Weld Assembly Line Modi cation to Accommodate Electric Vehicle Variant Rear Twist Beam

Abstract

To survive among automobile firms with relentless competitive market environment of “Greater vehicle variety and shorter life cycles” necessitates to be highly automated with Agile Production System. Intensifying volatility and rising demand for individualized product require highly flexible and adaptable system and having ability to respond them by executing such methodology like Flexible Manufacturing System. In automobile structure, Twist Beams or Axles which act as torsion resistance due to vertical motion of wheel, hence it become the essential pillar in Chassis system. As per safety concerns, it is backbone of the automobile skeleton as its failure may hazardous to human life. Therefore, it deploys under the category of “Critical to Quality”, which prioritize the sharp inspection after production of assembly and no bargain with quality concern. This project work aims to accommodate some impending design changes occurs in child parts of TATA RTB Assembly which is to be implemented for the forthcoming variant of electrified vehicle. This work presents all the identified reconfigurations concern with fixture, process parameters and weld sequences on assembly line by using 3-2-1 locating principle and assembly line balancing under the methodology of PDCA cycle. After implementation of proposed modifications, it is possible to produce both the variant as per new EV variant and existing variant together on same assembly line with the great taken care of fixed constraint such as acquired space, optimum cost and time along with maintaining quality and performance as demanded.