Powertrain & Energy - January 25, 2012 - 11

pleted all required tasks at each station. Manufacturing innovations include a novel, lowcost method of rotating the engine using a batteryoperated electric drill fitted with a special socket that is attached to the gearbox. Thompson noted that Ricardo also required “an aesthetic approach” to the design of the line, ensuring that it complements the new engine-build facility and presents an attractive and technically advanced visitor environment. Commenting on the HMI system, MacDonald Humfrey Project Manager Paul Crosbie explained that Ricardo envisaged a bespoke tracking system that would provide its production engineers with a list of operations that they could vary and configure themselves. For example, not only did they want to be able to set task-by-task instructions showing assembly operators how to build the engine, but they also wanted to include time allocated to each task, such as air tests and gasket glue plotting.

The Ricardo-assembled V8 engine installed in the McLaren MP4-12C.

The HMI also needed to integrate all the operations and provide confirmation—with a time and date stamp—that all tasks had been completed. Effectively this meant that every operation needed its own program. Such complex HMI systems must be developed as bespoke schemes, something MacDonald Humfrey had previously achieved for Aston martin, BmW, and Jaguar land rover. The HMI system developed for Ricardo’s engine line takes operators step-by-step through the process of building an engine, providing detailed onscreen information and visual aids at every station, even including instructions for each bolt to be tightened and the torque setting required. The screen for this operation highlights the specific bolt to be tightened. A green light is used to confirm that the bolt has been tightened properly, and then the next bolt is highlighted. Use of dc tooling allows for the measurement of torque and angle to provide full traceability. Scanners record the 2-D bar codes of every component at each station so any operation can be reviewed, if required. A siemens programmable logic controller drives the mechanical operation of the line such as the stops, the push buttons, and the interlocks for the tools. It is backed up by a server-based PC system that drives the build instructions and logs all the information. The build number of each power unit is scanned at the start of the line, ensuring that all subsequent operations are logged to that particular engine as it moves through the build process. Data is fed to a MacDonald Humfrey MachPick pick-to-light system to ensure efficient error-proof component picking. The system is user-configurable to allow sequential or simultaneous picking, with real-time event reporting and control. It also provides zone indication alerts and profile checks, plus stock monitoring for replenishment. The system uses algorithms to examine the different tolerances of matched components such as crankshafts, pistons, shells, and clamps and, in this case, automatically identifies shims to match the tolerances of the different parts. Stuart Birch
January 25, 2012

SAE Powertrain & Energy

Powertrain & Energy - January 25, 2012

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