Stadler Rail
Assembly Line
đźš‚ Railcar Manufacturer Masters High-Mix Production
Thousands of threaded and nonthreaded fasteners are used to assemble a railcar. Needless to say, safety and quality are top priorities. Every fastener must be installed to exact specifications. The company wanted software to error-proof the assembly process, document that quality standards are being met, and provide feedback on the fastening process. The software had to be manufacturer-neutral and work with systems and tools from different suppliers. At Winterthur, the assembly team uses 13 torque wrenches with integrated WiFi technology to measure and check the torque applied to various nuts and bolts during bogie assembly.
Although the wrench manufacturer supplied torque analysis and documentation software with its tools, the software quickly reached its limits at the Winterthur plant. Each wrench saves up to 1,000 data points, which must be read and assessed daily. This information was presented in huge tables of data that, for the most part, were neither understood nor needed by assemblers. As a result, Stadler’s quality assurance and process documentation goals were not being met.
The company wanted comprehensive software to error-proof, monitor and document the fastening process. Given the company’s high-mix, low-volume production environment, Stadler also wanted software that could show assemblers what to do and how to do it. PG Software from CSP GmbH & Co. met Stadler’s requirements.
The software is deployed on tablets. When assembling bogies, Stadler must be flexible in terms of processes and space utilization, since most railcars have some level of customization. Deploying the software on tablets is particularly useful for this kind of production, which does not have a typical workflow from A to Z.
Additionally, CSP’s Curve Anomaly AI software is an advanced, artificial intelligence-based system for curve analysis. Many manufacturers rely on accurate measurement and evaluation of curve values and time series data for quality assurance and process optimization, such as torque vs. time in fastening applications or force vs. distance in press-fit applications. By harnessing sophisticated AI algorithms, the software analyzes the entire progression of curve values and time series data, enabling early detection of anomalies and anticipating potential quality issues.