MDC Power GmbH/Kölleda, Germany (Daimler Plant)

Integrated automation and communication technology as the backbone of efficient engine assembly

Design of an integrated material and assembly flow across several assembly lines
Fully automated store that also serves as a decoupling module
Reliable communication between all automation components in manual or semi-automatic final assembly of diesel engines
Seamless work and quality verification for efficient, fault-free assembly
Time-, space- and cost-optimized combination of the individual sequences
Increased requirements for ruggedness of the cabinet-free systems installed direct in the field.

Wireless networking of the carriage units of the suspended monorail
The receivers are RCoax radiating cables that establish a precisely defined and interference-free wireless field simply and cost-effectively
Up to 5 screwdriver controllers of a workstation are connected direct at the location of use with a SCALANCE X208Pro to back up the quality data
IP65 enclosure is protected from dust and spray water and is predestined for cabinet-free use in the industrial environment.

The carriage units are motor-driven and kept at intervals from each other to prevent collisions
Power is supplied via sliding contacts on the suspended monorails
The extremely compact control and drive solution consists of the following core components:
- Sinamics G120D frequency inverter in degree of protection IP65: Rugged, frequency-controlled drive for cabinet-free installation
- IM154-8 PN/DP CPU interface modules from the Simatic ET200pro range for coordinating the motion sequences

Read/write units of the Simatic RF300 RFID system are installed at all decision points of the transport level of the suspended monorail routes
The RFID transponders (tags) contain important key data such as the engine type, part number or prototype
The tags with 8 KB memory capacity allow non-contact reading as soon as they come within the vicinity of a reader