In co-operation with Volvo Solving developed and installed inlet (loading) and outlet (unloading) conveyors, turntables and dollies in two new parallel assembly lines, all achieved in an extremely short installation time.

Short and fast assembly line.

This new assembly method provides a production line which is half the length and faster than a conventional line, because a turntable at the end of the line gives it a ‘U’-shape . Two similar production lines are installed, each producing a chassis every fifteen minutes or about 33 chassis a day.

The axles are pre-assembled on AGVs and then placed on dollies that are collected by a truck. The dollies are loaded onto an inlet conveyor. An operator drives 2 to 5 pre-assembled axles to the turntable and rotates them through 180°. The axles are then transferred to an outlet conveyor, where a pre-assembled chassis is brought in and lowered with a trolley towards the axles for docking. The assembled chassis is then moved on a dolly along the outlet conveyor and at the end of the line a truck collects the dollies and chassis for further handling through other assembly lines.

Being ‘U’-shaped this type of assembly line requires only half as much space as a linear production line, and can therefore be easily installed within existing factory layouts.