Dürr conveyor and assembly equipment for the marriage process at Ford Saarlouis
02/10/2006
Ford is making the marriage process within vehicle final assembly at Saarlouis flexible enough to allow a wide range of the manufacturer's models to be 'married' there. Dürr Factory Assembly Systems (FAS) is assisting in revamping Ford's existing assembly line and is also applying its experience in plant construction to add flexibility to the brownfield plant.
Dürr is supplying two complete marriage lines at Saarlouis. The lines include roller conveyors each incorporating a marriage station, two fully automatic robotic bolting stations, each having six robots, bolt inspection/correction points as well as work platforms for manual bolting of engines and transmission bearings in the engine compartment. The installation of a new control system also involves the integration of a new transport pallet loading line for rear axles and for front axles with their associated engines and transmissions. The gantry robot that handles the loaded front axle pallets and returns empty pallets to the existing MGR (merry–go-round) line is also part of Dürr's scope of supply.
As is the norm in the case of brownfield plants - in addition to the supply of new equipment - a variety of modifications are also required to existing plants. The relocation and extension of an existing electric monorail system as well as necessary alterations to the MGR line are examples of these.
When the restyled assembly line is finished it will be used to assemble in a three shift production Ford's C-platform models including the Ford Focus 3 door, 5 door and estate car as well as the Ford Focus C-Max.
Testing of both marriage lines will commence under production conditions early in June – full production and integration into normal plant operation will begin on the first working day after the factory's three week shut-down period in August 2006.
The Dürr Group is one of the world's leading suppliers of products, systems and services for automobile manufacturing. Its range of products and services covers important stages of vehicle production. As a systems supplier, Dürr plans and builds complete paint shops and final assembly facilities. Dürr also delivers cleaning and filtration systems for the manufacture of engine and transmission components as well as balancing systems for vehicle components.
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