Time for some smart thinking
Audi is spearheading a global drive in robotics on the factory floor at its cutting-edge Q5 plant in Mexico
Imagine a factory where robots do all the dirty work, leaving their human minders free to oversee operations. While that may sound like the plot of a science-fiction novel, it’s exactly what happens inside Audi’s new ‘Smart Factory’, near San José Chiapa, Mexico.
This state-of-the-art plant was opened at the end of 2016 to produce Audi’s new Q5 for the global market. Its wealth of innovative systems and machinery is capable of producing more than 150,000 cars every year, and is run by fewer than 6000 employees. It’s the 12th plant in the Audi production network, and one of the largest to boot, as it’s built on a site that extends over 400 hectares – that equates to nearly 1000 acres or 400 football pitches.
And it appears that Audi isn’t alone in recognising the benefits of high automisation. According to the International Federation of Robotics, by 2019, more than 1.4 million new industrial robots will be installed in factories around the world.
For Dr Hubert Waltl, Board of Management Member for Production at Audi AG, human-robot co-operation opens up many possibilities: ‘The factory of the future will feature increasing interaction between man and machine, allowing us to automate routine operations and optimise ergonomically unfavourable workplaces.’
However, he also stresses that there can be no factories without human beings. ‘People will continue to make the decisions on production processes,’ he explains. ‘Our employees will continue to be essential for future-oriented, successful production.’
Steel press
Audi México boasts the largest steel press in the Americas: a twin-servo Schuler machine. It’s just under 12 metres tall
and weighs 3000 tonnes. It can press aluminium and steel in up to six different directions and applies a force of more than 800 tonnes to shape each body part.
Body shop
This is where the car starts to take shape. The body shop at the Audi México plant is 46,464 square metres in size and consists of a production line made up of 670 Kuka robots. It has an automation level of 80 per cent, making it one of the most automated in the world.
Welding line
As the Q5 passes down the production line, robotic arms weld together the frame. They utilise many different techniques: spot-welding in some locations, and, on other parts of the vehicle such as the roof (which needs extra stability), a continuous line.
Paint shop
Producing no wastewater, Audi’s paint shop is the most eco-friendly in the Americas. It covers 65,000 square metres and spans four floors, with 23 robots for the PVC line and 67 for the top coat. Each car receives six coats plus corrosion protection on the frame.
Quality control
Humans ensure nothing is left to chance, using measuring devices called ‘Meisterbocks’ to deliver perfection in every part. Robots build each vehicle to an exceptional level of quality, but nothing beats the scrutiny of an expert pair of eyes for that final check before a car hits the road.
