Automation Technology in the Automotive Electronics Era

Automation Technology in the Automotive Electronics Era

Automakers recognize that increasing the use of in-vehicle electronic systems is the best way to cope with today's regulatory and market pressures. It is predicted that by 2005, the value of automotive electronic systems will reach 30% of the total value of the vehicle. This is a huge business opportunity for electronics manufacturers who are fully capable of meeting the needs of the automotive industry; the market requires high-quality and reliable products, low costs and timely delivery. These manufacturers also have demanding requirements for manufacturing automation technology, so they need to work with partners to help them solve the technical and logistical challenges they face.

　　All-round technology

　　Generally speaking, automotive electronic subsystem developers are identified as Tier One component and subsystem assembly suppliers, who now often obtain assistance and support from expert partners who use advanced technology to develop innovative processes. These subsystem developers face tremendous pressure to produce more intelligent systems at a lower cost. These systems must also be lightweight, compact and reliable. In addition, they often need to use cutting-edge semiconductor and assembly technologies. In real-world applications, these systems must operate flawlessly throughout the extended warranty period, regardless of the unimaginable harsh environment: under the hood, in a drive tractor or fixed on a vehicle body that can travel anywhere from the Arctic to the tropics. Even in the cab, the system needs to be able to withstand shock or vibration, the splash of hot or carbonated drinks, temperature changes, and the negligence of careless users, all of which place extremely high demands on the quality and integrity of the installed systems.

　　While automated assembly technologies can help manufacturers in all electronics markets improve quality and repeatability while reducing costs, especially labor, automotive suppliers are in a different situation and require specialized solutions to address the unique challenges they face. This article discusses some of the considerations specific to the automotive industry.

　　Special substrate

　　通常，用于发动罩盖下或其他预计工作温度变化很大的场合，如发动机控制模组的系统等会采用陶瓷基底，因为它具有良好的热稳定性。制造商如考虑以直线自动化的方式装配这类模组，便须找到能够满足陶瓷基底之特殊性能要求的解决方案；在贴装元件前的基底对位期间，机器视像系统较难识别基准标记。因而可以预料，使用配置“电筒”型照明装置装配机器与配置普通FR4型电路板装配机器的结果比较，前者的可重复性和产量都会降低。极化照明装置可以获得较好的结果，但环球仪器平台如HSP（HighSpeedPlacement）或GSM系列所装配经优化的多方向照明矩阵与这些陶瓷基底协作时，将显著提高其贴装性能。与FR4电路板相比，陶瓷基底对于电路板传输装置的磨损性较大。环球仪器已开发出防止机器过度磨损的不锈钢套件。

　　Assembly of various mixed components and special-shaped components

　　Any production line configured to assemble automotive products must be able to handle a mix of components, feed them into the line, and maintain efficient machine uptime. For example, a manufacturing line for fuse box boards or busbars for the upcoming 42V power distribution system will be able to do the following: press-fit terminal blades on both sides of the board; mount a small number of SOICs, general-purpose semiconductor devices, and surface mount 20A relays. New line configurations may combine terminal insertion machines with other machines, such as Universal Instruments' GSM platform, but planners must also consider the likely product mix, as well as the volume and complexity of each product.

　　Other subsystems may require the placement of large or odd-shaped components, such as motor actuators, relays, or automotive-specific connectors. Their placement requirements are influenced by the wide variety of automotive electronic connectors; while standardization may reduce the number of parts in the future, today's first-tier assemblers may need to deal with thousands of part numbers to cover all the connector and terminal types required by their customers.

　　The best solution for odd-shaped component placement depends on the number of components, whether it can be applied to a standard placement platform such as Universal Instruments' GSM flexible placement platform, and whether it can be completed within the target cycle time. Factors such as component size and feeder type, or requirements for high-speed production lines, can determine whether it is necessary to add placement machines or use specialized odd-shaped component assembly capabilities. It would be ideal for solution providers to have the ability to configure the best solution.

　　Another option is the new GSMGenesis machine from Universal Instruments, which can be used as a full-platform solution in some cases, especially when more special-shaped components and large parts are needed, or when small or medium batch production is required. Currently, the GSMGenesis machine is suitable for manufacturing cycle rates of 20,000 to 40,000 cph. Future improvements will make the GSMGenesis faster, but the HSP series of high-speed placement machines from Universal Instruments is the best solution for applications that require higher cycle rates.

　　In addition, driver and passenger information systems such as radio/CD players, GPS navigation or integrated communication/multimedia systems may bring the same challenges, requiring a higher number of components than other systems such as 42V power distribution modules or engine controllers. The challenge here is to combine high-speed placement with flexible precision placement capabilities to optimize production capacity and reduce equipment asset costs.

　　Final assembly of the enclosure

　　Most automotive electronic subsystems, especially control units for engine control, ABS, power steering, traction control and other functions, are housed in enclosures that are resistant to heat, water, condensation or vibration. For ease of control and quality assurance, even at the expense of labor, the assembly of these enclosures is fully automated. Reconfigurable assembly solutions, such as Universal Instruments' Polaris multi-process assembly cell, provide cost-effective and flexible manufacturing methods to meet many final assembly requirements.

This is an improved version of the Polaris servo clamping unit, designed for odd-shaped component placement, with a standard tool interface that allows a variety of tool attachments to be interchanged to achieve a variety of final assembly functions, including assembly of enclosures, application of sealants or mounting adhesives, visual inspection, screwing, and many other functions. It will be a powerful choice for outsourcing suppliers or any product assembler that needs to produce a high mix, has relatively low production volumes, or needs to reallocate production lines to fulfill special contracts.

　　Availability

　　Any manufacturer hoping to win orders in the automotive industry must have effective component and board-level capabilities available. This applies primarily to safety-critical systems such as anti-lock brakes and traction control, as well as secondary safety devices such as airbags. These systems can be very complex and multifunctional; for example, a comprehensive airbag controller will include airbag deployment, airflow control, pre-crash detection, occupant detection, rollover detection, and acceleration detection. These systems are almost standard on today's new cars, and new safety measures will continue to emerge, including mechanical devices to protect pedestrians in car accidents.

　　But availability is not limited to the safety aspects of in-vehicle electronic systems. In-vehicle radio, navigation, telematics, and cellular phone systems, while not considered critical safety factors, do not guarantee that products will not be returned at great expense; defective parts or potentially defective parts will not pass acceptance inspection and be installed in the system. The same applies to high-speed Internet systems that go into high-end commercial vehicles.

　　Universal Instruments' Dimensions manufacturing automation software suite includes features designed to simplify usability. The Dimensions Manufacturing Monitoring Module (DDM) supports component and board-level barcode tracking, and can find boards with defective components by querying an SQL database based on the defective component date code. The ability to quickly detect and identify defective components prevents potentially defective products from leaving the factory. This low-cost option can have a huge payback, as the cost of using a return product mechanism can be much higher than the price of an entire assembly line.

　　logistics

　　Cost and efficiency are key to survival for manufacturers at all levels of the automotive industry. To match the operations of customers and suppliers, electronics manufacturers must adopt a streamlined manufacturing strategy.

　　According to a study by the University of Michigan, automakers can reduce their inventory by up to 60% and transaction costs by up to 75% by automating the replenishment process within the supply chain. To this end, manufacturers throughout the automotive industry, including electronics manufacturers, are using third-party supply chain software that integrates various standard business modules, including goods receivable, accounts payable, general ledger and procurement. Universal's Dimensions software can be easily used with these solutions. For example, the Dimensions Logistics Module (DLM) allows corporate management to read information on the factory floor, such as collecting inventory information on used and current components on the production line, as well as the location of feeders and inventory in the workshop. This is real-time data reflecting real consumable information, which can be used by corporate management systems to more effectively improve procurement operations and manage inventory.

　　Future Convergence

　　The market for automotive electrical and electronic subsystems has been growing ever since vehicles began to be equipped with onboard radios, power windows, and central locking systems. Today, there is a huge space for the development and creation of automotive electronic systems with the goal of making cars easier to drive, more marketable, safer, and easier for road authorities to monitor. Some examples of emerging technologies include drive-by-wire and brake-by-wire (x-by-wire) systems, telematics, advanced automatic transmissions, lane departure warnings, collision detection and avoidance, and intelligent vehicle number plates; and of course hybrid and fully electronic passenger vehicle systems.
As a result, automakers require subsystem suppliers to provide pricing and logistics services similar to those of consumer electronics products, combined with advanced technologies similar to those in the aerospace and medical fields - high reliability and availability at the component level.

　　To achieve this integration requirement, the production line needs to be highly automated, able to mount components of various types and specifications, and highly flexible to meet the requirements of larger production volumes and product mixes. First-tier suppliers and new automotive technology experts have found that working with automotive manufacturing experts can configure the best solutions from various platforms to achieve high-speed, flexible and precise electronic manufacturing capabilities, which will benefit manufacturers a lot.

　　This information comes from the Internet. If there is any copyright infringement, please notify edneditor@gmail.com or 010-66422242-213, and we will delete the information as soon as possible.