Integrating smart solutions can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Let the experts at Atlas Copco guide you on your journey to Smart Connected Assembly!
Finding defects during assembly is bad enough, but it’s worse knowing that they affect your profitability and pull your operators away from other applications to correct the issue. However, warranty claims as the result of faulty products are even worse. Now, you’re faced with having to repair or replace many products, which can affect your productivity and reputation.
When our customer, a major electric vehicle manufacturer, faced several warranty claims that were affecting their assembly, they reached out to our experts, knowing there was a better way to catch quality issues before they left the facility. Read on to discover the source of their quality issues and the smart integrated solutions that improved their assembly.
Smart solutions: The future of manufacturing
In the era of Industry 4.0 and Smart Integrated Assembly, effectively competing requires the transfer of information among various solutions in the manufacturing process, thereby creating an interconnected ecosystem. There are several benefits to adopting these technologies. By simply reading and recording data in real time, you can change your entire operation, saving you and your operators the hassle of finding errors later during assembly. To discover more about how Atlas Copco is aiding you in this journey, read our article: How can companies benefit from adopting Industry 4.0 technologies?
Our customer reached out to our experts, looking to improve their assembly, particularly pertaining to their production quality. Upon closer look, it was realized that this customer was operating without smart tooling, leading to a surge in warranty claims that significantly cost their bottom line. Our experts recognized that if this customer could collect data during assembly, they would be able to identify errors in real-time, shifting from a reactive assembly to a proactive assembly, thereby saving them time and heartache and achieving a reduction in quality concerns.
Meet their unique Atlas Copco ensemble
Delivering results with our range of IxB tooling
To create the proactive assembly our customer desired, we had to create the perfect tooling ensemble for their needs. At the heart of this ensemble is Tensor IxB–our collection of integrated controller tools that improve quality, profitability, and efficiency in production.
Tensor IxB is Atlas Copco’s family of handheld and cordless tools designed to be lighter and faster than the previous generation. Our wide range of tool models, consisting of three ranges: the Tensor ITB-P, the Tensor ITB-A, and the Tensor ICB, are fully managed by the integrated controller without the need for any intermediate controller box and can be modified to your liking with a variety of batteries and accessories. Tensor IxB tools were created to give operators constant visibility of production via an intuitive interface and workstation display. Moreover, Tensor IxB would significantly improve their assembly operations by offering real-time NOK operator feedback and unmatched tightening accuracy.
This gives manufacturing facilities the opportunity to create a smart connected ecosystem. It simplifies connections, reduces installations, and supports connectivity, visualization, error-proofing, and data in one package. Begin your journey to a Smart Factory: book a product demo today!
Avantguard: Eliminate common mistakes
By pairing the Tensor IxB tooling with Avantguard, we could drive quality and traceability in our customer’s assembly stations. Atlas Copco’s software solutions can reduce rework by as much as 30% and related line stoppages by up to 70%; Avantguard is no exception. Avantguard is a comprehensive error-proofing software that guides operators through the operation.
Equipped with step-by-step operator guidance, tool interlock, part verification, and more, our customer will finally be able to 
eliminate common mistakes made during assembly, something they were unable to achieve before they integrated smart tools and software solutions into their assembly. With advanced process control on their side, they could streamline assembly.
Ready to learn more about Avantguard? Join our on-demand webinar, "Avantguard: The Future of Error-Proofing Software in Assembly," to discover how Avantguard is simplifying and enhancing accessibility for error-proofing.
Set your production apart with ToolsNet 8
Lastly, we included ToolsNet 8, which has been successfully deployed in manufacturing plants worldwide for over 20 years, as part of this solution package. ToolsNet 8 served as the perfect solution as it works seamlessly with Avantguard to collect and display production data. This ensures complete traceability of the entire assembly process, enabling you to gain a full understanding of your production as a tool for enhancing and streamlining your operations. While Avantguard collects data throughout the process, ToolsNet 8 analyzes and generates product reports, helping you identify areas for improvement and keeping all your important information organized in one centralized location. This software tracks all the fastenings, giving the user full traceability and improved quality.
But that’s not all; if you find quality issues and errors occurring on the line, Avantguard and ToolsNet 8 will work hand-in-hand with your operators, guiding them through the rework and repair processes for faulty and defective products. With our Smart Connected Assembly solutions, you can:
- Identify trends early
- Avoid production delays
- Respond quickly to quality concerns
- Improve production efficiency through analysis
Benefit even more: ToolsTalk 2 simplifies tool configuration
We want to take a moment to highlight ToolsTalk 2, including its capabilities and its seamless integration with the other solutions, even though it was not included in our customer's solution package.
ToolsTalk 2 is a configuration and system management software solution. Regain control of your line management with ToolsTalk 2. This innovative tool enables you to manage all your tightening configurations in one location and provides complete traceability with user permissions and program archiving. It allows you to control access, revert to previous versions, and track who made changes and when they occurred. Furthermore, ToolsTalk 2 provides global programming and copy paste capabilities, enabling you to distribute standardized programs that cannot be modified from the controllers.
By pairing ToolsTalk 2 with each of the solutions discussed in this article, you will have full visibility of your entire production and ensure error-free outputs. From production data to generated product reports and tool configuration, you will possess the necessary tools to safeguard your operations against common mistakes, implement the right programs, identify trends, and more.
Why choose Atlas Copco?
With these smart solutions in their assembly, our customer will have a smoother manufacturing experience, helping them to achieve a reduction in defects. While Avantguard guides operators through the assembly process, their IxB tooling will alert them to any mistakes made on the line, while ToolsNet 8 runs in the background, collecting tightening data. With this data, they can look for patterns in their assembly and resolve reoccurring problems. Lastly, if they included ToolsTalk 2 in their solutions package, they would benefit from having all their tightening configurations securely in one place. With ToolsTalk 2, they would have complete control over their line, including managing access, reverting to previous versions, and tracking who made changes and when those changes occurred.
Are you ready to take your facility into the future of Industry 4.0? Begin your journey to a Smart Factory: book a product demo today or contact the experts at Atlas Copco to learn more about our Smart Integrated Assembly solutions and discover if they’re right for you!
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