PIA Automation is growing a extremely automated meeting line for E-Drive items on the BMW Group plant in Steyr, Austria.
That includes 78 processing stations, 27 robotic cells and 46 industrial robots throughout greater than 5,600 sq. meters on two ranges, the challenge ranks among the many largest in PIA Automation’s historical past.
The system first assembles transmissions for electrical automobiles earlier than becoming a member of them with electrical motors to create full E-Drive items.
PIA Automation is making use of personalized automation options, digital twin know-how and Digital Commissioning all through the challenge’s engineering and implementation. Commissioning of the ultimate manufacturing line sections is scheduled for 2027.
Problem: Managing complexity in E-Drive meeting with out sacrificing flexibility
The transition to electrical mobility is creating new manufacturing functions that require automation, robotics, software program and high quality monitoring to work collectively seamlessly.
Though electrical drivetrains comprise fewer mechanical parts than typical combustion engines, their extremely automated meeting entails complicated processes that should be exactly coordinated.
The E-Drive meeting line combines a number of key technical traits:
- Manufacturing of various transmission variants in batch dimension one
- Brief cycle instances and constant meeting high quality
- A excessive diploma of automation throughout two manufacturing ranges
- Monitoring and documentation of meeting processes
- Combine into the corporate’s current software program surroundings
For a manufacturing challenge of this scale, validating programming logic and course of sequences solely after the bodily tools has been assembled would end in extra overview cycles and resource-intensive changes throughout commissioning.
PIA Automation due to this fact included digital engineering strategies from the earliest phases of the challenge.
Answer: Digital engineering meets versatile industrial automation
To validate the manufacturing system early within the improvement course of, PIA Automation applied a digital engineering technique centered on Digital Commissioning (VC).
Based mostly on the manufacturing line design, engineers created a digital twin that maps parts similar to axes, sensors, materials move, and the conduct of discipline gadgets. This enables potential errors, collisions and areas for optimization to be recognized prematurely.
By figuring out points early, the challenge decreased the necessity for expensive modifications throughout bodily commissioning and improved the reliability of total planning.
The manufacturing line spans greater than 5,600 sq. meters throughout two ranges. It first assembles electrical automobile transmissions earlier than combining them with electrical motors to type full E-Drive items.
One of many system’s most superior processes is the totally automated transmission meeting station. Right here, three gears are exactly meshed earlier than being inserted into the transmission housing.
Computerized changeover grippers enable the road to course of completely different transmission variants with out guide intervention, enabling batch-size-one manufacturing whereas sustaining constant cycle instances.
Through the closing meeting stage, the finished transmission is joined with the electrical motor in a robotic “marriage” cell. Twelve synchronized screwdrivers fasten the parts concurrently, making certain exact and repeatable meeting of every E-Drive unit.
To help high quality assurance, the system data key manufacturing knowledge all through the meeting course of, together with torque values, tightening angles, and force-displacement curves.
Each unit receives digital documentation, offering traceability and enabling producers to rapidly determine course of deviations or analyze manufacturing efficiency.
Whereas PIA Automation additionally affords its personal Industrial App Suite for digital manufacturing management and monitoring, the automation resolution for this challenge is being built-in into BMW Group’s established software program surroundings.
This enables the system to be managed and monitored in accordance with the corporate’s established software program requirements.
End result: A future-ready platform for E-Drive manufacturing
The Steyr challenge demonstrates how digital engineering and industrial automation can help the industrialization of electrical automobile manufacturing.
By combining digital commissioning, superior robotics, versatile meeting processes, and built-in high quality monitoring, PIA Automation is growing a versatile, future-ready manufacturing platform for extremely automated E-Drive manufacturing.
Franz Reiter, enterprise phase supervisor E-Drive and powertrain at PIA Automation, says: “We’re notably happy that our longstanding experience in extremely environment friendly automation, our in depth expertise in electromobility and the optimistic outcomes of earlier joint initiatives had been key elements within the BMW Group’s resolution to associate with us on this distinctive manufacturing system.
“The challenge is progressing in accordance with schedule, and we stay up for seeing the system enter common manufacturing.”
Key outcomes
- Accelerated manufacturing line improvement by means of digital twin know-how and digital commissioning
- Decreased commissioning dangers by validating automation sequences earlier than bodily set up
- Versatile batch-size-one manufacturing throughout a number of transmission variants with out guide retooling
- Extremely automated manufacturing resolution comprising 78 processing stations, 27 robotic cells, and 46 industrial robots
- Manufacturing traceability by means of steady monitoring and digital documentation
- Integration into BMW Group’s current manufacturing software program surroundings
