Digitisation of a moving assembly operation using multiple depth imaging sensors

Several manufacturing operations continue to be manual even in today’s highly automated industry because the complexity of such operations makes them heavily reliant on human skills, intellect and experience. This work aims to aid the automation of one such operation, the wheel loading operation on the trim and final moving assembly line in automotive production. It proposes a new method that uses multiple low-cost depth imaging sensors, commonly used in gaming, to acquire and digitise key shopfloor data associated with the operation, such as motion characteristics of the vehicle body on the moving conveyor line and the angular positions of alignment features of the parts to be assembled, in order to inform an intelligent automation solution. Experiments are conducted to test the performance of the proposed method across various assembly conditions, and the results are validated against an industry standard method using laser tracking. Some disadvantages of the method are discussed, and suggestions for improvements are suggested. The proposed method has the potential to be adopted to enable the automation of a wide range of moving assembly operations in multiple sectors of the manufacturing industry

A fabrication history based strain-fatigue model for prediction of crack initiation in a radial loading wheel

A strain-based fatigue model concerning fabrication history is applied to predict the fatigue life of a commercial car wheel under radial loads. As the prior conditions, the strain fatigue testing is performed on standard specimen of DP590 and FB540 steels at various fabrication states, including raw materials, pre-strain and pre-strain + bake. Furthermore, the strain distribution of car wheel during its rotation under radial loads is simulated via ANSYS. The fatigue properties mainly determined by crack initiation of car wheels at various fabrication states are predicted via local stress–strain method, in which the scale and surface factors are also taken into account. The radial fatigue testing is carried out, and the results are used to validate the present model. The fracture mechanism is analysed using FEI Nova 400 field emission gun scanning electron microscope

Application of six sigma methodology to reduce defects of a grinding process

Six Sigma is a data-driven leadership approach using specific tools and methodologies that lead to fact-based decision making. This paper deals with the application of the Six Sigma methodology in reducing defects in a fine grinding process of an automotive company in India. The DMAIC (Define–Measure–Analyse–Improve–Control) approach has been followed here to solve the underlying problem of reducing process variation and improving the process yield. This paper explores how a manufacturing process can use a systematic methodology to move towards world-class quality level. The application of the Six Sigma methodology resulted in reduction of defects in the fine grinding process from 16.6 to 1.19%. The DMAIC methodology has had a significant financial impact on the profitability of the company in terms of reduction in scrap cost, man-hour saving on rework and increased output. A saving of approximately US$2.4 million per annum was reported from this project

A survey study of steering wheel vibration and sound in automobiles at idle

Copyright @ 2009 Engineering Integrity SocietyThis work is supported by Shell Global Solutions UK for their sponsorship of this research as part of the activities of the EFII3 project

ANALYSIS OF PART CONSOLIDATION TECHNIQUES FOR AUTOMOTIVE BODY IN WHITE PANELS BASED ON ADVANCED SHEET METAL FORMING TECHNOLOGIES

The automotive industry is looking to move from mass production to mass customization in order to manufacture and sell a variety of products in different markets on a global scale. This requires a robust and cost effective manufacturing system which would help design new products in the shortest possible lead time. This thesis tries to investigate the current sheet metal forming process for body in white, identify the limitations and propose an alternative which would help the industry cut down product lead time and costs. Decision making tools are used to identify the technical requirements of a BIW manufacturing system and optimize the same. Part consolidation techniques are studied in detail and the various means to achieve them are investigated. Industrial origami¨ is proposed as an alternative to automotive stamping and a means to achieve part consolidation. Origami joints and their design features were modeled using cad tools and their load bearing and strength characteristics are compared to that of stamped joints using finite element analysis simulations. A bill of materials of a small sedan is constructed to identify the opportunities for part consolidation and process substitution of stamping using origami

Modelling commercial vehicle handling and rolling stability

YesThis paper presents a multi-degrees-of-freedom non-linear multibody dynamic model of a three-axle heavy commercial vehicle tractor unit, comprising a subchassis, front and rear leaf spring suspensions, steering system, and ten wheels/tyres, with a semi-trailer comprising two axles and eight wheels/tyres. The investigation is mainly concerned with the rollover stability of the articulated vehicle. The models incorporate all sources of compliance, stiffness, and damping, all with non-linear characteristics, and are constructed and simulated using automatic dynamic analysis of mechanical systems formulation. A constant radius turn test and a single lane change test (according to the ISO Standard) are simulated. The constant radius turn test shows the understeer behaviour of the vehicle, and the single lane change manoeuvre was conducted to show the transient behaviour of the vehicle. Non-stable roll and yaw behaviour of the vehicle is predicted at test speeds .90 km/h. Rollover stability of the vehicle is also investigated using a constant radius turn test with increasing speed. The articulated laden vehicle model predicted increased understeer behaviour, due to higher load acting on the wheels of the middle and rear axles of the tractor and the influence of the semi-trailer, as shown by the reduced yaw rate and the steering angle variation during the constant radius turn. The rollover test predicted a critical lateral acceleration value where complete rollover occurs. Unstable behaviour of the articulated vehicle is also predicted in the single lane change manoeuvre

The Development of a Lightweight Electric Vehicle Chassis and Investigation into the Suitability of TiAl for Automotive Applications

A lightweight chassis for a battery electric vehicle being developed at the University of Waikato was required. The chassis was designed around a predetermined body shape and suspension setup. A chassis, built from 20mm thick aluminium honeycomb sandwich panel, was designed and built to LVVTA standards allowing the car to be driven on public roads. The chassis weighs a little over a third the mass of a mass production car chassis. The car has been driven over 1800km with only one minor problem, indicating the chassis is reliable and well suited to its purpose. Titanium aluminide properties were researched to identify where titanium aluminides could be used in an automobile. Titanium aluminides have a specific strength and stiffness near to steel yet only half the density making it an ideal replacement for steel components. Automotive applications identified that could benefit from the use of TiAl include valves, brake rotors and inside 'in-wheel' electric motors

Effect of innovative finishing operations on the tribological performance of steel 27MnCr5

Transmission shafts used in the automotive sector must have a good tribological performance, and therefore an enhanced surface integrity. This paper aims to study the effect of eco-friendly innovative finishing operations (belt finishing, cryogenic grinding and dry grinding) on the surface integrity and tribological performance of steel grade 27MnCr5, and compare to the behavior of components produced by conventional wet grinding process. For that purpose, a total of seven finishing conditions were analysed: wet grinding as reference, two dry grinding conditions, two cryogenic grinding conditions and two hard turning+belt finishing conditions. The surface integrity (roughness, residual stresses, hardness and microstructural defects) of samples was assessed. Finally, the step-loading test method was used to determine the scuffing resistance of the samples. Tested innovative finishing operations led to higher scuffing resistance than conventional wet grinding. Results demonstrate that higher surface hardness and roughness leads to higher scuffing resistance, while the effect of surface residual stresses is not significant

Grinding and fine finishing of future automotive powertrain components

The automotive industry is undergoing a major transformation driven by regulations and a fast-paced electrification. A critical analysis of technological trends and associated requirements for major automotive powertrain components is carried out in close collaboration with industry – covering the perspectives of OEMs, suppliers, and machine builders. The main focus is to review the state of the art with regard to grinding, dressing, texturing and fine-finishing technologies. A survey of research papers and patents is accompanied by case studies that provide further insights into the production value chain. Finally, key industrial and research challenges are summarized

Design of lightweigh electric vehicles

The design and manufacture of lightweight electric vehicles is becoming increasingly important with the rising cost of petrol, and the effects emissions from petrol powered vehicles are having on our environment. The University of Waikato and HybridAuto's Ultracommuter electric vehicle was designed, manufactured, and tested. The vehicle has been driven over 1800km with only a small reliability issue, indicating that the Ultracommuter was well designed and could potentially be manufactured as a solution to ongoing transportation issues. The use of titanium aluminide components in the automotive industry was researched. While it only has half the density of alloy steel, titanium aluminides have the same strength and stiffness as steel, along with good corrosion resistance, making them suitable as a lightweight replacement for steel components. Automotive applications identified that could benefit from the use of TiAl include brake callipers, brake rotors and electric motor components