Vehicle Manufacturing Automation System

IntroductionPart 3 - AVI

Tallrain / Oct 2016

1 – What’s…AVI?

AVI = Automatic Vehicle Identification, means to identify vehicle via RFID or Label. AVI also schedules vehicle manufacturing route according to

standard process automatically, with functions of Work Order Download, Quality Route, Take In, Take Out, etc. AVI integrates with conveyor via PLC. AVI works as MES core module, to interact with ERP/WMS

systems.

2 – AVIBusiness

Work Order Download

Front Structure9C-010

Front Floor

Rear Floor0F-050

UB Geo8X-10

UB Inspection8Y-160

UB Cut In/Out8R-170

C

Framing6X-10

7M10LH

7L10LH

7F10LH 7F10RH 7M10RH

7L10RH

Framing Geo6Y-210

C

VIN Scribing6Y-360

BIW Cut In/Out

C

Buyoff

Repair

Body Out

Q

Door assembly

C

Q

AVIStation

Batch BuildStation

Cut In/Cut Out

QualityQuery

Legend

Q

Work Order Download:MES downloads

Orders into Body Shop.

AVI downloads Orders into PLC of Front Structure and Rear Floor stations.

PLC instructs Robots to operate accordingly.

Vehicle Identification

R Q R

RFIDReader

RFIDReader

Vehicle Identification:040 is a Quality Check

station, while 030/050 are AVI stations.

When vehicle comes into 040, MES lists out available vehicles -which have passed 030, and not yet passed 050.

Vehicle Type Verification

Vehicle Type Verification: When vehicle comes into color

separation area of Paint Shop, AVI PLC identifies vehicle via RFID Tag, and then interact with MES to verify the color code.

Travel Record

Travel Record: When vehicle passes

through key stations, system tracks and records it.

Some stations can be configured as broadcast trigger stations, e.g. when vehicle travels through PBS IN, system notifies to deliver materials into Line TRIM1 & TRIM2.

C

C

Q

AVIStation

Cut In/Cut Out

QualityQuery

Legend

PBS In

Trim1 EntryTrim2 Exit

Trim3 EntryTrim4 Exit

Trim4 Entry Trim3 Exit Trim2 Entry Trim1 Exit

Trim4 Cut In/Out

IP1

IP2

P

P

P

P

PP

P

FEM

P

P

Seat

P Printer

Sequence Management

Sequence Management: AVI updates Line Sequence

according to Travel Record of Line Head & Lind End stations.

E.g. original sequence is V001…V020, and when V001 passes Line End, the sequence will be updated as V002…V020. When V021 passes Line Head, then sequence will be updated as V002…V021.

C C

R

TBMP1 LINE

R

TBMP2 LINET27

T18 T19

C

Q

Q

PVM

V020V001 V021V002

V001V002V003V004V005V006V007V008V009V010V011V012V013V014V015V016V017V018V019V020V021

Take In/Take Out

UB Inspection8Y-160

UB Cut Out8R-170 C

Framing Cut In6X-10

QC

UB Geo8X-10

OfflineRework

Take In/Take Out: 8Y-160 is a Quality Check

station, allows good vehicles come to 6X-10.

Bad vehicles will be Take Out from 8R-170, and after being fixed, Take In from 6X-10.

Take In/Take Out operations make sure only good vehicles are moving in the main production line with correct sequence.

Quality Gate

Quality Gate: When vehicle comes

through Body Shop Buyoff Gate, AVI returns its Quality Status to Conveyor PLC.

Conveyor PLC determines vehicle direction according to its Quality Status: Put good vehicle into Elevator and then send to WBS; Put bad vehicle into Repair Area instead.

Buyoff

Repair

Body Out

Q

WBS

Vehicle Route

Paint Out Buy Off Exit

Buy Off Q

Pan

el C

han

ge

Inte

nsi

ve C

are

He

avy

Rep

air

2

He

avy

Rep

air

1

Spo

t R

ep

air

6

Spo

t R

ep

air

5

Spo

t R

ep

air

4

Spo

t R

ep

air

3

Spo

t R

ep

air

2

Spo

t R

ep

air

1

Vehicle Route:When vehicle comes through Paint

Shop Buyoff station, operator checks its Quality Status, and select a route for each bad vehicle.

When vehicle comes into Buyoff Exit station, AVI returns its Quality Route into Conveyor PLC, then PLC determines vehicle’s direction based on its Route: send good vehicle into Paint Out, send bad vehicle into specific repair area.

3 – AVIArchitecture

There’re 2 methods of identification: RFID Tag and Label.

RFID Tag is easier to integrate into automation system, and can withstand high temperature and corrosion, one single Tag can be used through Welding/Painting/Assembly. It’s stable and convenient, but it will be hard to identify a vehicle when Tag is physically damaged.

Label is a bit more difficult to integrate, but it has 2 benefits: it’s much cheaper, and label text is visible during manual operations.

Identification Method

AVI PLC

RFIDReader

Switch

Barcode Scanner

3 communication methods:1. Reader/Scanner connect into

OEM PLC OPC AVI Server.2. Reader/Scanner connect into

AVI PLC OPC AVI Server.3. Reader/Scanner connect into

OEM PLC AVI PLC OPC AVI Server. A Coupler will be used to connect OEM PLC and AVI PLC.

Communication Method

IT Network

Control Network

OEM PLC

RFIDReader

Switch

Barcode Scanner

CP343-1

PN/PNCOUPLER

AVI PLC

Switch

OPC Server

AVI Server

CP343-1

Thank you!

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