The Ubisense Assembly Control Solution for BMW

The Ubisense Assembly Control
Solution for BMW
Terry Phebey
RTLS in Manufacturing Workshop
RFID Journal Europe Live!
Darmstadt, 2nd November 2010
The Ubisense Precise RTLS Product
World leading precise Real-time Location System (RTLS)
Ubisense delivers a precise real-time location system (RTLS) utilizing ultrawideband (UWB) technology that locates assets and people precisely in 3D up to
30 cm spatial accuracy generating up to 10 positions per second
The Ubisense RTLS consists of
Hardware
Middleware
Applications
and is generating data, process visibility and control at new levels of granularity
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© by Ubisense 2009
Precise RTLS Requirements in Automotive Final Assembly
Production line automation
•
Tool control
–
–
–
–
•
Eliminate bar code scan of vehicle
Enable / disable wireless tool depending on location
Ensure tool operations related to correct location on vehicle
Associate control data to vehicle
Event triggering
– Trigger events when vehicles reach pre-defined points along
the assembly line using vehicle identification (e.g. tool
enable / disable)
•
Identification
– Initiate PLC with vehicle production data
•
Relate component to production unit
– Eliminate bar code scan of vehicle
•
Quality control of critical processes
– Electronic signature for completed tasks
Finishing process
•
Process monitoring
–
–
–
–
•
Find vehicles
Visibility of vehicle status
Alert if vehicle out of sequence
Recording and reporting
Identification
– Initiate PLC with vehicle production data
BMW Plant 6 in Regensburg
>1,000 vehicles produced per day in two shifts
running from 5:00 to 24:00 5-6 days per week
1 series, variants of the 3 series (e.g. M3, Coupé)
and the Z4 roadster are produced on the same
1.8 Km long assembly line
Vehicles are manufactured in the sequence in
which orders are processed by the ERP system
• On the assembly line a 1 series may be
followed by a Z4 and then by an M3
requiring the DC tools used along the line to
be reprogrammed for each vehicle at each
station
BMW uses the International Production System
(IPS) as the Manufacturing Execution System in
all plants. The module IPS-Q, developed by IBS
AG of Höhr-Grenzhausen in Germany, handles
quality control and in particular tool control
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© by Ubisense 2010
BMW objectives for Plant 6 in Regensburg
Increase efficiency of assembly process by
eliminating unproductive seconds taken to scan the
Vehicle Identification Number barcode for every
tool interaction
•
In Regensburg per day 1000 cars * 150 tools * 6
Seconds
Simplify process by reducing the need to use
barcode scanners
•
Less chance of error
Permanently track vehicles in the production
process
•
•
Use car position to trigger PLCs at tacts along the line
Use same tag on the vehicle to trigger PLCs off line
One infrastructure, multiple applications in the plant
•
5
Reduce IT cost by reducing number of different
location / identification systems supported in the plant
Copyright © 2010 Ubisense
History
Many attempts to solve the problem using
Infra-red, ultra-sound, passive and active
RFID technology
Trial with Ubisense UWB system in 2006 led
to purchase in 2007 for the Regensburg plant
System went live in Q4 2008 covering entire
production line with 150,000 tool operations
per day being controlled
Several reconfigurations as assembly line has
evolved to meet new requirements
New applications to drive PLCs on and off line
introduced
Ubisense system introduced into the
Spartanburg plant on the new line to
manufacture the new X3 in summer of 2010
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© by Ubisense 2010
Why Ubisense Precise Location Tracking is based on UWB
Locating precisely in real-time especially inside
buildings is a difficult problem
•
•
Determining location with radio is done by
measuring the path from transmitter to receiver
Only the direct path signal determines the true
location, reflections are errors
Rx
reflected
signal
Tx
direct
signal path
reflected
signal
With conventional RF, reflections in in-building
environments distort the direct path signal, making
accurate pulse timing difficult
signal
strength
signal
strength
time
3~5m error
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With UWB the direct path signal can be
distinguished from the reflections, making
accurate pulse timing easier
-41.3
dBm/Mhz
time
200ps = 6cm resolution
© by Ubisense 2010
Ubisense Precise Location Tracking principles (1)
New radio technology ultra wideband (UWB) delivers up to 30 cm
accuracy of location in 3D even in challenging environments
Sensor
Timing Synchronization via Cable
UW
B
α1
Master
Sensor
α2
Pu
lse
t1
F
lR
na
o
i
t
en
nv
o
C
t2
Tag
Sensors within the cellular Ubisense network communicate with the Tags on conventional
radio and ask to generate a UWB pulse depending on their profile up to 20 times a second
UWB signals are received at the sensors and are used to calculate the Angle of Arrival (AOA).
So only 2 Sensors receiving a tag signal deliver a location.
If Sensors are synchronized, then Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) between each pair of
Sensors is calculated. This makes the location robust.
Software of the third generation enables tuning and configuration of the system to increase
stability and reliability using e.g. motion model filters
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© by Ubisense 2010
Sensors installed along line in zig-zag pattern – e.g. line 44
ow068-44-03-S08
NSI:
H5
Einlauf
8
H6
1
2
9
H7
4
ow068-44-03-S07
NSI:
ow068-44-02-S07
NSI:
10
12
13
ow068-44-01-S06
I11
2
17
5
ow068-44-01-S05
NSI:
14
4
15
18
1
I12
M
20
ow068-44-01-MS
NSI:
I9
ow068-44-02-S02
NSI:
H11
6
2
17
3
18
5
ow068-44-02-S03
NSI:
3
H13NSI:
21
I13
22
H124
19
1
ow068-44-02-S01
NSI:
I12
I11
ow068-44-01-S03
19
2
ow068-44-03-S02
NSI:
16
I10
ow068-44-01-S04
NSI:
H12 4
10
I8
ow068-44-02-S05
NSI:
I9
9
8
5
ow068-44-02-S06
NSI:
I8
8
ow068-44-02-S04
NSI:
H9
7 1
ow068-44-03-S04
NSI:
H10
M
11
6
2
NSI: 6
16H11
3
7
4
I7
H9
7 1
ow068-44-02-S08
NSI:
6
ow068-44-03-MS
NSI:
ow068-44-02-MS
NSI:
ow068-44-03-S01
NSI:
H8 3
5
5
I6
9
ow068-44-03-S03
NSI:
M
I5
9
6
3
7
ow068-44-03-S09
NSI:
H8 3
8
8
ow068-44-03-S05
NSI:
ow068-44-03-S06
NSI:
ow068-44-01-S01
NSI: H141
2
ow068-44-01-S02
NSI:
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Auslauf
I14
© by Ubisense 2010
Tagging production objects
Industry tags fixed to products (e.g. car bonnet)
•
•
•
Custom mounting brackets (magnetic, adhesive, …)
Define tact / station for tag-product association and
dis-association
Tag remains on product if off-line monitoring /
control required
Fix tags on devices
10
•
Compact tag attached to cable
•
Tag module embedded in tool vendor
accessory
© by Ubisense 2010
Radio interference investigation
BMW 2.4 GHz
Usage
9
9
2402.5
2422.0
1
13
2400
2422
2412
24
2427
2417
WLAN Channels [MHz]
9
9
2442.0
2462.0
3
2
57
2442
2432
68
2447
2437
4
10
2457
9
2452
12
2467
11
2462
6
5
2477.5
2476.0
8
7
2480.5
2479.0
13 14
24722484
2483.5
f/MHz
Ubisense Channels [MHz]
Ubisense system fits inside any radio strategy
•
•
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UWB transmissions at 6.4 – 7.6 GHz
2.4 GHz control telemetry narrow band (600 kHz) at any convenient slot
© by Ubisense 2010
Eliminate bar code scan to identify vehicle
470 sensors installed along the 1,800m line
Tags placed on vehicles to track their position as they
move along the line. Tags removed at end of line
•
•
Associate tag ID with Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Define expected movement of vehicles in each segment
Tags fixed to 165 DC tools to generate events when
they approach vehicle for fastening operation
•
Tag ID associated with tool ID / controller
Define product type and spaces (spatial zones defining
where tools may operate on product)
Send IP telegramme to IPS-Q with VIN / tool ID when
tool enters product space
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© by Ubisense 2010
On and off line identification
Multiple sensors can cover an
area with several stations to be
activated when the vehicl arrives
at the correct location
PLC
zone
s
car data
Alternatively a single sensor can
control one discrete station and
recognise when the tagged
vehicle arrives and use the
associated VIN to initiate a
production step
Sensor
Industry tag
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© by Ubisense 2010
Advantages of the Ubisense technology at BMW
The detection of the co-incidence of tool and vehicle is
not dependent upon a single radio transmission between
the vehicle and the tool which can easily be disturbed
(as is the case with passive or active RFID)
The continuous location of tools and vehicles is
accomplished with high precision (30cm)
High reliability and robustness of the location
measurement due to the fact that only two sensors need
to detect the signal from the tag in order to generate a
3D location
The usage of the system may easily be expanded to
other aplications using the same infrastructure by simply
defining new spatial relationships and events
The location system is based on a fully distributed
architecture (each sensor is a processor in its own right)
and therefore scales easily with increased usage
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© Ubisense
www.ubisense.net
Summary of Assembly Control System Functionality
Flexible product identification / tracking along assembly line, sending product ID
when product reaches any defined location along the line
Control tethered tools, ensuring that they are enabled and programmed for specific
product
Control wireless tools, ensuring that they are being used in correct location and on
correct product
Automatic association of data captured with scanners and PDAs to specific product
Automatic association of button press with task / operator / product
Track vehicles delivering materials to line to ensure quality and timeliness
Actuate other control systems on and off line when product in correct position
Proven extremely high reliability > 99.9998% of events without defect
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© by Ubisense 2010
Benefits of introducing the Ubisense Assembly Control System
Eliminate time used to scan vehicle ID to enable / program tools
Eliminate time used to scan vehicle ID to relate to scanned components
Eliminate paper based sign-off to record successful task fulfillment (e.g. installation of
safety-critical component)
Improve quality by restricting use of tools to permitted areas of vehicle
Enable quality by restricting use of wireless tools to permitted areas
Reduce IT and maintenance costs by replacing legacy active and passive
identification systems with one flexible infrastructure
Improve flexibility of line design by liberating tools from tacts / stations
Virtual Car Tracking
BMW Spartanburg
Russ Chandler
CEO Americas, Ubisense
BMW Spartanburg: Quick Facts
X5’s and X6’s currently built in Hall 50
New hall 52, a second plant built in Spartanburg in 2009
180+ sensors covering 14 bands
Totals 2010:
* Total X3 Units: 2,086
* Total X5 Units: 8,281
* Total X6 Units: 3,820
Current production in Hall 52: about 200 cars planning to produce 250/day.
*
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© by Ubisense 2010
Ubisense Implementation of Virtual Car Tracking
Production
Production Management
Management System
System
Virtual
Virtual Car
Car
Tracking
Tracking
BMW LIS “ACS Lite” – tracking vehicles as
they enter each takt (station).
Vehicles are tracked but not the tools.
Integrated with IBS Tool Controller and
sends VIN location events to IBS.
Tool torque instructions are automatically
adjusted to the specifications of each car
based on VIN number.
Integrated with about 50 tools currently.
IBS
IBS Tool
Tool
Controller
Controller
DC Tooling
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© by Ubisense 2010
Ubisense Implementation of Virtual Car Tracking
Virtual Car tracking enables additional
features to be incorporated to the line, such
as a camera station, which takes pictures as
the car in near the end of the assembly line.
LIS system also planned for logistics trains,
in order to gain a better understanding of
time it takes to cover routes.
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© by Ubisense 2010
Key Benefits
Ubisense solution able
to identify vehicle in
time to activate tools
with correct torque
settings.
Plant is enabled to
support full Assembly
Control System
functionality =
complete LIS tool
assistance similar to
Regensburg.
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© by Ubisense 2010