AAS4WH

Semantic principles for assembly in the bodywork

In TP4 "Wire harness assembly processes", possibilities were investigated for mapping and automating the assembly processes at the OEM using administration shells as standardized digital twins. For this purpose, the individual sub-processes of the assembly of a wire harness in the vehicle body were analyzed, relevant information was derived and semantically described in order to store it in a sub-model of the Asset Administration Shell and make it available for automated retrieval for the processes. A concept for the transfer of CAD data and other parameters that have a strong influence on subsequent automation in the value chain was created. In particular, housings and contacts were considered.

Figure [The Wire Harness in the vehicle]

The aim was to create a data-related basis for automating the assembly of the wiring harness in the vehicle as fully as possible with the help of robots. This means that all information on path planning, geometry, etc. must be semantically described, digitally provided, retrieved and updated as required. The starting point was assumed to be the delivery of the packaging bag including the wiring harness to the assembly cell at the OEM.

To summarize the results of SP 4, it was determined that, from today's perspective, there are still technical hurdles to overcome in order to fully automate the assembly of the wiring harness. The batch size of 1 with a high product variety and the complex design of the body make automated assembly considerably more difficult. However, an improvement could be achieved by fundamentally redesigning the architecture of the wiring harness to enable simpler and more cost-efficient automation.