Evaluating different strategies to achieve the highest geometric quality in self-adjusting smart assembly lines
Journal article, 2021

Digital twin-driven productions have opened great opportunities to increase the efficiency and quality of production processes. Smart assembly lines are one of these opportunities in which the effects of geometric variations of the mating parts on the assemblies can be minimized. These assembly lines utilize different techniques, including selective assembly and locator adjustments, to improve the geometric quality. This paper signifies that the achievable improvements through these techniques are highly dependent on the utilized fixture layout for the assembly process. Hence, different design methods and productions that can be followed in a smart assembly line are discussed. Furthermore, different scenarios are applied to two industrial sample cases from the automotive industry. The aptest design strategy for each improvement technique is determined. Moreover, the strategy that can result in the highest geometric quality of assemblies through a smart assembly line is defined.

Variation simulations

Locator adjustments

Digital twins

Robust design

Smart assembly lines

Selective assembly

Fixture layout design

Author

Abolfazl Rezaei Aderiani

Chalmers, Industrial and Materials Science, Product Development

Kristina Wärmefjord

Chalmers, Industrial and Materials Science, Product Development

Rikard Söderberg

Chalmers, Industrial and Materials Science

Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing

0736-5845 (ISSN)

Vol. 71 102164

Smart Assembly 4.0

Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) (RIT15-0025), 2016-05-01 -- 2021-06-30.

Subject Categories

Mechanical Engineering

Production Engineering, Human Work Science and Ergonomics

Robotics

Areas of Advance

Production

DOI

10.1016/j.rcim.2021.102164

More information

Latest update

4/22/2021