Assembly line simulation for a rear suspension cradle

ABSTRACT

The manufacture of automotive frames and subframes is a complex undertaking, requiring many disparate components and subassemblies to be melded into a functional whole. The competitive environment in manufacturing in general, and the automotive industry in particular, require that both capital and labor be employed efficiently. The throughput constraint for the manufacturer is the assembly line. These lines are generally multi-station automated machines, built to purpose by outside suppliers. They usually consist of a mixture of automated and manual gas-metal arc welding fixtures, buffers, positioning fixtures, error-proofing fixtures, robots, and indexing equipment. This case study presents an analysis of a proposed assembly process for a product designated as the X cradle. Since the assembly line has not been deployed, an existing line was used as a surrogate to verify modeling assumptions, time to failure, and time to repair information. The objective of the analysis was to examine efficiencies and throughput for the proposed line.