The assembly line is a comprehensive system with a layout size of 18 by 9 metres, featuring 14 machines. This includes one manual station dedicated to base part placement and the handling of the final product. The line is designed to operate under stringent conditions, emulating a clean room of ISO class 7 within the assembly and testing areas. It is expected to produce over 5 million products in its lifetime.
Parts are systematically fed into the line. Robots equipped with specialized vision systems are responsible for picking up these parts for assembly. These robots make use of specialised grippers and vision systems, specifically developed to handle the unique curved parts that are part of the backlight unit. The foil feeders, for example, include an ionized air blaster for no-contact separation and the curved grippers are made of a material which leaves no marks on the handled part.
The operation of the line is highly efficient, requiring only one operator who is responsible for the placement of the base part and the handling of the final product. The entire line can be monitored and controlled from one operator station as well. Regardless, the line was built for easy access from both sides for tool changeover and maintenance. It is capable of producing and testing two product variants—for left-hand and right-hand drive vehicles—with a changeover time of less than 15 minutes.
The line includes RFID tracking across the complete line and complete MES integration, providing an additional layer of quality control and traceability. The system logs each component’s path along the line, allowing for real-time monitoring and historical data analysis from a single operator station.
Additionally, the line’s design allows for energy consumption measurements for both air and electricity, providing valuable data for optimizing operational efficiency. It is also designed to be adaptable for future products, ensuring its long-term viability.
