3

- Chetan

INTRODUCTION
High volume production falls under mass and flow production categories. As volume increases we must have some strategy in production method so as to reduce high cost and manufacture lead time. This give rise to use of AUTOMATION PROCESS. An Automated flow line is production system that comprises a set of machines (or workstation) and material/work handling device which are linked together so as to perform operation and move from one machine to the other.

BMW Z-4 is produced in three different places ; 1. Landshut, Germany produces special Crank case of engine. 2. Munich, Germany produces Engine and assembles it. 3. Spartanburg Country, USA where all Z-4 car body part are manufactured and assembled In Spartanburg, three main units are there 1. Body Shop 2. Paint shop 3. Assembly part

Spartanburg, USA BMW factory layout

BMW thought it is necessary to automate the process in production, use sensory robots integrated circuit technology and to transfer the car machine part from one unit to other and within each unit they automated it so as to reduce Time, Cost, labor work mainly to increase Quality.

 Spot welding required in Z-4 car in performed by Automated

programmed Robots.

It also performs the operations like paint the car, assembly, holding
high temperature body parts etc

Special type of robot called Hovercraft designed and patend by

BMW, use to lift the 20kg exhaust pipe and assemble in car body.

Robots performing Spot welding

Hovercraft robot

BUFFER STORAGE
A Buffer refers to a zone in flow lines where some parts after processing are temporarily stored before they are moved to next station for processing. In BMW Z4 car engine main part are temporarily stored (buffer storage) in Munich, German plant until Crank case of engine is manufactured and arrived from Landshut (German). In Spartanburg country, USA car parts like windows, steering, chassis all are separately manufactured and stored in buffer storage until Engine unit arrives from Landshut (German).
WorkStation 2

WorkStation 1

Buffer between work stations

Engine buffer storage

Car Body part buffer storage

WORK PART TRANSPORT

Asynchronous Transport Method ;

This is a method in which work part is loaded at work cells

while the conveyor system waits till the operation is completed at each work cell.

The conveyor moves to the next cell, only after completion

of operation time requirements at each work cell.

This method is flexible & suited, so it is used in BMW Z4

Engine transfer line in Spartanburg plant.

Its used to assembly body operation of car and also in paint

shop.

WORKPART MECHANISM
In Spartanburg plant special type of workpart mechanism is
used which is combination of linear and rotary mechanism BMW call it as Tilt and Wear

Work part is conveyed from one station to the other and also
used to index at equal angular positions according to requirement along 360 degree.

It is used assembly of Car parts so workers will have ease of

access to all parts of car.

It also have Automated Walking Beam Transfer System and

Belt Drive Conveyer mechanism in transfer line of car.

Man working in tilt and wear mechanism to assemble the car part

Walking beam mechanism

Belt conveyerlinear mechanism

The mechanism called as stick shift used in transferring line of car body part

Geneva wheel mechanism used in engine assembly unit.