Rotating Front and Rear Vehicle Assembly for Better Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle assembly processes face challenges due to restricted access to the vehicle structure at different points along the assembly line, which can slow down the assembly of vehicle components.
Innovation Solution
A method of assembling a vehicle that involves performing operations on separate front and rear vehicle structures, rotating them to improve access, and securing various vehicle components while rotating. The structures are then coupled together to form an intermediate vehicle structure, allowing for the integration of a floor and battery assembly and doors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If vehicle components are secured to the vehicle structure sequentially as it moves along the assembly line, then the assembly process follows a conventional linear workflow, but the assembly speed is reduced due to restricted access to the vehicle structure at different points
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle assembly process is divided into two independent parallel lines: one for the front vehicle structure and one for the rear vehicle structure. Each line operates autonomously with its own rotation mechanism and component assembly operations, allowing simultaneous processing without interference. This segmentation resolves the access restriction problem by creating separate workspaces for front and rear components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces continuous or intermittent rotation mechanisms for both front and rear vehicle structures during the component assembly process. This dynamic positioning allows components to be accessed from optimal angles throughout the assembly process, eliminating restricted access points and enabling faster component installation while maintaining ergonomic working conditions for operators or robotic systems.
2Ease of manufacture
If the vehicle structure is painted before components are secured, then the painting process is simplified and completed in one continuous operation, but access restrictions still limit the speed of subsequent component assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The painting and component assembly operations are segmented into independent parallel processes. The vehicle structures are painted before being divided into front and rear sections, which then proceed through separate rotation and assembly lines. This allows the painting process to maintain its simplicity while the subsequent component assembly benefits from unrestricted access through rotation, resolving the productivity limitation.
3Ease of operation
If front and rear vehicle structures are assembled separately and then coupled, then access to each structure is improved during assembly, but additional coupling operations are required after both structures are complete
Solution Approach 1:
All component assembly operations on the front and rear vehicle structures are completed as preliminary actions before the final coupling operation. The rotation mechanisms enable complete access to all attachment points on both structures during their respective assembly phases. This preliminary completion of all accessible assembly tasks minimizes the complexity of the final coupling operation, requiring only the joining of the two pre-assembled structures rather than additional component installations.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of assembling a vehicle that includes performing a first operation on a front vehicle structure, securing a plurality of first vehicle components to the front vehicle structure while performing the first operation on the front vehicle structure, performing a second operation on a rear vehicle structure, securing a plurality of second vehicle components to the rear vehicle structure while performing the second operation on the rear vehicle structure, and coupling the front vehicle structure and the rear vehicle structure to each other to form an intermediate vehicle structure after the first vehicle components have been secured to the front vehicle structure and the second vehicle components have been secured to the rear vehicle structure. The first operation includes continuously or intermittently rotating the front vehicle structure. The second operation includes continuously or intermittently rotating the rear vehicle structure.