A production plant for vehicle body components includes a production area with a plurality of automatic program-controlled production devices and a provision for workpieces. The production plant further includes a provision for various application-specific tools and a conveying device that flexibly connects the production devices to one another and to the external provisions.

A system for producing a vehicle body assembly is provided. The system comprises an assembly station including a press and a transfer system configured to transfer a metal material to the press. The press is configured to form a vehicle body member from the metal material, and the same press is also configured to connect the vehicle body member with at least one additional vehicle body member to form the vehicle body assembly.

A production system and method for producing different shell assembly variants of specific vehicle types is disclosed. The system has several clamping frames adapted to the different shell assembly variants for receiving respective component variants, a magazine in which the clamping frames can be positioned, a clamping station by which, in accordance with a presettable production sequence of the shell assembly variants, the corresponding component variants can be positioned on the clamping frames in a respectively preset joining arrangement, a joining station by which, in accordance with the presettable production sequence, the component variants positioned on the clamping frames can be connected to each other to form the corresponding shell assembly variants, a transport device by which, in accordance with the presettable production sequence, the corresponding clamping frames can be moved to and from the magazine, the clamping station, and the joining station exclusively in translation in a plane.

A modular reconfigurable vehicle assembly pallet system and method are disclosed. In one example, a plurality of modular assembly plates are assembled having vehicle locators positioned specifically for a particular model vehicle. The assembled vehicle-specific plates are easily installed on a universal pallet positioned along an assembly line in an assembly sequence. The vehicle-specific modular plates can be quickly interchanged on the assembly pallet to thereby reconfigure the assembly pallet to coordinate with changing vehicle build assembly sequences.

A manufacturing plant (1), for workpieces (29), includes a plurality of manufacturing stations (2 to 5) and a conveying system (9) for conveying the workpieces within the manufacturing plant (1) and between the manufacturing stations (2 to 5). Mobile automatic conveying devices (13, 14, 15) travel on a conveying path network (11) of a plurality of interlinked conveying paths (10) intersecting each other. The conveying paths (10) are connected to a plurality of manufacturing stations (2 to 5) arranged in a station matrix (8).

A system for locating a workpiece-holder frame and workpiece in a workpiece processing station. The system includes stationary support structures arranged on two sides of a working area in the workpiece processing station. The stationary support structures include vertically movable support members configured to engage and lift the workpiece-holder frame from a carriage and position the workpiece in a predetermined X, Y and Z coordinate position for processing of the workpiece. The stationary support structures lower and disengage the workpiece-holder frame which is removed from the working area for further processing of the workpiece.

A method of transporting a vehicle engine wire harness from a component preparation location to a component pick location is provided. The method includes placing the vehicle engine wire harness on a hook of a component hanger. The component hanger with vehicle engine wire harness is directed along a supply track assembly through a heated enclosure to the component pick location at a vehicle assembly line.

An information processing apparatus disclosed has a controller configured to execute the processing of accepting a request for retrieving a target vehicle body unit that is laid at a specific place, selecting a chassis unit for retrieval from among chassis units in the state separated from any vehicle body unit, the chassis unit for retrieval being a chassis unit to be used to retrieve the target vehicle body unit, and sending a retrieval command to the chassis unit for retrieval, the retrieval command being a command to retrieve the target vehicle body unit.

A production station for vehicle body parts is configured in a modular manner and has at least two production cells (8, 10; 12, 14), each of which has a separate work area (16, 18; 20, 22). The work areas have uniformly disposed robots (64, 66, 68, 70) and receiving arrangements (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42) that interact with the robots. At least one transport arrangement (56) for required components (58, 60, 62) and workpieces (44, 46) is provided for both production cells (8, 10; 12, 14). A receiving arrangement store (24, 26; 28, 30; 110) with all of the receiving arrangements is assigned to each production cell (8, 10; 12, 14), and a transport arrangement (48, 50; 52, 54; 111) is provided for at least one production cell. The production cells are coupled to one another via a connecting axle (102) having at least one connecting robot (104).

A processing station, for example a framing station, for workpieces formed as vehicle body parts. The station has at least one clamping frame, at least one magazine area for holding the clamping frames, a working area for processing the workpieces and a feed device for feeding the clamping frames between the at least one magazine area and the working area in a longitudinal direction X and a transverse direction Y. The feed device has a floor-based rail arrangement for guiding and carrying the clamping frames.