FR3045557A1 - METHOD FOR MANAGING DIVERSITY OF PARTS WHEN MANUFACTURING A MOTOR VEHICLE - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention primarily relates to a method of managing part diversity during the manufacture of a vehicle, based on the use of a mounting station associated with a plurality of storage bins located in an on-board work area. an assembly line, and at least one storage tank, said virtual, set back with respect to said working area, characterized in that said method comprises: a step of identifying a product type, a step of signaling a part to be mounted on said product as a function of said type of product previously identified, and - in the case where said part is not present in said working zone, said method comprises a step of recovering said part in said virtual storage bin, a validation step of said recovered part, and a step of mounting said part.

Description

METHOD FOR MANAGING DIVERSITY OF PARTS WHEN MANUFACTURING A MOTOR VEHICLE

The present invention relates to a part diversity management process during the manufacture of a motor vehicle. The invention finds a particularly advantageous application on manual workstations requiring the use and management of a variety of products, for example on a mounting station engine harnesses.

In a manner known per se, the motor vehicle mounting stations are equipped with a plurality of storage bins located in a work area on the edge of a mounting line. Thus on a station, it is for example possible to provide a storage bin for large packaging and a storage bin for small packaging. In addition, in order to avoid mounting nonconformities, the mounting stations are equipped with a hand-passing system to indicate the part to be taken and to check the correct part to assemble.

However, a problem arises when several types of parts are needed but there are not enough slots available at the edge of the assembly line, for example when there are three types of engine harnesses to provide for only two packaging locations available. This then requires reconfiguring the locations to the types of parts to be mounted at each change of variant.

Such a problem can be managed in the case of a mounting, burst, several products of the same type to anticipate the different series by arranging the packaging to meet the needs of the assembly line. However, the tendency being to produce vehicles according to the demand, the lines of assembly manage less and less series of product of a same type but rather the assembly of isolated products or in very small series. This makes it difficult to manage parts at the edge of the line, since a reorganization of the storage bins for such series represents a waste of time and ergonomics.

The invention aims to remedy this drawback by proposing a part diversity management method during the manufacture of a vehicle, based on the use of a mounting station associated with a plurality of storage bins. located in a working area on the edge of an assembly line, and at least one storage tank, said virtual, positioned back from the work area, characterized in that the method comprises: a step of identification of a product type, - a step of signaling a part to be mounted on the product according to the type of product previously identified, and - in the case where the part is not present in the work area, the method comprises a step of recovering the part in the virtual storage bin, a validation step of the recovered part, and a step of mounting the part.

The invention thus makes it possible, by implementing the virtual storage bins, to limit the physical locations on a mounting station and therefore the congestion at the edge of the line, while avoiding a systematic deconfiguration of the station. for rarely used parts.

According to one embodiment, the bins positioned in the work area comprise a first type of storage bin corresponding to large packages and a second type of storage bin corresponding to small packages, in connection with a unit of storage. control of the assembly station.

[0008] According to one implementation, the validation step is performed by reading a code.

According to one implementation, the code is a bar code.

According to one embodiment, the code is positioned on the part to be mounted.

According to one embodiment, the code is positioned on the virtual storage bin.

According to one embodiment, the mounting station is a motor beam mounting station.

The invention also relates to an assembly comprising a mounting station associated with a plurality of storage bins located in a work area on the edge of an assembly line, the storage bins being in communication with a unit control device, characterized in that at least one storage tank, said virtual, is positioned recessed with respect to the work area, and in that the assembly line comprises a coin take-off validation system in the tray virtual storage.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows and the examination of the figures that accompany it. These figures are given for illustrative but not limiting of the invention.

Figure 1 is a top view illustrating a mounting line according to the present invention comprising storage bins positioned at the edge of the assembly line and virtual storage bins; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the different steps of the part diversity management method according to the present invention implemented with the assembly line of FIG. 1.

Figure 1 shows a mounting line 10 provided with a conveyor for conveying products 12, such as heat engines, mounting station 14 in the mounting station 14 to finalize their assembly. Each station 14 is associated with a plurality of storage bins 20 located in a working area 16 positioned at the edge of the assembly line 10. The storage bins 20 contain parts intended to be mounted on the product 12 by an operator referenced 15 .

The storage bins 20 incorporate communication means with a control unit 22 associated with the station 14. It may for example define a first type of tray 20 for large engine bundle packages and a second type of tray 20 for small engine beam packs.

Furthermore, at least one other storage tank 23, said virtual, is positioned in a location 24 set back from the working area 16. The virtual storage bin 23 is disconnected from the control unit 22 of the station 14. The virtual storage bin 23 contains parts rarely called assembly line 10. Thus, it may be parts for so-called exotic variants of engines used for example only in cold countries.

The following are described hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 2, the different steps of the part diversity management method according to the invention implemented with the assembly line 10 of FIG. 1.

After conveying the product 12 to the mounting station 14 in a step 100, the operator 15 proceeds, in a step 101, to the identification of the product 12 by reading an identification element. The identification element may for example consist of a memory embedded on the product 12 or alternatively a bar code, or any other element suitable for the identification of the product 12. This identification step 101 makes it possible to determine whether it is necessary to carry out a step 102a of working on the product 12. If no manipulation is necessary (see step 102b), the product 12 is evacuated in a step 107.

In the case where a step 102a of work is necessary and where the workpiece is present in the work area 16, the control unit 22 controls a signaling device, so as to signal to the operator 15 the part to be mounted on the product 12 according to the type of product 12.

The signaling may be performed for example via the emission of a sound signal, such as an alarm noise, and / or a visual signal, such as the flashing of a light at the ferry storage 20 containing the part to be mounted or the display of an instruction message. This signaling device allows the operator 15, in a step 103a, to easily identify the storage bin 20 in which the part must be taken for mounting on the product 12.

In a step 104a, the operator 15 retrieves the coin in the tray 20 of interest, and an automatic hand-over system, such as a light curtain, validates the recovery of the correct piece by the operator 15.

In the case where the part to be mounted is not present in the working area 16 (see 103b), the operator 15 recovers, in a step 104b, the part in the virtual bin 23. Given the the decorrelation of the virtual storage bin 23 with respect to the signaling device managed by the control unit 22, it is necessary for the operator 15 to proceed in a step 105 to a manual validation of the part so as to confirm that it is the part to be assembled on the product 12.

Manual validation of the part is performed by reading a code. The code may for example consist of a bar code positioned on the part and / or on the virtual storage bin 23. Alternatively, the validation of the part may be performed by a physical identification of the part.

Once the part has been validated, the operator 15 proceeds to assembly of the part in a step 106, then the product 12 is removed from the mounting station 14 in a step 107.

Claims (7)

A method of managing part diversity during manufacture of a vehicle, based on the use of a mounting station (14) associated with a plurality of storage bins (20) located in a work area ( 16) at the edge of a mounting line (10), and at least one storage bin (23), said virtual, positioned recessed with respect to said working zone (16), characterized in that said method comprises: a step (101) for identifying a product type (12), a step (103a, 103b) for signaling a part to be mounted on said product (12) according to said type of product (12) previously identified, and - in the case where said piece is not present in said working area (16), said method comprises a step (104b) of recovering said piece in said virtual storage bin (23), a step ( 105) of said recovered part, and a step (106) of mounting said part. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said bins (20) positioned in said work area (16) comprise a first type of storage bin (20) corresponding to large packages and a second type of storage bin (20) corresponding to small packages, in connection with a control unit (22) of said mounting station (14). 3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said step (105) validation is performed by reading a code. 4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that said code is a bar code. 5. Method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that said code is positioned on said part to be mounted. 6. Method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that said code is positioned on said virtual storage bin (23). 7. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said mounting station (14) is a mounting station (14) of engine beams.