Method of engineering a process line for a flexible manufacturing system
OwnerAbid Ghumaninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of engineering a process line for fabricating an assembly from a plurality of subassemblies generated from various workpieces is provided, which includes the steps of providing a plurality of standardized task stations, determining at least first and second templates, with each template comprising a defined set of task stations for producing a subassembly, and combining at least the first and second templates in a predetermined alignment to form the process line to fabricate the assembly.
Claims25
A method of engineering a process line for fabricating an assembly from a plurality of subassemblies generated from various workpieces comprising the steps of:
- providing a plurality of standardized task stations;
- determining at least first and second templates, with each template comprising a defined set of task stations for producing a subassembly;
- and
- combining at least said first and second templates in a predetermined alignment to form said process line to fabricate said assembly.
A method of engineering a process line for fabricating an automotive vehicle body assembly from a plurality of subassemblies generated from various workpieces comprising the steps of:
- providing a plurality of standardized task stations;
- at least one said task stations including a workpiece presenter for fixturing a workpiece of a vehicle subassembly, said workpiece presenter including a platform and a tooling plate removably connected to the platform, said tooling plate including a planar body for supporting fixture tools holding said workpiece and including a connector mechanism to allow said planar body to be removably connected with said platform and said tooling plate having a three axis abutment system heel which locates said planar body with respect to said platform in a repeatable manner and wherein said task station joins at least first and second workpieces together;
- determining at least first and second templates, each template comprising a defined set of said task stations for a subassembly;
- and
- combining at least said first and second templates to form said process line to fabricate said body assembly.
A method of engineering a process line for fabricating an assembly from a plurality of subassemblies generated from various workpieces comprising the steps of:
- providing a predefined set of task stations, each of the task stations in the predefined set being unique from all other task stations in the predefined set;
- and
- aligning each of the task stations in a predetermined order to form the process line to fabricate the assembly.
A manufacturing system, comprising:
- a predefined set of task stations, each of the task stations in the predefined set being unique from all other task stations in the predefined set;
- and
- each of the task stations being aligned in a predetermined order to form the process line to fabricate the assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.