SCANIA - Automating Production Lines
Challenge:
Scania, a leading manufacturer of heavy vehicles, needed to automate the production lines for the Door, Side, Framing, Variant lines.The main objective was to improve the efficiency of the production process by reducing the time and resources required for the production of each vehicle. In addition, they wanted to create a new SCADA system for production control and develop a new programming approach with programming libraries that could be used in all their factories worldwide. The challenge was to ensure maximum flexibility for future development and the ability to manage more than 100 different types in mixed production mode.
Solution:
The first step in the solution was to carry out offline programming of both HMI and PLC systems (Hardware and Software). This allowed for the development of a standard set of function blocks, including the creation of new standard blocks, to be used in all factories worldwide. The team worked with project documentation such as electrical, mechanical plans, part flow charts, etc. to ensure that everything was aligned with the existing solutions. They also cooperated with E-plan designers and worked with customers, project managers, and electricians to solve any functional problems that arose during implementation.
Result:
The implementation of the new programming approach and automation of the production lines improved the efficiency of the production process. The new SCADA system provided real-time production control and monitoring, connecting production field with ERP systems. The new programming approach with programming libraries ensured maximum flexibility for future development and the ability to manage more than 100 different types in mixed production mode. The accurate documentation provided by the team ensured that future maintenance and updates could be carried out with ease.
Technology:
The team used advanced technologies for a complex production process such as gluing, laser welding, hemming, brushing, and framing to automate the production lines. They also used optical quality tests to ensure the quality of the production process. The team used SIEMENS SIMATIC S7-1500 PLC and TIA Portal V13 software to develop the standard function blocks. They used WinCC, WinMOD, and RF Suite for simulation purposes. Finally, they used RobotStudio to test the programming.