Applications
Fiat Chrysler conveyance system boosts production flexibility KEY TO ANY COMPANY’S SUCCESS is innovation and keeping up with the times. A major vertical that deals with this constantly is the automotive industry. Product needs abound from major sources. Consumers want the latest and greatest improvements to ensure value and safety, and having a great-looking vehicle is important for many people as well. Regulators around the world, meanwhile, can keep manufacturers very busy as they seek increased sustainability. Multiply that constant innovation by 12 brands, and you get an idea of the lean manufacturing processes that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) focuses on to ensure its long-term success. When vehicle models change each year, how do you stay on top of the trends while not losing sight of the bottom line? In two of FCA’s Midwest facilities, conveyance lines for three of the The new flexible conveyance system at Fiat Chrysler is ergonomically friendly for employee operators, and can be company’s vehicles (Wrangler, quickly adapted to new model changes. Gladiator, and Ram) needed an upgrade to take stress off This pairing has helped FCA revamp employees and better prepare for new models’ which meant the system’s mechanical design its conveyor system to be employee and requirements. The conveyance shepherding would have been more complicated. The manufacturer found a solution, starting innovation-friendly. From a technical vehicles through the manufacturing process standpoint, Subramanian said, the in General Assembly was the company’s focus with a Rockwell architecture; the pairing improvements have brought several benefits: of GuardLogix and Compact GuardLogix for the application. • A flexible conveyance system that is “The top priorities in this project have controllers was a new (and ultimately ergonomically friendly for employee been our employees and ensuring a flexible successful) one for FCA. operators Each carrier is outfitted with a Compact system as new models are designed,” said • The conveyance system can quickly Chen Subramanian, Facilities & Conveyors GuardLogix, which is paired with a ProSoft adapt to new model changes, with FCA Group Manager at FCA. “Our workers were Technology Industrial Hotspot radio that only paying the upfront cost once manufacturing at a high rate for long hours, facilitates communication between the • Changes are done in software and can be carrier’s processor and the GuardLogix that and the movement was constant, including implemented based on the car model’s bending and twisting. Changes to our serves as the system-level PLC. The radios body style conveyance process previously were very transmit control, safety, and diagnostic data In addition, he estimates that, assuming from each carrier back to that traffic cop PLC, costly and took a lot of time.” helping FCA ensure the carriers are operating changes every model year, adopting this Those changes could occur for minor to system saves FCA approximately $300,000 major changes to FCA vehicle models – so they efficiently and effectively. Subramanian said that benefits of to $400,000 per year in capital equipment were frequent, to say the least, to allow the using ProSoft’s radios included the spending. company to maintain its competitive edge. In addition, the lower cost of maintenance FCA knew of an alternative conveyance solution’s Ultra-Fast roaming time and its system that would have required the company compatibility with the Rockwell equipment. and training saves the company at least 40 to cut the Power & Free conveyor track, then He noted ProSoft’s support assistance was minutes of downtime per day – which adds up at 260 days per year. a differentiator as well; a site survey and change and re-weld it. The process couldn’t be done during production, and a common support during and after installation helped conveyance had to be used for all body styles, ensure the application’s smooth performance. Lauren Robeson Menting, Prosoft Technology.
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in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k
11.2019
SOURCE: PROSOFT
A new conveyance system at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles utilizes a Compact GuardLogix controller, paired with an industrial hotspot radio to facilitates communication. The radios transmit control, safety, and diagnostic data from each carrier back to the traffic cop PLC, to ensure carriers are operating efficiently and effectively.
