Sewing cell adjustable feature

A robotic sewing assembly, comprising:

• an instrument panel (IP) to be sewn, the IP being elongate along a longitudinal axis and comprising an elongate flattened section, which is elongate along the longitudinal axis, and an elongate curved section defining vents which is elongate along and curved about the longitudinal axis;
• a fixture to support the IP;
• and
• a robotic arm comprising a sewing head, the sewing head being configured to apply stitching to the IP and the robotic arm being configured to manipulate the sewing head in multiple directions relative to the IP,
• the fixture comprising a servo unit to which the IP is connected and which is configured to manipulate the IP in at least a rotational direction defined about the longitudinal axis, a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a translational axis defined along the longitudinal axis relative to the sewing head, and
• the robotic arm, the sewing head and the servo unit being operable in concert to execute sewing on the elongate flattened section and the elongate curved section defining the vents of the IP.

A method of operating a robotic sewing assembly for sewing an article, the method comprising:

• providing the article as an instrument panel (IP) to be sewn, the IP being elongate along a longitudinal axis and comprising an elongate flattened section, which is elongate along the longitudinal axis, and an elongate curved section, which is elongate along and curved about the longitudinal axis;
• providing a robotic arm comprising a sewing head and providing a fixture;
• connecting a servo unit of the fixture to the IP;
• and
• sewing along multiple exterior and underside faces of the IP, the sewing comprising simultaneously:
• controlling the robotic arm to manipulate the sewing head relative to the IP;
• controlling the sewing head to apply stitching to the IP;
• and
• controlling the servo unit to rotate the IP about the longitudinal axis, to raise and lower the IP and to drive the IP laterally in first and second transverse directions.