In a flexible ring fitting device 1, a flexible ring disposition mechanism includes at least two ring support members 411 and 412 disposed relative to each other and movable so as to be separated from each other. Notches 4113 and 4123 recessed in a direction in which the two ring support members 411 and 412 are separated from each other are formed along surfaces 4114 and 4124 of the two relative ring support members 411 and 412 in the relative surfaces 4114 and 4124 of the two ring support members 411 and 412. A flexible ring R is fitted into an annular groove G of a workpiece W by a workpiece disposition mechanism moving in one direction along with the workpiece W.

A tool head assembly for crimping, the assembly including an internal cam that spins freely on a stationary shaft in one direction and locks onto the shaft in the other direction. That cam rotates against the moving slide forcing to move away from the stationary shaft opening a gap between rollers. A controller is programmed to have the drive rotate in one direction for a set time period, then reverse the rotation to begin the crimp process. The start rotation of the drive rotates the cam and opens the roller gap. The forward rotation allows the cam to swing, closing the gap and rotating the rollers around a seal. The tool eliminates the air cylinder and related pneumatic hoses and valve making the head smaller and allows a controller to communicate with any OEM production system to verify the tool has been used and was used correctly.

A drive shaft support device that supports a drive shaft in a horizontal orientation during an assembly operation to a vehicle comprises an elongated support body and one or more drive shaft support arms that extend outward from the elongated support body. The one or more support arms include a mount portion that is mounted to the elongated support body and a support portion having a support surface that is configured to support the drive shaft thereon. A frame clamp is located at an end of the elongated support body and includes an upper support and a lower support that is spaced from the upper support to receive a frame portion of the vehicle therebetween and support the elongated body from the frame portion in the horizontal orientation.

A system for mounting a door hinge to upper and lower mounting portions of front and rear pillars of a vehicle body being transferred along a vehicle transfer line. The system includes: a jig frame installed to reciprocate in a vehicle width direction through a driving unit on a base frame outside the vehicle transfer line; a rotation index installed on the jig frame and rotatable by a predetermined angle through a servomotor; a vertical rotation shaft formed as a polyhedron having a cavity and coaxially connected to a rotation center axis of the rotation index along an up and down vertical direction; and a pair of clamping units installed through a mounting plate to a base plate fixed to each side of the vertical rotation shaft, the pair of clamping units being disposed at upper and lower portions of the mounting plate and configured to clamp the door hinge.

A method for assembly manufacturing including positioning a workpiece in an assembly position within an operational cell, positioning a fastening machine relative to the workpiece, wherein the fastening machine includes a robot frame comprising a throat, an assembly end effector coupled to the frame about the throat, and a plurality of linear actuators coupled to the frame, moving, by the plurality of linear actuators, the fastening machine about at least one of six degrees of freedom to receive at least a portion of the workpiece within the throat and position the assembly end effector relative to the workpiece, and performing, by the fastening machine, a fastening operation on the workpiece.

An assembly method is provided by orienting a cylinder-head at a first orientation. A first plurality of spring caps and a first plurality of retainer keys are installed into the cylinder-head in the first orientation by a first robot. A first plurality of valves is installed into the cylinder-head in the first orientation by a second robot, into engagement with the first plurality of retainer keys. An end effector is provided with an actuator supported upon an adapter plate. A shaft extends from the actuator with a mating surface to engage a spring cap. Porting is provided through the shaft to convey pressurized air upon a plurality of retainer keys within the spring cap. A plurality of gripper fingers extend from the distal end of the shaft to grip a valve spring while retaining a spring cap between the valve spring and the mating surface of the shaft.

A modular vehicle assembly system and methods for increased flexibility and adaptability of a high-volume assembly facility which builds several vehicle models. In one example, the invention includes modular assembly equipment (AE) support pallets which are shipped to vendors for installation of selected AE equipment devices that are specific to a predetermined assembly operation and then validation tested prior to shipment to the assembly facility. The validated modular AE pallets and AE devices are then shipped to the assembly facility and quickly installed to support manufacturing, assembly or other operations.

An automatic plug mounting system for a vehicle body is disclosed to automatically mount plugs into exhaust holes in the vehicle body being transferred along a transfer line. The automatic plug mounting system includes: a handling robot which operates along a teaching path set to correspond to the exhaust holes; and a plug mounting tool which is installed at an arm of the handling robot and, when a cylinder is actuated, places the plugs into the correct positions at the exhaust holes while at least one of the plugs is restrained.

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

A production system for automated assembly of vehicle components, in particular for automated assembly of structural components of an aircraft or spacecraft. The production system includes vehicle components with status sensors that can determine status data of the respective vehicle component, positioner units to grip the respectively associated vehicle component at mounting points and move the respectively associated vehicle component into an assembly position, a position-measurement system to determine the assembly position of each vehicle component, force sensors to determine at least one of reaction forces and moments of each gripped vehicle component at the mounting points in the assembly position, and a computer-based control system in data communication with the vehicle components, the positioner units, the position-measurement system and the force sensors, and configured to control the positioner units based on determined status data, the determined assembly positions and the determined reaction forces and moments of the vehicle components.