MBN designed a new automatic station, located before OP190 where the operators worked. The station OP170 was planned to perform the majority of work previously performed by operators, i.e. fixing the mounting screws of shock absorbers and swing arms. The four side manipulators on OP190 were intended for performing corrections after the automatic station OP170. The operators’ tasks (with the cycle without corrections) included solely performing screw connections made from the central island of OP190, i.e. 6 drill-drivers.

The original concept was to build a station with operators of 4 side manipulators and a central island with 6 drill-drivers on the jibs. Station OP190, constructed in the summer of 2019, was supposed to replace the OP170 station (screwing the rear suspension of Caddy 4) after its removal in the summer of 2020.

The client designed a new automatic station that performed 8 screwing actions on the shock absorbers and the rear axle swing arm, i.e. all the connections that were made by operators using 4 side manipulators in the original concept. The new station was supposed to replace the old Caddy 4 line, i.e. OP170. Station OP190, which was supposed to stay in its current location only for a year, was ultimately not moved in order to perform the work of 6 drill-drivers on the jibs on the main island. The side manipulators were supposed to be used only if the work of the automatic station OP170 required corrections.

The new station was constructed and tested entirely in the client’s hall before delivering it to Poznań in 2020. In order to provide power and control for the station, APA had to temporarily adopt a new control cabinet ultimately installed in another group. Such solution was necessary, as the original control cabinet was constructed in 2019 and had been used continuously ever since. In 2020 APA was supposed to construct a new control cabinet for MMT group. This cabinet was delivered to the client’s hall and used to test the new MMV group station.

A full commissioning of the station was performed; the client spent the next days testing and accepting two body types of Caddy 5 on the station.

Benefits

The end client could test the entire station even before it was delivered and installed on the production line. The first acceptance notes and therefore modifications could be prepared before the summer break of 2020, which significantly improved and accelerated the installation and final acceptance. After the installation of the station OP170, the handling of the station OP190 was significantly facilitated, reducing the workload of the operators. The entire station was quickly and efficiently integrated with the production line.

Fun fact

The direct client, MBN, was so pleased with the commissioning that it paid for the installation of the station before the expected term.