TH40628A - Vehicle assembly line (car type). - Google Patents

Abstract

DC60 (08/02/55) Vehicle assembly line which is assembled in the order specified, Transfer/Wiring Equipment Zone (20) where components for transfer/wiring equipment are assembled in sequence onto the vehicle body (11) which has been painted for inspection and repair if necessary, Interior Equipment Zone (30) where interior components are assembled in sequence for inspection and repair if necessary, Underbody Equipment Zone (40) where underbody components are assembled in sequence for underbody inspection and repair if necessary, Exterior Equipment Zone (50) where exterior components are assembled in sequence for inspection and repair if necessary, and a multi-section Quality Assurance Zone (60) where components not repaired in zones (20) through (50) are inspected and repaired, where each functional zone has adjacent inspection and repair stations to perform inspection and repair. Since inspection and repair can be completed in each functional zone, defects can be quickly identified and quality in each zone can be guaranteed. And by doing so, it will improve the production efficiency of the assembly line. The vehicle assembly line, which is assembled in the order specified, includes the Transfer/Wiring Equipment Zone (20), where components for the transfer/wiring equipment are assembled in sequence onto the vehicle body (11) which has been painted for inspection and repair if necessary; the Interior Equipment Zone (30), where interior components are assembled in sequence for inspection and repair if necessary; the Underbody Equipment Zone (40), where underbody components are assembled in sequence for underbody inspection and repair if necessary; the Exterior Equipment Zone (50), where exterior components are assembled in sequence for inspection and repair if necessary; and the multi-section Quality Assurance Zone (60), where components not repaired in zones (20) through (50) are inspected and repaired. Each functional zone will have adjacent inspection and repair stations to perform inspection and repair. Since inspection and repair can be completed in each functional zone, defects can be quickly identified, and quality in each zone can be guaranteed, thus improving the production efficiency of the assembly line.

Claims (7)

1. Automotive vehicle assembly line: This system is used to install pre-defined components in a specific sequence on vehicles that have undergone painting and component installation inspection to create a complete assembled vehicle. A unique characteristic is that pre-defined components are assigned to zones based on the function of each component, the vehicle location where they are installed, and the installation process. These functional zones are interconnected in series to organize the vehicle assembly process. At the end of each functional zone, there are inspection stations for performing static inspection processes, which can be done without using the vehicle, and repair stations for performing necessary repairs based on information indicating assembly errors identified through the static inspection process at those stations. 2. The vehicle assembly line as specified in Claim 1, which includes a number of functional zones: a wiring/piping and communications zone for installing wiring/piping components on the undercarriage, engine compartment, passenger compartment, and trunk of the painted vehicle and for installing additional accessories on the vehicle body; an interior zone for installing interior components, including instrument panels, pedals, floor mats, headliners, and side linings onto the vehicle body, which are transferred from the aforementioned wiring/piping and communications zone; an undercarriage zone for installing undercarriage components, including suspension and engine systems, onto the vehicle body, which are transferred from the interior zone. These undercarriage components are installed on the vehicle body from underneath the vehicle chassis; and an exterior zone for installing exterior components, including windows and bumpers, onto the vehicle body, which are transferred from the undercarriage zone. 3. Vehicle assembly line, as specified in Claim 2, which also includes the quality assurance zone comprising several sections at the end of the exterior equipment zone for inspecting items not inspected by the inspection station of the functionally divided zone and repairing those items if necessary. 4. The vehicle assembly line as specified in Claim 3, whereby the multi-part quality assurance zone includes the multi-part inspection process and the finishing process following the multi-part inspection process, and the multi-part inspection process is designated to inspect items not inspected by the inspection station of the functionally divided zone and items that cannot be repaired by the repair station of the functionally divided zone, and whereby the multi-part quality assurance zone also includes the line repair process for performing repairs based on inspection information indicating the results of the inspection performed by the multi-part inspection process. 5. The vehicle assembly line of the type of automobile as specified in Claim 1, which also includes a computer network for managing information indicating defects indicating incorrect assembly identified by the inspection stations of the functionally divided zones, as well as information indicating items that have not yet been repaired and sent from the repair stations of the functionally divided zones. 6. The vehicle assembly line as specified in Claim 5, which is a computer network, shall include a number of displays located in each functional zone, and each functional zone shall not only display information about that functional zone, but also information about the remaining functional zones. 7. The vehicle assembly line as specified in Claim 5, which includes a computer network including a server for inputting data to the departments involved in the production of the vehicle assembly line.