Scalability of Assembly Line Automation Based on the Integrated Product Development Approach

Abstract

AbstractProduct life cycles change, market developments and quantities are increasingly difficult to predict, as is the case in the production of charging stations. For these reasons, scalable assembly concepts with an adaptable degree of automation are becoming increasingly important. Currently, charging stations are still manufactured manually. With increasing quantities, however, manual production is no longer economical. New technologies such as lightweight robotics offer a great potential for making production more flexible in terms of quantity. At the same time, new challenges arise because these requirements must be taken into account from the very beginning of product development and process planning. Currently, there are no planning approaches and recommendations for action that take this into consideration. Therefore, the research project “Simultaneous product and process development of a charging station outlet module suitable for automation” (SUPPLy) develops an integrated, digital and simultaneous product and process development of a modular charging station suitable for automation. The aim of the project is to develop an assembly process which enables an economic production of charging stations in case of fluctuating sales figures. The focus is not only on changes in the production process but also on a product design that is suitable for automation. The paper presents the ideas on a conceptual level.