Automation island for control and full traceability island for INEOS Grenadier wheel hubs

Within the Carraro Group project dedicated to the production of rigid axles for the INEOS Grenadier, there is an island intended for the pre-assembly of wheel hubs. This system represents a significant evolution of the production process, designed with the aim of increasing production capacity, rationalizing flows and concentrating processing in a compact, high-efficiency space.

In fact, the island was born from the need to integrate and optimize previously distributed processes, while increasing the level of automation and introducing an articulated system of quality controls. A distinctive element is the implementation of complete 100% traceability of the each hub and all its components throughout the entire production cycle.

Integrated design and production flexibility

During development, particular attention was paid to creating a system capable of managing the production of front and rear hubs in a unified way. This approach has led to the sharing and standardization of common phases, reducing plant complexity and improving overall efficiency.

The heart of the island is a main handling robot equipped with an intelligent multi-grip tool, designed to manage different components and product configurations. Unified processes include hub body loading, reluctor wheel verification and laser marking, which are key elements in ensuring quality and traceability.

Advanced front hub controls

For the production of front hubs, the process has been further enhanced through the introduction of specific measurement and control systems. In particular, the precise measurement of each stud is carried out, accompanied by the verification of the relative press-fit curves. This makes it possible to monitor assembly parameters, ensuring compliance and high performance.

Innovations in the rear hub process

The flow of the rear hubs has also been optimized with the inclusion of innovative solutions. Among these, the following stand out:

• automatic dosing of threadlocker on studs;
• automatic control of the maximum screwing height;
• verification of the correct model of bearing installed, including checking the orientation of the identification code outwards.

• analysis and storage of press-fit curves in the system

These interventions make it possible to raise the quality level of the product, minimizing the risk of errors and rework.

Functional control of the reluctor wheel

For both types of hubs, an advanced system for checking the phonic wheel has been introduced. The control is carried out through the direct acquisition of the signal from the ABS sensor, using industrial instrumentation capable of analyzing high-frequency analog signals. This approach allows not only to verify the correct installation, but also to validate the functional behavior of the component.

Digital traceability and laser marking

Another distinctive element of the island is the traceability system, designed to ensure the complete traceability of each hub produced. Laser marking on approved components has replaced traditional labels, eliminating the risk of loss or misplacement in later stages.

For each unit, the following are recorded and stored:

• information on the handling units (HU) of materials;
• the process data of all production phases;
• the characteristic curves and parameters detected by each control device.

This wealth of information allows advanced quality management and supports any process analyses.

Logistics flows and production integration

Completed hubs are routed along two distinct paths:

• Rear hubs: they are automatically loaded into three-tier crates of 28 pieces and transferred to the central warehouse via AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robots) systems.
• Front hubs: they are sent via a recirculating pallet belt to a manual station, where the operator carries out the final assembly on the shell at a fixed roduction takt time.

Connected factory and advanced maintenance

The island is fully integrated into an advanced production platform, characterized by a continuous exchange of data with factory management systems and with automated material handling systems. This interconnection allows efficient flow management and complete visibility of production progress.

In addition, all devices are connected and accessible remotely, allowing timely diagnostics and interventions, with the aim of minimizing downtime and improving plant reliability.

Conclusion

The hub pre-assembly island is a concrete example of advanced industrial automation, tailor-made to meet the quality, productivity and traceability requirements of the automotive sector. A "turnkey" system, developed with a single technology partner, Byerrebi, capable of covering the entire life cycle of the project: from initial design to production.

A modern and scalable solution, which integrates processes, data and logistics in a single platform, contributing significantly to the production excellence of the Carraro Group.