Trendspot at the AUTOMATICA: Assembly concepts for diversification / Processing reliability ensured through intelligent manual work stations
The intelligent manual work station (Photo: DEPRAG SCHULZ GMBH u. CO.)
(PresseBox) (Amberg, 24.06.2014) Peter Smith, production engineer at a well-known manufacturer of heating control units explains his situation: “Our heating control units are available, according to type and size of heating system, in the most varied of designs. With the recent introduction of our new control units we are starting three separate series, our HCU25, HCU50 and HCU100. When launching our new series onto the market we are unable to estimate the expected production amounts accurately. It is also difficult to plan out how the quantities required of each individual version will develop in relation to one other. It is for exactly this reason that we require highly flexible assembly equipment. Ideally production should be able to be simply, reliably and economically adapted to each of the product versions. Additionally for our HCU assembly we have the highest requirements for processing reliability as is usual for electronic components. The sequential order of assembly must be guaranteed and each step must be documented and integrated into our manufacturing execution systems”.These high standards of processing reliability and documentation advocate an automatic solution which eliminates the possibility of human error. The required flexibility and adaptation to varied production versions however recommends a flexible operator controlled semi-automatic assembly solution. “There are several options in approaching this assembly task” explains Jürgen Hierold, Sales Manager at DEPRAG SCHULZ GMBH u. CO. “In this instance I would suggest a flexible upgradeable assembly line with intelligent manual work station”.
But what exactly is an “intelligent manual work station”? On an intelligent manual work station processing reliability is guaranteed just as it is on an automatic assembly system. As a reaction to increased demand of one HCU version it can be upgraded to a semi- or fully-automatic production line. The specialists at DEPRAG SCHULZ GMBH u. CO have been engaged for decades with the complex demands of reliable screw assembly. (…)
via Flexibility is the right strategy – DEPRAG SCHULZ GMBH u. CO. – Pressemitteilung.