Individual projects » commercial vehicle manufacturer

Truck cabin assembly line

Special constructions as standard.

Individual projects » commercial vehicle manufacturer
The customer planned the starting point for building a new cab assembly hall in 2019. Even beforehand, the ROFA Group worked together with project developers to determine the possibilities for adapting the assembly line to the special requirements of the site. The plant was expected to face several problems, including the coordination of multiple technical crews with international involvement. On the technology side, the automatic delivery of various cabins is noteworthy, and the water tests and ground-level design of the conveyor system allow people and automated guided vehicle systems, among other things, to cross the travel route.

“It’s not that we haven’t faced all of these issues at some point before. But to have them all packed into one project, that was new”, says ROFA sales professional Alexander Eberle. 

The challenge begins with the pure dimensions of the cabins, which are elaborated here. They reach up to 3.20 metres in height with a width of 2.50 metres. To implement the customer’s specific assembly requirements, ROFA AG’s EMS technology and the ROFA-LEHMER’s skillet conveyor system required exceptionally large dimensions. With special mechanisms, the workers are also able to orient the conveyor system so that every movement can be made with ease.

The components of a cabin are put together in the assembly hall: roof, fender and interior plus the internal and external elements. All assembly steps take place on the following lines: skillet 1&2, roof, doors, cockpit, overhead EMS and finally, the end-of-line with paint and water test, including the shipping area. A variety of test stations and reworking stations for minor and major repairs are also here. Then the cabins make their way to another plant where they will be put together with the chassis and then the final truck.

The finest floor conveyor technology

ROFA-LEHMER’s floor conveyor systems are full of special design features. Custom lifting tables with walk-in roller doors are used on the roof assembly line to allow the roof construction to be set up. For this, the cabin must be lowered into a trench by up to 2.5 metres while the points in danger of falling are closed.

Transport between the lines was solved with special plastic chain belts. These not only allow the cabins to be conveyed, but also make it possible for assembly personnel, forklifts and automated guided vehicle systems to cross the travel route. Another hurdle was the reworking stations, which are operated by an individual shuttle system: thanks to a special security technology and construction, these travel and assembly areas can be entered by factory personnel, which gives customers enormous flexibility.

Finally, the conveyor system in the open area is worthy of mention. It must operate without fail in all weathers and temperatures, as well as withstand water that is released during the tests. To make this section fail-safe and corrosion-proof, special purchased parts, galvanised elements and stainless steel are used, and the electrical system has to meet the highest standards.

Running smoothly even in the time of the coronavirus

When the project started in the summer of 2019, no one could have guessed that a pandemic would break out during the development phase and change the entire world. While some of the weekly meetings were still held in person at the beginning, everything suddenly changed in February 2020 - and immediately switched to online mode.

Regular meetings, project approvals and even some sample inspections had to be done virtually. The division of personnel, who came from various parts of Europe, had to be carefully planned in order to adhere to Covid-19 restrictions. “But the project’s progress wasn’t in danger of delay at any point”, emphasises Alexander Eberle.

SHOWCASE

Customer: Truck manufacturer
Project: Final assembly for truck cabins
Project duration: 2 years

Involved group companies:
ROFA AG: heavy duty EMS KB240 with lifting unit, door line EMS KB180, cockpit line EMS KB180
ROFA-LEHMER GmbH: skid conveyor system, skillet system
ROFA MÜVEK: mechanical manufacturing
ROFA Controls Romania: engineering and control technology
ROFA Polska: design of steelwork

PRODUCTS & PERFORMANCE

Task:
Several conveyor systems (Greenfield) for cabin assembly from paint to delivery incl. rework lines. Lines are designed for 2-shift operation with a maximum output of 130 units/shift. 8 cabin types must be transported on one system.

 

EMS KB240 (HEMS Line):
double track heavy EMS with lifting unit
length: approx. 80 m
vehicles: 7 piece
payload: 1,300 kg
special design: ROFA control unit, new type of lifting carrier for cabins, adjustment station, heavy-duty transfer switch, docking station and automatic transfer to skid.


EMS KB180 (Door Line):
EMS vehicle with 700 mm lifting unit for an ergonomic working height
length: approx. 500 m
vehicles: 82 piece
lifting units: 4 piece with torsional station
special design: drag chain conveyor in the assembly line


EMS KB180 (Cockpit Line)
length: approx. 250 m
vehicles: 30 piece
lifting units: 2 piece


Skid conveyor technology:
Paint skid and roof line conveyors
length: approx. 800 m
roller conveyors: 48 piece
lifting units: 2 piece
turntables: 3 piece
lifting tables: 10 piece

Assembly line (EOL):
length: approx. 500 m
roller conveyors: 67 piece
turntables: 7 piece
chain conveyors: 10 piece


Repair line (EOL Repair Line):
length: approx. 500 m
roller conveyors: 67 piece


Specials:
Part of the skid system is designed for water test. These conveyors are partly equipped with stainless steel roller conveyors or located outside.


Skillet system (Skillet Line 1&2):
skillet system with integrated lifting tables
quantity: 2 lines (round)
length: ca. 300 m
platforms: 75 piece
lifting tables: special lifting table for floor level crossing
turntables: 4 piece


Other:
various special designs such as

  • cycle operation in automatic stations
  • floor level track crossing
  • refeed to pit