“All I need is free because I’m a factory.”
-Ben Folds Five, Jackson Cannery
MIT’s Technology Review has a new article up about the manufacturing processes that go into making Audi vehicles in Ingolstadt, Germany, and we are impressed. The article focuses on just how automated everything is from the sensing of what vehicle is being produced, to the welding of the body, to communication between departments.
From the perspective of the factory’s nearly 800 robots, everything really is free, just like Ben Folds sang in 1995. Parts show up, flow down the assembly lines, and the robots respond accordingly. They can distinguish between up to three different models depending on what parts lay before them, and build accordingly. This high level of automation is pushing the limits of what manufacturing looks like in the modern world.
Equally impressive is the human process that birthed the Ingolstadt factory. There is a consortium in Germany of private and public funding to fuel the research and development of robot technology. The Fraunhofer Society is more than 60 organizations that not only advance the cutting edge of robot manufacturing in the 21st century, they do so with the small or medium sized business in mind.
This has been a boon for Audi and Germany. Putting these advanced technologies into the hands of small companies leads to more innovation than would happen at a bigger company. It also means faster learning cycles, and a higher rate of idea refinement. More ideas can be tested by real companies in real conditions and proliferate the opportunities from automated manufacturing.
Currently the proportion of Germans involved in manufacturing—around 20 percent—is almost double that of Americans. More advanced robotics necessitates human counterparts with increasingly developed skills. This gives workers a greater degree of specialization and makes them integral to the plant’s operation.
If you are considering an Audi here in North Carolina, we recommend you check out this article and let the talk of 13-kilowatt laser diode welding bring you into the Audi fold. When you’re finished, come visit us in Raleigh.