Securing the quality capability of manufacturing processes – An approach to release high-level automated and chained manufacturing equipment

Abstract

From the industrial revolution to the current transformation to industry 5.0, the emphasis is always on reducing production costs and increasing efficiency. The traditional lever of focusing on the automation of manufacturing processes is however becoming increasingly important in the automotive industry for many reasons. Industry-specific manufacturing challenges, such as fulfilling increased safety and quality requirements of self-driving and electric vehicles, are otherwise difficult to overcome. At the same time, the vehicle is transforming from a conventional car to an electric-driving automotive ecosystem. The required changes in the vehicle architecture are associated with the implementation of new technologies and lead to the consolidation of functions. In terms of electric vehicles, highly integrated, complex high-voltage components are the consequence. Subsequently, the manufacturing equipment for the production of these components is also becoming more complex, higher-level automated and need to be chained. The challenge that emerges from this development is the question how to check the quality capability of manufacturing processes and release them. In order to solve this issue, this paper presents a systematic approach for practitioners to release high-level automated and chained manufacturing equipment, taking into account their quality capability.