Siemens enables automated steel-wheel manufacturing

摘要

Mating rims and disks to create wheels for passenger and commercial vehicles may seem like a simple thing, but there is great potential for innovation, according to Siemens AG. The automated wheel assembly line of Georg Maschinentechnik GmbH & Co. KG is an example of innovation. A Panel PC (personal computer) and Slot-PLCs (programmable logic controllers) significantly increase flexibility, availability, and productivity. Unlike their aluminum counterparts steel-disk wheels are not made in one casting. Instead, separate rim and disk components― pressed and formed from sheet metal ― are joined and welded. It's a more complex series of steps than one might imagine. The steps need to be coordinated as efficiently as possible and, ideally, be fully automated.