Track-guided systems

The German automotive industry invests large sums in the research and development of vehicles, mobility offerings and flexible production concepts. The big issues for the future include everything from the continued development of traditional drives and alternative fuels right through to the expansion of electric mobility, the digital revolution in automobiles and automated driving.

But whether a consumer opts for a personalized vehicle, an electric, hybrid, gasoline, diesel or hydrogen system, an e-bike, motorcycle, car, truck, commercial vehicle or air taxi; whether their transport of choice is autonomous, controlled by a human or a sharing model – in fact, whatever the mobility of the present and future looks like – it still has to be built efficiently. The automotive industry is one of the sectors already making wide use of automation in production and manufacturing. Automobile production and automation have long gone hand in hand – and with good reason, as the automotive industry is very dynamic and demands a high degree of flexibility in production. Automation and the associated intelligent solutions maximize productivity and performance, while also, more importantly, enabling companies to achieve the profitability and competitiveness they need to face growing global competition. Only the manufacturers already putting Industry 4.0, data-driven production and digitally networked manufacturing into practice will be able to withstand the pressure of this competitive landscape.

Smart production facilities and the corresponding flexible logistics systems allow for sufficiently dynamic automobile production lines, which can be adapted quickly and react flexibly to the rising demand for model variants. Automation in the automotive industry therefore benefits car manufacturers on an economic level first and foremost. Besides boosting efficiency, automation technology also enables production in a batch size of just one. What's more, it helps improve health standards for employees. Industrial robots and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) support employees and relieve them of many physically demanding tasks, thus ensuring valuable resources can be used efficiently.

It's hard to picture the future of automobile production without first thinking of fully automated production facilities kitted out with robots moving through flexible production cells. However, as digitalization makes its way into automobile production, the car manufacturers of the future will need much more than just robots:

1) From worker to gamer – at least that's how some parts of this changing working world could be described. Of course, that does not apply across the board, but, when it comes to the areas where Industry 4.0 and the real working world intersect, it's pretty accurate. More and more digital tools are creeping into production, helping assembly workers and turning production lines into flexible, breathing production systems.

2) Drivers can choose from different body shapes depending on what they like and how they're going to use their vehicle. In many plants, "platform strategies" are the bedrock of efficient production. This is not going to change anytime soon, but what will change is how intelligently the individual production cell is connected to the next processing station. This means production cells can be adapted more easily and in a more focused manner to requirements that are changing ever more rapidly.

3) Autonomous assistance systems network the individual production and assembly processes within the smart factory. They either have swarm intelligence or serve as mobile, intelligent and ergonomic work benches. But they also use an electrified monorail system to link together the steps needed to complete an order. One thing they all have in common is that they are the cyber-physical systems that contain all the relevant data.

4) Digitalization and data sharing offer great potential for state-of-the-art logistics processes. When manufacturers and suppliers integrate new technologies effectively, the data associated with the order process, delivery status, processing status and payment processes is exchanged transparently. When used correctly, data helps create a flexible, networked supply chain. This makes transportation more efficient, cost-effective and even more attractive for customers. Digital platforms help coordinate supply and demand almost in real time. Automated guided vehicle systems and precise tracking & tracing are playing an increasingly important role in automotive logistics processes.

5) Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) help significantly shorten the startup phase for newly constructed or renovated plants. VR allows employees to check out and optimize their new workstations and processes before a single workstation has even been constructed. After work on the new/renovated plant has been completed, augmented reality helps employees put new processes into practice, as the appropriate information and instructions are displayed directly in their field of vision.

6) Data is generated through the end-to-end networking of all components, from the drive to the control technology. The data is then stored on platforms such as the company's own cloud. Statements can then be made about actual statuses and deviations from them with the aid of special algorithms, or by using AI (artificial intelligence) or machine learning. This establishes a basis for making forecasts as part of predictive maintenance and planning service-related downtimes.