Design Manager Forum 2024 Automated assembly process planning saves time and money

Related Vendor

Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders' Association (TMBA)

Every product consisting of more than two components requires an assembly plan. However, assembly planning requires expert knowledge, is prone to errors, and is time-consuming. How to automate it efficiently is a topic at this year's Design Manager Forum.

Currently, assembly planning is predominantly carried out using design software. CAD software is essential for product development, but it is only partially suitable for planning assembly processes. It only creates snapshots which are later processed using word processing software. If changes occur, this process must be repeated. Therefore, it is not surprising that the assembly planning of an assembly with 1,000 components can take up to three months.

Developed at Fraunhofer IPA

At the Design Leaders Forum 2024, taking place on October 17 in Würzburg, Assemblio will present a solution during the lecture titled "Assembly Process Planning: How it can be done quickly and cost-effectively without expert knowledge." Assemblio was founded in 2022 as a spin-off from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA in Stuttgart, where the technology was also developed and tested over several years.

Dr. Neb, why is the topic of your talk relevant to designers and developers?

The lecture is of great relevance to designers and developers, as it addresses the challenges of today's product assembly. With increasing product complexity, decreasing batch sizes, and a growing variety of variations, it becomes increasingly challenging yet increasingly important to achieve efficient assembly process planning. Automating this process through intelligent solutions like Assemblio not only reduces reliance on expert knowledge but also significantly saves time and labor. Consequently, designers and developers can focus more on design and innovation, while both the quality of documentation and efficiency increase.

What are the key aspects of your talk?

The lecture will highlight the core aspects of automated assembly process planning. It will first demonstrate how the intuitive interface simplifies the planning of assembly steps. Additionally, efficient variant management will be introduced, which facilitates the customization of instructions for different product versions. Another focus will be on the automated export of assembly instructions as PDFs and videos, which are available in digital form for further processing in other systems. A central highlight is the linking of PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems through the Assembly Information Model (AIM), which enables seamless data transfer and synchronization between product development and business processes. Finally, specific case examples will be presented, illustrating the practical application and benefits of these technologies.

What will participants learn from your presentation?

Participants will learn how to streamline and enhance assembly process planning using Assemblio. They will discover how the intuitive user interface allows for quick and straightforward creation of assembly instructions without requiring in-depth technical knowledge. In addition, they will learn how variant management is simplified through our SaaS solution, which is especially beneficial when developing complex products. Practical examples will illustrate the significant time savings and the positive effects this has on overall efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The goal of the lecture is to provide participants with a solution that optimizes their development processes and facilitates their work processes.