Closed-Loop Hang-On Assembly Using At-Line Metrology in Automotive Manufacturing

Abstract

Exterior fit and finish is one of the most visible quality characteristics of a car, and the hang-on assembly process – hood, fenders, doors, hatch, tailgate – largely determines it. At BMW Plant Spartanburg a fully automated at-line measurement station collects high-volume data on critical features, which process engineers have traditionally used to work out robotic offsets for the fitting stations by hand. Matt Cornelius and Curtis Tingle present a closed-loop control system that monitors, calculates and applies those offsets automatically from the at-line data.