Disclosed herein is a tooling plate for conveying a plurality of work parts to be assembled on an assembly line, the tooling plate including a platform, a supporting element fixed on and protruding from a surface of the platform, and one or more interfacing elements configured to be attached in a removable way to the supporting element, and configured to support at least a portion of a work part from the plurality of work parts when the one or more interfacing elements is attached to the supporting element. A shape of the interfacing element matches a portion of a shape of the portion of the work part, so that the tooling plate can be configured to convey, successively, different sets of work parts by only changing interfacing elements on the supporting element, from one set to another set, without changing the platform.

Disclosed herein is a platform for conveying a plurality of work parts in a sequence of manufacturing stations, the platform being mobile and including an inclined surface, and a set of two elements, one element of the set extending along a first plane and another element of the set extending along a second plane, an intersection of the first plane with the inclined surface defining a first direction, an intersection of the second plane with the inclined surface defining a second direction, the first direction and the second direction delimiting an angular sector, so that a work part placed on the inclined surface within the angular sector is driven by its weight downwards with respect to a slope of the inclined plane towards an intersection of the first direction and the second direction.

Disclosed herein is a platform for conveying a plurality of work parts in a sequence of manufacturing stations, the platform being mobile and including an inclined surface, and a set of two elements, one element of the set extending along a first plane and another element of the set extending along a second plane, an intersection of the first plane with the inclined surface defining a first direction, an intersection of the second plane with the inclined surface defining a second direction, the first direction and the second direction delimiting an angular sector, so that a work part placed on the inclined surface within the angular sector is driven by its weight downwards with respect to a slope of the inclined plane towards an intersection of the first direction and the second direction.

An area storage for storing vehicle bodies, the longitudinal extension of which equals at least one and a half times the transverse extension thereof, having a storage area having at least two storage spaces and two associated vehicle body receptacles, wherein the storage area is designed such that vehicle bodies can be stored on the storage area in a plane on the at least two storage spaces on one of the vehicle body receptacles in each case, at least one multi-track industrial vehicle, which can be coupled to the vehicle body receptacle. The industrial vehicle is designed for omnidirectional travel, such that the direction of conveyance can be chosen independently of the orientation of the industrial vehicle and the industrial vehicle having the coupled vehicle body receptacle can carry out a conveyance direction change without changing the relative orientation of the vehicle body receptacle and industrial vehicle. A method for conveying vehicle body receptacles is also disclosed.

An area storage for storing vehicle bodies, the longitudinal extension of which equals at least one and a half times the transverse extension thereof, having a storage area having at least two storage spaces and two associated vehicle body receptacles, wherein the storage area is designed such that vehicle bodies can be stored on the storage area in a plane on the at least two storage spaces on one of the vehicle body receptacles in each case, at least one multi-track industrial vehicle, which can be coupled to the vehicle body receptacle. The industrial vehicle is designed for omnidirectional travel, such that the direction of conveyance can be chosen independently of the orientation of the industrial vehicle and the industrial vehicle having the coupled vehicle body receptacle can carry out a conveyance direction change without changing the relative orientation of the vehicle body receptacle and industrial vehicle. A method for conveying vehicle body receptacles is also disclosed.

A method for operating a vehicle, the vehicle driving autonomously or remotely controlled within a manufacturing system for manufacturing vehicles.

A method for operating a vehicle, the vehicle driving autonomously or remotely controlled within a manufacturing system for manufacturing vehicles.

An inverted carrier lift and method is disclosed. The inverted carrier lift includes a trolley movable along an overhead conveyor and a carrier for supporting a workpiece to undergo an assembly or manufacturing process. The carrier is movable relative to the trolley from a raised position to a lowered position by a motor mounted engaged with a lifting mechanism onboard the trolley. On rotation of the motor, the carrier and supported workpiece is lowered or raised to position the workpiece in the workstation for processing. The workpiece may be disengaged by the carrier for support of the workpiece by one of many different fixtures depending on the processing. Following processing, the workpiece is re-engaged by the carrier, moved to a raised position and the trolley is transferred to a subsequent workstation.

A free-moving transport cart for conveying workpieces, in particular vehicle bodies, on a conveying path, having a chassis which defines a main axis- and main orientation of the transport cart and having a chassis frame which supports a plurality, in particular at least four, wheel arrangements each having one or more wheels. A fastening device for at least one workpiece is coupled to the chassis by a connecting device. There is a wheel guide system for the wheels of the wheel arrangements which defines a basic chassis configuration in which the wheel arrangements define a horizontal travel plane. The wheel guide system guides the wheels of the wheel arrangements in such a way that at least one wheel of at least one wheel arrangement can be moved out of the travel plane without the other wheel arrangements completely leaving the travel plane. A conveying system has a large number of such transport carts and a treatment plant has such a conveying system.

A free-moving transport cart for conveying workpieces, in particular vehicle bodies, on a conveying path, having a chassis which defines a main axis- and main orientation of the transport cart and having a chassis frame which supports a plurality, in particular at least four, wheel arrangements each having one or more wheels. A fastening device for at least one workpiece is coupled to the chassis by a connecting device. There is a wheel guide system for the wheels of the wheel arrangements which defines a basic chassis configuration in which the wheel arrangements define a horizontal travel plane. The wheel guide system guides the wheels of the wheel arrangements in such a way that at least one wheel of at least one wheel arrangement can be moved out of the travel plane without the other wheel arrangements completely leaving the travel plane. A conveying system has a large number of such transport carts and a treatment plant has such a conveying system.