OPERATIONS Extending service life In BMW Group Plant Munich, bionic floor-assembly grippers handle the complete underfloor structure of the BMW i4 electric saloon. The bearer is produced using sand casting with a 3D-printed mould, resulting in an aluminium structure weighing 110 kilograms, around 30 % less than the previous conventional model.
Markus Lehmann, Head of Plant Engineering and Robotics at BMW Group Plant Munich, explains:“ When handling the full BMW i4 floor assembly, this allowed us to reduce the weight of the complete gripper by 30 %— 50 kg— and thus to extend the service life of our facilities.”
The ability to produce lighter, purpose-optimised tooling on demand and to replace it rapidly when needed, is changing how the group manages equipment longevity, unplanned downtime and the total cost of keeping a modern production line running.
manufacturingdigital. com
77