Systems for and methods of evacuating air from a muffler while it is being filled with a fibrous material are disclosed.

One steering column assembly includes a jacket, a bearing, and a steering spindle rotatably supported by the bearing and at least partially extending inside the jacket. The spindle includes a hollow outer tube and a hollow inner tube. The outer tube has lengthening and attachment sections, and the attachment section has transition and connection portions. The lengthening section adjoins the attachment section at an end of the transition portion, and the transition portion is between the lengthening section and the connection portion. The lengthening section has first and second portions, with the second portion being between the first and transition portions, and the outer tube terminates at an end of the connection portion. The inner tube is press-fit into the outer tube, and an end of the inner tube is adjacent the transition portion end. The inner tube does not extend into either the attachment section or the first portion.

A robot system includes first and third robots arranged along a transport direction in which a workpiece is conveyed, and a second robot arranged between the first and third robots along the transport direction. Each of the first and third robots has a first distal end at which a first end effector is configured to be provided to work on the workpiece and has a plurality of axes arranged in a first axis configuration in which a rotation axis, a pivot axis, a pivot axis, and a rotation axis are arranged in this order from the first distal end. The second robot has a second distal end at which a second end effector is configured to be provided to work on the workpiece. The second robot has a second axis configuration different from the first axis configuration.

A control device acquires a first two-dimensional position of a cam bolt and a locknut in a first direction based on a first actual image captured by a first camera, and based on the acquired first two-dimensional position, the control device moves an adjustment socket to a position where the adjustment socket is fittable to a head of the cam bolt and moves a tightening socket to a position where the tightening socket is fittable to the locknut. Then, the control device acquires a second two-dimensional position of the cam bolt and the locknut in a second direction based on a second actual image captured by a second camera, and corrects, based on the acquired second two-dimensional position, a position of the adjustment socket relative to the head of the cam bolt and a position of the tightening socket relative to the locknut.

The invention relates to a device for measuring and adjusting the parameters of the chassis geometry at a rear axle of a motor vehicle on a production line for the motor vehicle. Gripping and holding means for the rear axle and loading means for the rear axle are associated with the production line. According to the invention, a plurality of interchangeable frames is associated with the production line, and positioning means for positioning one of the interchangeable frames into a position for gripping the rear axle in the production process are associated with the production line. The gripping and holding means for the rear axle and the loading means for the rear axle are associated with the interchangeable frame in question. The interchangeable frames can thereby be matched to rear axles of different vehicle types, such that these different rear axles can be processed in one assembly line.

A vehicle assembly method includes assembling a chassis platform, mounting a floor pan to the platform, mounting a modular interior to the floor pan, assembling a body top-hat separate from the platform and the floor pan, and mounting the body top-hat to the platform and the floor pan after mounting the modular interior to the floor pan.

A manufacturing station and a manufacturing process for workpieces, in particular car body parts. The manufacturing station includes a processing area having a working point and a processing apparatus. A security partition surrounds the processing area and has a secure access point for workpiece transport. The manufacturing station further includes an automatic loading apparatus with loading robots. The loading apparatus loads and unloads workpieces onto and off a conveyor and transports the workpieces into and out of the processing area. The automatic and multifunctional loading apparatus is arranged, together with a workpiece support, inside the security partition, wherein the workpiece support is arranged within the working area of the loading robots. A loading robot provides workpieces and carries out a setting-up procedure.

A liquid reservoir includes a housing and a cover hermetically fixed to the housing, and further includes a flow guiding pipe having one end connected with the housing, and a filter assembly arranged in the housing and including first and second position-limiting assemblies, a filter member, and a molecular sieve. The first position-limiting assembly includes at least a first position-limiting member having a bottom portion, first and second protrusions. A part of an outer side wall of the flow guiding pipe is limited by and in cooperation with an inner side wall of the first protrusion which is located on an outer peripheral side of the part of the outer side wall of the flow guiding pipe. An outer side wall of the second protrusion is located on an inner peripheral side of a part of an inner sidewall of the housing.

A wheel press mounting device includes a rack, a servo motor, a synchronous belt, a working table, a base, a thrust bearing, a bearing pedestal, a shaft, a mandrel, hydraulic cylinders, a floating locating pin, strong magnets, floating shafts and a clamp platform.

Systems, methods and apparatus for automated vehicle wheel removal and replacement are provided. One system includes a computer system with applications for scheduling the replacement of tires for the vehicle. An electronically controlled lift device and robotic apparatus is configured for interaction with the computer system. The lift device mechanically adjusts arms for placement on lift points of vehicles. The robotic apparatus detects positioning of lug nut configuration for a wheel, removes lug nuts, and then removes the wheel from the wheel hub with gripping arms. The wheel and tire are then handed off to a separate tire changing machine. When a new tire is replaced the robotic apparatus then mounts the wheel to the original wheel hub, and then secures the lug nuts to the lug nut bolts.