Managing and improving robot spot welding efficiency: a benchmarking study

El-Khalil, Raed

doi:10.1108/bij-05-2012-0035

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…El-Khalil (2014) studied managing and improving the robot spot welding efficiency for North American automotive body shops. He visited different body shop labs and interviewed the facility engineering and managerial personnel over the span of two years.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…He visited different body shop labs and interviewed the facility engineering and managerial personnel over the span of two years. He found that there was a great opportunity to improve HPV at the “Big Three” (GM, Ford, and Chrysler) by utilizing flexible systems, common vehicle body parts, and improved processes in the body shop (El-Khalil, 2014). In another study, El-Khalil (2015) utilized a discrete simulation model to improve productivity at one of the OEM’s body shops for one of the “Big Three” in North America.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Productivity enhancement in North American automotive industry

Abolhassani

Jaridi

2016

IJPPM

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify effective factors, their impact, and find estimation models of the most well-known productivity measurement, hours-per-vehicle (HPV), in the automotive industry in North American manufacturing plants. Design/methodology/approach Data used in this study were from North American plants that participated in the Harbour’s survey from 2002 to 2006. Data are synthesized using a uniform methodology from information supplied by the plants and supplemented with plant visits by Harbour Consulting auditors. Overall, there are 355 manufacturing plants in the statistical sample from ten different automakers’ brands including DCX, Ford, GM, Honda, Cami, Nummi, Auto Alliance, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Toyota. The multiple linear regression was used to analyze the data and derive the HPV regression equations. Findings HPV is a widely recognized production performance indicator that is used by a significant percentage of worldwide automakers. During the study period, the HPV was reduced 54.75 minutes on average in each year. Annual production volume, platform sharing (PS), and flexible manufacturing (FM) factors improve HPV. However, vehicle variety, salaried employees’ percentage of the workforce, available annual working days, and launching a new model penalize HPV. Launching a new model and adding a new variety in body styles or chassis configurations raise the HPV about 2.189 and 0.642 hours, respectively, depending on the car class; however, manufacturing plants compensate for this issue by using PS and FM strategies. Research limitations/implications The plants which stopped production of a specific product also are included in this study and were treated similar to the regular plants. The medium duty segment was excluded from the data set due to the fact that the number of observations available was too low. The study can be repeated with additional new factors such as the level of plants’ automation and lean manufacturing either for North American or European companies. Originality/value The research investigates current strategies that help automakers to enhance their production performance and reduce their productivity gap. HPV regression equations that are provided in this research may be used effectively to help car makers to set guidelines to improve their productivity with respect to internal and external constraints, strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Productivity enhancement in North American automotive industry

Abolhassani

Jaridi

2016

IJPPM

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“…The techniques projected to control the robots" motion from the preceding operation point to the initial positions and reduce energy consumption by discharging the actuator brakes earlier 9 . The investigation of the efficiency of robotic spot welding was presented in automotive body shops, and it provides a chance for enhancing business performance of body shop 10 . A case study demonstrated an optimum design in an automotive assembly line while considering resource energy consumption, investment cost, availability and annual production volume, and machine utilization 11 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[ 9 ] The investigation of the efficiency of robotic spot welding was presented in automotive body shops, and it provides a chance for enhancing business performance of body shop. [ 10 ] A case study demonstrated an optimum design in an automotive assembly line while considering resource energy consumption, investment cost, availability and annual production volume, and machine utilization. [ 11 ] Some measures and techniques were portrayed for a robotic workplace to utilize robot technology for welding effectively, and presented strategies were tested in a welding shop.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimization of the cycle time of robotics resistance spot welding for automotive applications

Banga

Kalra

Kumar

et al. 2021

J Adv Manuf & Process

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In the automobile manufacturing industry, resistance spot welding (RSW) is widely used, especially to build the car"s body. The RSW is a standard and wide-ranging joining technique in several assembling ventures, showing a wide range of possibilities for a competent procedure. Robots are commonly used for spot welding in various industrial applications. After completing assembling design, interest increases to improve the designed processes, cost-reduction, environmental impact, and increase time productivity when all is said to be done. In this paper, the robot movement between two welding points, a path followed while spotting, gripping and payload-carrying activities, numbers of holds, moves, and a possibility to enhance interaction between four Robots were analyzed using an offline Robot simulation software "DELMIA-V5". The body shop assembly line of the SML ISUZU plant has four robots that perform about 209 welding spots in 532 sec. The optimal model reduced the whole welding cycle time by 68 sec, and after modification and proper sequencing, a12.7% reduction in cycle time was achieved. The offline Robot simulation software "DELMIA-V5" has good potential to produce optimal algorithms while saving precious time. It enables an organization to promote higher quality and to encourage meaningful creativity by reducing design flaws.

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“…In the industry, the welding is usually realised using the robotic arms with the attached RSW transformers (RSWTs) and welding guns (El-Khalil, 2014). The MFDC RSWTs replaced bigger AC transformers in such applications due to their lower mass and compact dimensions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eliminating short switching cycles when using hysteresis control of resistance spot welding systems

Černelič

Brezovnik

Sukič

et al. 2017

COMPEL

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Purpose This paper aims to present two hysteresis-control algorithms designed for medium-frequency, direct-current, resistance-spot-welding (MFDC RSW) systems. The first proposed control algorithm (MSCHC) eliminates the short switching cycles that can occur when using the existing hysteresis-control algorithms. This control minimises the number of switching cycles that are needed to generate the selected welding current. The welding-current ripple can be high when using this control algorithm. Therefore, a second algorithm (HCRR) is presented that reduces the welding-current ripple by half. Design/methodology/approach The proposed hysteresis controllers consist of the transformer’s magnetic-flux-density hysteresis regulator and a welding-current hysteresis regulator. Therefore, the welding current must be measured and the saturation of the iron core must be detected. The proposed hysteresis controller supplies the inverter with the signals needed to generate the supply voltage for the RSW transformer, which then generates the selected welding current. Findings The proposed MSCHC algorithm produces the smallest possible number of switching cycles needed to generate the selected welding current. The high welding-current ripple can be reduced if the number of switching cycles is increased. The observed number of switching cycles and the welding-current ripple change if the welding resistance and/or inductance change. Originality/value The number of switching cycles can be minimised when using the first proposed control algorithm (MSCHC), and so the switching power losses can be minimised. If the welding-current ripple produced by the first control algorithm is unacceptable, the second control algorithm (HCRR) can reduce it by increasing the number of switching cycles.

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Managing and improving robot spot welding efficiency: a benchmarking study

Cited by 6 publications

References 9 publications

Productivity enhancement in North American automotive industry

Productivity enhancement in North American automotive industry

Optimization of the cycle time of robotics resistance spot welding for automotive applications

Eliminating short switching cycles when using hysteresis control of resistance spot welding systems

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