Smart Factory: cloud-integrated predictive maintenance for SEAT robots
Thanks to the innovative system integrated in the Volkswagen Group’s industrial cloud, it is possible to detect potential faults in production line machinery in advance, helping avoid possible interruptions in production and increase efficiency.
The mobility of the future will require plants which are more efficient, smarter, and connected than ever, like the Martorell factory, where SEAT has introduced a new and particularly innovative digital solution. Its goal is to prevent potential malfunctions on the robots of the production line, and it has been developed jointly by the Production Team and the SEAT:CODE software development centre.
The system is a predictive maintenance solution for the welding grippers of specific robots, which uses information sent by sensors on these robots to analyse data on their condition and operation; these data are then interpreted by algorithms to predict when the machine might fail depending on the behaviour of these variables.
Efficiency and productivity
The Martorell plant will therefore be able to avoid potential interruptions in production, increasing overall efficiency and productivity. “The Martorell factory is immersed in a process of digital transformation innovating with cutting-edge technology solutions in the automotive sector. Thanks to this new predictive maintenance system, we have taken another step forward in the roll out of our Smart Factory concept, which will bring further potential in terms of productivity,” Herbert Steiner, Vice-President for Production and Logistics at SEAT S.A., comments.
The industrial cloud
SEAT’s activities are integrated in the Digital Production Platform (DPP), the Volkswagen Group’s Industrial Cloud created together with Amazon Web Services to connect all its factories. Thanks to this platform, the production departments can count on cutting-edge technological capabilities and resources, especially in the areas of logistics and supply chain.
“It is thanks to the algorithm developed, that we have the ability to detect possible incidents, thus anticipating a future problem days before it occurs. This allows us to analyse our processes even better and therefore be more productive, as well as setting a strong platform for future innovation,” adds Carlos Buenosvinos, CEO of SEAT:CODE.
The prospects for the platform
The Digital Production Platform is a global industrial platform with different use cases that connects the Volkswagen Group's factories by digitising all their manufacturing and logistics processes.
The platform enables the collection and synchronisation of data from machines and systems in all plants in real time and also provides new insights into production processes. In this way, it is possible to create new perspectives for process optimisation, significantly improving productivity in the plants.
More specifically, the predictive maintenance system developed by SEAT S.A. can also be extended and applied to other Volkswagen Group plants.
Source: SEAT S.A.
VGI | Responsible OU: VP | Creation date: article date | Class 9.1