40-Second Cycle Time: Automated Interior Door Assembly for Premium Vehicles

Fast, flexible and ready for series production: At its Viersen site, KraussMaffei has developed an automated assembly solution that completes two interior door panels in just 40 seconds. Using intelligent robotics, camera and laser inspection as well as barcode-based variant recognition, the system meets the high quality and efficiency demands of premium automotive interior manufacturing.

"Ready to go straight from the machine" is the benchmark for modern automotive production. Where downstream processes are unavoidable, they must be as efficient and reliable as possible. This is exactly where KraussMaffei's Trimming Technology Center in Viersen comes into play, delivering custom automation solutions for demanding post-processing and assembly tasks in the plastics industry.

For Yanfeng, a global Tier-1 supplier, KraussMaffei developed an intelligent production concept for the assembly of interior door trims, including map pockets, recessed grips, armrests and clips. The goal: maximum output with consistent quality for premium OEMs.

In the automated assembly line, the door panel as a base carrier passes through three assembly stations. Two door panels are mounted in an aluminum frame on a self-propelled load carrier, which moves them through the assembly tunnel. A barcode scanner identifies the door variant and required equipment, while a camera system verifies the exact position of the component.

Within just 350 milliseconds, the camera captures and evaluates the image and calculates translation and rotation. This ensures that screws for the five to seven add-on parts are placed with maximum precision.

At each door, three ABB robots (type IRB 1200-7/70) handle the screwdriving process. Due to their geometry, the 18 screws per door cannot be blown in and are therefore picked individually from a dispenser. Despite this, the process remains highly efficient:

• 24 seconds for six screws, including camera measurement
• Armrest, recessed grip and map pocket mounted with repeatable accuracy

In the next station, an ABB IRB 1600-145/10 robot places nine clips with rubber sealing lips. A laser sensor scans clip positions and depth to compensate for minor tolerances. The result:

• 4 seconds per clip
• 29 seconds total cycle time for clip placement, including laser and camera inspection

Including transport, clamping and unclamping, the entire line achieves a cycle time of 40 seconds, producing two finished interior door panels with a total of eight robots.

The modular system can be expanded with additional processes such as punching, milling, deburring, laser cutting, ultrasonic cutting and welding, flame treatment or scoring for airbag zones. Since 2005, the Trimming Technology Center has grown to more than 75 specialists, serving primarily the automotive industry, with increasing demand from medical technology as well.