Automatiserad knappmonteringsstation

Abstract

Volvo Trucks in Tuve is a factory that produces 78 trucks per day. With this low production volume, they have concluded that many smaller operations are too expensive to automate due to large industrial robots being too expensive for the task. Therefore, they have taken the help of the SII-Lab at Chalmers Lindholmen, a previous study and this thesis to study the possibility of using more cost-effective robots to do these relatively simple and monotonous tasks. This thesis studies the possibility of using low cost robots to automate the assembly of buttons on modules. These are the buttons that sit on the hat shelf in the cab of the truck. The work has been based on the question: Is it possible to carry out assembly work for 10 hard-coded orders fully automated with two low cost robots? In addition to that question, Volvo Trucks were also interested in a business case looking at eventual costs if the station were scaled up and comparing it to the manual assembly used in the factory today. This was studied at the end of the project. A visit to the factory and an analysis of the previous study created a requirement specification. This was the basis of the product development process, which resulted in a definitive concept. This concept was then built in the SII-lab and the robots were programmed to perform their specific tasks. The result of the work is that the station meets the goal of fully automating the 10 hard-coded orders. After the positive result, a verification was performed by checking that all requirements for the station were met. It concluded that the station met all requirements which meant the first question were successful. Therefore, a business case was created. This showed that the cost for the entire station was SEK 94,940. The station is expected to be profitable after 2 months and after 1 year Volvo is expected to have saved approximately SEK 470,000. This is without some hidden costs that are expected to decrease using this automated station. For example, the accumulated load at the factory, sick leave and being injured or sick at work all would decreases. In addition, the thesis came to the conclusion that the station could be scaled up and at a low cost. The work was concluded with recommendations for further development of the station. This includes scaling up the station, greater verification of longer production times and smarter communication from orders to the station.