This report is based on the thesis work that has been performed during spring 2018 at Scania CV AB in Oskarshamn. The task was to examine the opportunities for optimizing an assembly position from a tightening perspective, by using theories from Industry 4.0. A proposition for how a future assembly position can look and work like will be presented in this report, an action plan with steps describing how to reach the smarter position is included.

The assemblers sometimes pull the Andon cord/press the Andon button too late in the tact time, this causes the line to stop since the team leader will not have time to help the assembler before the tact time has ended. Another problem is that the assemblers might stress when working which can results in quality deviations on the cabs. Therefore, one goal in this project was to identify the opportunities for the machine to monitor the process and communicate to the team leader when the assembler is working too slow or too fast, so that he/she can help the assembler directly.

In Industry 4.0, a future smart factory should machines, tools, and robots be connected to a network to make it possible to communicate data inside of the factory. This term where a factory communicates data from their equipment over the Internet is if often referred to as Industrial Internet of Things. In the assembly factory at Scania, there are no standardized IT system today that can handle and communicate various data from the factories smart equipment. Smart equipment is tools and machines that can be connected to a network and share data digitally. Because of that, a goal was to investigate the possibilities with an IT system, where programs and equipment could communicate through open interfaces. Data has been gathered by benchmarking, observations, interviews and time studies on the assembly lines, to suggest solutions for how a future smarter position can be constructed. A proposal for a future IT architecture that can handle the assembly factory’s programs and equipment are presented in this report. Two different steering cabinets with the potential for a smarter position has been found. These systems entail the opportunity to program the steering cabinets, so that the machine can follow tact times and send warning signals when the assembler deviate in time. A new standardized working process for the operators at the smarter position will be presented, this includes an introduction of a smart watch for the team leader.

By implementing this Industry 4.0 inspired smarter position, Scania could take the next step towards a smart factory, which would be beneficial in different ways. The digitalization of the factory and equipment at the assembly lines would make it easier to communicate information between the operators, equipment and the different levels in the IT system. This proposal would be financially profitable due to the reducing of deviations and stop times at the assembly lines.