Automation XXL-Products Work Group Visits Airbus and Fraunhofer IFAM

The dimensions of airplanes, container ships and other large scale products are too large and the quantities too small for classic serial production on the assembly line . Whether and with which methods production can nevertheless be automated will be discussed by the participants of the XXL-Products Working Group in Stade at the end of April.

The production of very large products is a challenge, also in terms of automation. The robots used must be designed to handle very heavy components. Driverless transport vehicles have to cover long distances within the factory and still be reliably located. And even with components of several meters in length, every screw must be positioned with millimeter precision. Maintaining these tolerances is not trivial. Added to this are the small quantities involved: For automobile manufacturers who produce hundreds of thousands of vehicles every year, automation is worthwhile for almost every step in the process - but the situation is different when producing a few hundred aircraft or ships.

Dossier Robotics

Robotics in Automation

Whether and how XXL products can be manufactured automatically will be discussed by the participants of the working group XXL products at their next meeting. The working group members include employees of companies from a wide range of industries, all of which manufacture large-scale products, as well as scientists who deal with this topic in theory. The working group was founded in 2010 by the Institut for Integrated Production Hannover (IPH) gGmbH, which deals with XXL-products in numerous research projects. New members are always welcome and can participate in a first meeting of the working group free of charge and without obligation.

The industry meetings take place twice a year at changing companies. The venue on April 29^th is the Fraunhofer IFAM in Stade.

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