Advanced engine production base
The new engine plant of a car manufacturer in Liuzhou is an internationally advanced and domestic first-class engine production base with a total investment of over 2 billion yuan and an area of ​​132,000 m2, which is the largest investment project of the automaker after the tripartite joint venture. . After the completion of the first phase of the project in 2007 and its official opening, the plant has reached an annual production capacity of 300,000 engines.
The advanced nature of the engine production base is mainly reflected in two aspects: First, the engine core components through the direct part mark (DPM) process in the entire process of the assembly process to achieve a full range of quality tracking; Second, the use of flexible manufacturing processes and equipment. The pre-production of 1.1 to 1.2 liters of engines is mainly to provide supporting services for the minivans and mini-cars of the automaker. In the future, according to the needs of the development of the vehicle, it can be switched to the production of newly-designed engines with less impact on production.
Ensure 100% readability
DPM (Direct Part Marking) refers to marking the product directly on the label instead of using a substrate such as a sticker so that the parts (including the interior) of each engine can be traced more accurately. And external), and can query the history of a part at any time during the engine life cycle. In addition to the human-readable information, the focus is on two-dimensional data matrix codes (such as DATAMATRIX), which are primarily engraved on the part by means of needles, lasers, or etching. It can contain 12 to 15 characters compared to a one-dimensional barcode, and each high-density data matrix code can contain up to 2000 characters. And can be printed on almost any material, without copyright restrictions and error correction capabilities.
How to make the direct part mark (DPM) play its biggest role depends on three aspects: First, a reliable and clear two-dimensional dot matrix code DATAMATRIX needs to be made on the metal with a laser or pneumatic floating needle; Secondly, to be able to accurately read out the metal The two-dimensional lattice code; Finally, the data can be read directly to the upper management system. The new engine factory has automatic production lines such as cylinder blocks, cylinder heads, crankshafts, and final assembly. A total of 80 Microscan Quadrus® MINI and 5 Quadrus® Verifier bar code readers are used to ensure 100% readability of 2D barcodes.
Take the cylinder production line as an example. First of all, the laser marking machine marks the surface of the cylinder with alphanumeric codes and Datamatrix codes (collectively referred to as visible codes), so that each part can be identified by a special code. The prominent feature of the mark produced by the marking machine acting on the surface of the workpiece is its firmness and permanence. After marking, the Quadrus® Verifier verifies, measures, and reports the quality of bar codes such as depth, contrast and other parameters. Afterwards, the quality levels of the engravings are evaluated, which are A, B, C, D, E, F or 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and only the quality of A, B, C grades can flow to the next step. In some companies with strict quality requirements, only A and B grades can be released. The use of Quadrus® Verifier barcode verifiers on each production line ensures reliable, reliable, two-dimensional dot-matrix codes on metal components.
Once the marking has been completed, the parts will undergo a series of checks and controls on the production line. In each station, the code needs to be verified and read. This is achieved through the Quadrus MINI 2D image scanner. First, the system reads the code to make it clear and easy to read. Second, the system verifies the encoding to ensure that they are located correctly. Subsequently, the system transmits the coded information to the upper-level control system. After confirming the error, the upper-level control system notifies the machining center to perform corresponding processing on the parts. After the processing is completed, the system packages the processing information and coded information to the MES. The Quadrus MINI is the world’s smallest high-resolution imager and the first imager to provide autofocus. The entire cylinder production line used a total of 15 Microscan Quadrus® MINIs at different stations.
Thus, in a fully automatic cylinder production line, bar code technology, computer network technology, and information systems are organically linked with numerical control processing technology to form a real-time production data acquisition system that can quantitatively collect processing data. Analyze and truly record the natural conditions of the entire production process of engine parts and components, and realize tasks that cannot be completed by human beings.
Achieve full quality tracking
Once the full quality tracking is achieved through the Direct Part Marking (DPM) process, the history, data information of a part can be queried at any time during the engine life cycle, and this is also when the manufacturer repairs or replaces engine parts Provides great convenience. At the same time, if the engine has a problem that needs to be investigated or recalled, the manufacturer can find the latest information on the engine.
By replacing the manual entry system with a two-dimensional code system, the errors in the input data are virtually eliminated, making the production process more efficient, saving time and costs, and also improving the ability to identify similar parts or counterfeits. Now, every part produced by the car manufacturer's new engine factory has achieved full quality tracking and passed the test. The entire production process has undergone rigorous control, inspection and documentation. By using the most advanced technology, this auto manufacturer has been able to remain in a competitive position and use this advantage to help customers benefit.