Zero Defect Manufacturing Achievable says Atlas Copco
The need to drive down energy consumption, minimise rework, waste and reduce raw materials are just some of the economic and environmental challenges faced by manufacturers. To help companies address these, the world’s leading innovator in data-driven industrial tools and software, Atlas Copco, will showcase its range of tightening and surface inspection solutions at this year’s Advanced Engineering show.
Ensuring error-proofed tightening and traceability of critical joints is at the heart of Atlas Copco’s Smart Integrated Assembly philosophy. Its mission is to achieve zero defect manufacturing for customers with the help of data-driven smart tooling, in every assembly application.
Complementing this process is the need for cutting-edge quality assurance, on even the fastest of automated production lines. Within automotive manufacturing for example, vehicle recalls due to defective EV battery cells are costly and can significantly impact a manufacturer’s brand reputation. Battery suppliers and EV manufacturers must therefore rigorously test and document the quality of the battery cell.
ISRA VISION – part of the Atlas Copco group - offers inspection systems that help manufacturers of powerful, safe, and durable lithium-ion batteries to identify possible problems and defects at an early stage in the production process. This enables them to meet even the most stringent quality requirements. The SMASH Battery system – part of the well-known SMASH product range – is optimized for the automatic inspection of electrode coatings, as well as separator foils and their coatings (e.g. PVDF). SMASH Battery delivers real-time information on product quality and indicates to what extent the specifications have been met. As such, it allows the reliable detection and classification of potential material and product defects that could compromise the quality of the end product as early as the preliminary stage of battery production. In particular, its reliable inline classification, i.e. the differentiation between ‘black spots’ and holes that appear dark, ensures maximum safety and confidence in customer products. Costly and time-consuming lab tests are virtually a thing of the past.
Through its strategic partnership approach, Atlas Copco is focused on helping manufacturers to streamline the assembly process and reduce operational costs, as James McAllister, General Manager, Atlas Copco Tools and Industrial Assembly Solutions, explains:
Having error-proofing functionality built in to our latest generation of digital tools adds significant value to customers, as it not only improves safety but also saves time and money by ensuring ‘right first time’ tightening. As a strategic partner, Atlas Copco is at the forefront of innovating solutions which deliver better, safer and more cost-efficient manufacturing. By introducing highly sophisticated automated inspection to the assembly process, we can improve quality assurance, increase throughput, reduce rework, wastage and crucially, help to lower costs.
Atlas Copco has recently secured an agreement to equip the brand new factory for Red Bull Powertrains, in support of the design and manufacture of the team’s next generation Formula One power unit for 2026. Atlas Copco is providing Red Bull Powertrains with a range of tightening technologies designed to boost innovation, enhance productivity and increase quality within the assembly process. Its Tensor IxB series of assembly tools with built-in controllers will revolutionise production line operation, providing improved productivity and agility in the smart factory environment, while its Tools Talk 2 tool programming software will streamline the assembly line through simultaneous configuration of multiple power controllers and virtual tool stations from a single platform. Atlas Copco will also supply Red Bull Powertrains with ToolsNet8 data collection software and STR digital smart wrench, which will be used to disassemble the engines after use.
