Connected Worker
Assembly Line
BILT for Consumers & Professionals
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.
Armstrong World Industries, Inc. Selects Augmentir’s Connected Worker Platform to Enhance Workforce Productivity and Safety
Augmentir, provider of the world’s only AI-based connected worker solution, is proud to announce that Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (AWI) has selected Augmentir’s connected worker platform to further enhance the lives, safety, and productivity of its workforce. This selection demonstrates AWI’s commitment to enhance the safety and efficiency of its working environment through cutting-edge technology.
SIGMA: An open-source mixed-reality system for research on physical task assistance
What would it take to build an interactive AI system that could assist you with any task in the physical world, just as a real-time expert would? To begin exploring the core competencies that such a system would require, we developed and released the Situated Interactive Guidance, Monitoring, and Assistance (SIGMA) system, an open-source research platform and testbed prototype for studying mixed-reality task assistance. SIGMA provides a basis for researchers to explore, understand, and develop the capabilities required to enable in-stream task assistance in the physical world.
Collaboration Platforms to Solve Your Frontline Workforce Challenges
The Connected Frontline Workforce (CFW) applications space is diverse, dynamic, and fragmented. Players range from early-stage start-ups backed by venture capital to publicly traded global tech giants. The vendors in this space offer a wide range of products and go-to-market strategies.
CFW initiatives have become a strategic imperative for many as manufacturers seek to solve critical labor shortages, skills gaps, and retention issues in frontline operations. CFW-enabling technology has been proven to help companies meet frontline workforce challenges while optimizing operational performance across safety, quality, and productivity dimensions. However, navigating the relatively immature and highly fragmented CFW Applications market to capture the opportunity fully can be challenging.
Connected Digital Manufacturing: Cobots and Augmented Reality for Electronics Assembly
LightGuide’s industrial augmented reality (AR) work instruction platform seamlessly integrates with a wide variety of digital manufacturing technologies, factory tools, and IO devices, including cobots. Here, LightGuide is integrated with KUKA’s LBR iisy cobot to combine the benefits of industrial automation and digital work instructions to streamline the process of assembling an electrical component.
🔋 High-Tech Tools Ensure Quality at Battery Manufacturer
CATL’s emphasis on state-of-the-art technology extends even to the fastening tools on its assembly lines. From a fastening standpoint, EV batteries pose several challenges. One is high-mix production. Tools must be able to quickly switch between assembly lines. Tools must accommodate a relatively large torque range and be adaptable to diverse tightening requirements.
Desoutter has worked with CATL from the early stages of its development, helping the company to establish robust tightening standards and improve existing tightening processes. Desoutter supplied CATL with a variety of fastening technologies, including the CONNECT platform, Nexonar positioning system, ERS electric screwdrivers, CVI3 controller, and automatic screw feeders.
Desoutter’s Nexonar 3D spatial positioning system uses infrared sensors to accurately monitor and locate fastening tools or the position of an operator’s hands in critical assembly processes to within 1 millimeter. Nexonar ensures that all screws are tightened in the right place, in the intended sequence, and with the appropriate parameters. The system can be retrofit to existing tools. It is able to detect pitch, roll and yaw of the tool. Several hundred trackers can be monitored simultaneously in real-time and with no latency. It can also be used to ensure as accurate part picking, placement and fulfillment in kitting operations.