Assembly Planbook - July 2008 - (Page GM-13)

In the 1970s, GM engineers experimented with early machine vision technology. SIGHT-I, the ﬁrst industrial computer vision system on a U.S. automotive production line, was installed in 1977 at GM’s Delco Electronics Div. plant in Kokomo, IN. It was used to locate and calculate positions of transistor chips during high-energy ignition systems assembly. The camera system also veriﬁed a chip’s structural integrity and rejected defects. Computers were also used to control pneumatic fastening tools at GM’s Fairfax Assembly Plant (Kansas City, KS). According to an article in the November 1971 issue of ASSEMBLY, the computer-based system “provides better control of critical assembly operations than can be achieved by 100 percent inspection made with conventional hand torque wrenches.” It performed two independent functions to guarantee that the correct torque value was applied to 30 critical fastened joints on Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac sedans. At its futuristic Lordstown plant, GM used computers to simplify assembly line operations for greater efﬁciency and accuracy. A computerized system was used to balance workloads along the assembly lines that built the innovative Vega sedan. “The system allows individual operators enough time to do a job correctly, which minimizes line disruptions and out-of-station repairs,” reported an article in the October 1970 issue of ASSEMBLY. “When options or model mixes change, the computer can immediately rebalance the line for the new conditions.” During the late 1970s, GM engineers developed a standardized computer language called Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP) to communicate with PLCs, robots, conveyors and other plant-ﬂoor equipment. By the mid-1980s, computers were used in GM plants to monitor and control production. An article in the August 1986 issue of ASSEMBLY explained how the Fisher Guide Div. (Anderson, IN) used computer-integrated assembly to produce a wide variety of headlights and taillights. The plant had recently established a “factory-within-a-factory” to assemble high-level stoplights, which were required on all 1986 model year automobiles. At predetermined time intervals, an Allen-Bradley industrial computer connected to smaller PCs polled numerous programmable controllers for fresh information about inventory levels, rejects, fault conditions and the production status of parts produced. A pair of PLCs monitored and controlled the interaction of assembly robots. After processing the information, the computer updated a centrally located color graphic display screen to reﬂect the new conditions every 30 seconds. In 1995, GM launched a synchronous math-based process to digitally design vehicles, components and production processes. By the late 1990s, digital tools allowed engineers to routinely optimize workﬂow and address ergonomic issues by simulating assembly line conditions. Potential problems, such as tool-to-part interface, could be identiﬁed and resolved prior to actual production ramp up. That was a far cry from the days before computers, when GM engineers often used large 2D and 3D boards to manually conﬁgure assembly lines. í ASSEMBLY ONLINE To learn more about GM’s past, present and future, visit www. assemblymag.com and read: The World in 1908. Show & Tell. GM Scores Big in China. www.assemblymag.com | July 2008/ASSEMBLY | GM - 13 http://HERNONMFG.COM http://www.assemblymag.com http://www.assemblymag.com http://www.assemblymag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Assembly Planbook - July 2008

Assembly Planbook - July 2008 Contents Editorial Quality in Assembly Station to Station Assembly Lines Assembly in Action Surviving the Roller Coaster The Human Side of Manufacturing Do Your Fasteners Need a Preapplied Thread-Locker? Manufacturing Innovation A Century of Progress Trendsetting Plants Pulse Tools Get Smart Plastics: Design for X Product Reviews Products Advertisers Index Classified Leading Lean

Assembly Planbook - July 2008

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