee, and these new infrastructure also can integrate into the existing production facilities, to ensure that in an efficient way to transfer and transport a large number of information and data.

Now thyssenkrupp wants to link IT networks in more than 2,300 different locations through high-speed and ultra-broadband infrastructure. Another important prerequisite is the automation of production facilities. In November 2014, thyssenkrupp engine system (changzhou) co., LTD. Was officially opened, and the engine system production base will produce the engine cylinder head cover module assembly for China.

Customer order through the electronic system need send to thyssenkrupp steel information, the information and data and immediately transferred to the production company, the production of relevant information and data was input into the SAP system. In this way, a steel plate has been given an electronic code during the production process, which contains complete product information.

During the whole production process, the customer can know the production status of all steel plates in real time, and can also change some sequences, or some production requirements. As long as you tell thyssenkrupp eight hours before the steel plate is put into production, you can make a change right away. The process has now begun in a German factory.

The car factory's response.

Industry 4.0 is not a sudden revolution, nor an overnight revolution. BMW group industrial production experts cristian Pan Chun 4.0 (Christian Patron), "says Dr." in the BMW group, continuously improve production system is the daily work, industrial 4.0 is conform to the next step in the BMW logic, but is not a revolutionary change ".

Some of BMW's attempts to automate and intelligentize have been listed as industrial 4.0. A widely cited example is the use of a non-contact gesture recognition system in the car bumper production of BMW's lanzhutt plant. The system is seen as an example of intelligent human-computer interaction. Virtual gesture recognition system by the installation of the two on the top of the inspection work area 3 d camera, infrared sensors and other components, 3 d entity model of the insourcing entities bumper parts of data, and established a 3 d space in the inspection area scanning coordinate system: after the workpiece in inspection area, inspection personnel in just a few gestures, can complete inspection, such as Pointers deviation of parts, equipment can accurately record the deviation as well as the position deviation data; If the part is qualified, the inspector simply swims the finger to indicate that the part has passed the test.

With the support of this innovation system, not only can the detection process be accelerated. The accuracy of inspection and the positioning accuracy of component deviation are also greatly improved. At the same time because of no equipped with goggles, microphones and other equipment, improve the inspectors work comfort and work efficiency, and system operation easy to learn, by testing personnel recognition and welcome.

It is a sign of what BMW's new chairman, Harald Kmger, is saying: "for BMW, industry 4.0 is not about automating, excluding people from the whole process of production. In contrast, we believe that the future of smart technology will focus on the higher level of human-computer interaction, enabling technology and equipment to provide better support for staff.

On May 22, audi, at its annual shareholder meeting, explained the vision of "smart factories" through "Encounter" magazine. In their planning, one day, the car factory will have a very different intelligent system, innovative technology, and efficient organizational structure. In their planning, the assembly line is no longer there and the orderly flow of water is no longer applicable. Tablet Transport robot - the so-called "automatic transportation system" (Driverless Transport Systems) in a car with the various manufacturing unfinished "carry", you will see in the factory, all audi models, but already can't find two identical cars. Audi has set a time cut-off for this scenario -- 2030.

Compared with BMW car companies such as Germany, Japanese automakers Toyota also have their own mature manufacturing system, while Japan is not the author puts forward the concept of similar industrial 4.0, but based on the Toyota lean production created in the 1960 s did is extended. In a way, there is a lot of convergence with the 21st century idea of industry 4.0.