Rise of the machines

Once the stuff of sci-fi films, robots are now working 'hand in hand' with people at Audi.

Once upon a time it would have seemed impossible, but increasingly, robots are taking on a range of tasks at Audi, from literally heavy lifting duties to intricate tasks and working closely with their human counterparts.

24 October, 2015

The use of robots in vehicle manufacture is not new. For years, Audi has used robots to carry out a range of highly specialised functions in the manufacturing process, particularly those presenting a high risk to human beings. Precision welding, metal stamping and various assembly tasks have long been the province of robots, but always behind safety barriers, well away from the human workers for obvious safety considerations.

At its Ingolstadt plant though, Audi is now using robots in tasks that see them working directly with people, in what is the first human-robot co-operation of its kind at the company.

“People will continue to make the decisions on production processes and our employees will continue to be essential for future-oriented, successful production,” says Dr. Hubert Waltl, Board of Management Member for Production at AUDI AG.

The initiative is designed to aid worker comfort and safety, the impact on health of often repetitive work a definite negative Audi has sought to avoid through the increased used of robots in this new way.

For those working on the A4, A5 and Q5 assembly lines at Audi’s Ingolstadt plant, the new, direct co-operation between humans and robots makes a tremendous difference. Until now, employees have had to bend over material boxes to take out the coolant expansion tanks which may seems like a simple task, but with frequent repetitions it can lead to back problems. From now on, the task will be taken over by a robot, known internally as ‘PART4you’.

PART4you is fitted with a camera and a suction cup that allows ‘him’ to pick up components from the various boxes and ‘hand’ them to the human worker at just the right time and at a height/level that is ergonomically optimal.

“In a production process with increasing diversity of model versions, PART4you provides the employees with important assistance. It selects the correct component and holds it ready to be taken. This means that the employees no longer have to reach over long distances or bend down repeatedly,” says Johann Hegel, Head of Assembly Technology Development.

“The robot becomes an assembly assistant operating at the same speed as the assembly worker – and not the other way around. Thanks to a soft protective skin with integrated safety sensors, there is no danger to the employees.”

The PART4you robot fulfills a stringent set of safety guidelines to ensure that those working with it are never at risk of harm, and the benefits since the introduction several months ago have all been positive.

Of course, new uses for robots throughout the production process are constantly being examined and evaluated with a view to improving efficiency. The use of a driverless robot – nicknamed ‘Ray’ – to transport vehicles from production to a storage facility is also being trialled in Ingolstadt.

Controlled by specially designed software, Ray is made up of a frame six metres long and three metres wide which uses sensors to determine the position and dimensions of a car, before lifting it up and taking it to a predetermined space where it is ‘parked’. As with other areas of autonomous parking, this systems allows for much greater efficiency storing cars than having humans perform the task. But there is also a a health benefit to workers through Ray’s deployment as well.

“The autonomous transport of our automobiles could allow us to eliminate long walking distances for our employees and to improve the ergonomics of their work,” says Prof. Dr. Hubert Waltl of the trial system.

Improving the conditions for workers and the efficiency of the process are at the the heart of these and other projects that demonstrate Vorsprung durch Technik exists in every area at Audi.

Rise of the machines

Once the stuff of sci-fi films, robots are now working 'hand in hand' with people at Audi.

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