Accurate and repeatable positioning of bus side pillars and other sub-assemblies is essential when building buses and coaches.
The Hosdere coach factory, located near Istanbul, forms an important element in the Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle production network. The factory manufactures four vehicle models: the Mercedes-Benz Travego, Intouro and Tourismo coaches, as well as the Conecto city bus.
Festo has helped to ensure that each vehicle manufactured meets the high standards for which the Mercedes-Benz brand has become renowned, and that the factory operates efficiently.
To ensure that high international quality standards are met on every vehicle, planners have paid particular attention to the complex final body assembly. First, the sub-frame, sides, roof, front and rear frame are welded together, then final assembly of these sub-assemblies takes place. The challenge faced by Mercedes is to adhere to tight tolerances for the alignment and welding of the body components while at the same time being able to switch quickly between different vehicle types.
To meet these requirements Festo electric drive technology has been applied. In addition to numerous pneumatic components the production planners have integrated six Festo DGE electric toothed belt axes. The stable axes, which are five metres long and feature a roller guide, have a maximum speed of 10 m/s and a repetition accuracy of ±0,1 mm.
DGE electric toothed belt axes are used for the horizontal positioning of carriers into which the vertical side pillars of the bus body are clamped. They are driven by Festo servo motors and communicate via Profibus. The axes move the carriers, using three clamping devices, into the exact position required for each vehicle type. This dramatically increases plant efficiency.
The correct positioning of side pillars is critical for further assembly of the body. A lack of precision in this production step results in dimensional deviations in the final assembly. Positive experience with Festo automation expertise in the past played a key role in Mercedes-Benz choosing Festo electric drive technology for its Hosdere factory.
Nedim Alp, production planning manager (Body Shells), Mercedes-Benz Türk, explains, “The jig enables us to manufacture body shells for four different vehicle types with minimum retooling times. This means that despite the range of vehicle models, we can run the coaches on the conveyor with shorter cycle times.”
The Festo multi-axis modular system offers hundreds of compatible, freely combinable components for gripping, joining, rotating or positioning. Energy chains, integrated tubing, sensors, motors and drives are all part of the complete handling system.
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