Process Planning And Simulation Of Auto Body Floor Welding Line Based On Digital Factory

The upgrading of automotive products is more rapid in the fierce market competition and the traditional process planning techniques of BIW cannot satisfy the requirements of car production cycles. With the maturity of the computer-aided engineering and simulation technology, design, manufacture, assembly and other functions in the product life cycle can be achieved by digital factory techniques which simulate, evaluate and optimize the process. The techniques prompt the manufacturing model shifting form the traditional model to the digital model in order to achieve the fast, low cost and high quality manufacturing of the products.In this paper, process planning and simulation of the floor welding line were researched deeply based on the functional software of the Digital Factory Tecnomatix solutions in order to discuss some methods which would be used in the process planning of the floor welding line with the digital factory technology.Firstly, the process technology, layout and station structure of the floor assembly and welding line process were analyzed based on the discussion of the background and significance of this subject. The process layout, structure station and the beat planning of the welding line process plan were proposed.Secondly, according to the involved characteristics of body floor parts, processes and manufacturing, the floor welding line process planning method was studied based on Tecnomatix and the manufacturing information model and process model were constructed by the using of the system planning platform-Process Designer. The process database and the product assembly tree were established. The data of process was defined and related.3D resource layout realized process layout and information management the floor welding line intuitively.Finally, the simulation of the automatic station of body floor welding line was obtained based on the welding simulation platform-Robcad. The virtual model of automatic station and the virtual simulation environment were established. The simulations of spot accessibility, welding path and multi-robot welding were achieved with the incorporation of the spots information and welding path provided by the path planning. Through the analysis of station operations and estimates of cycle time, the welding process planning and operational planning of the reasonableness of the robot was verified.