In the early days of automotive production, the axles were clamped on steel work tables and adjusted roughly using probes and dial gauges. Final measurement of the chassis was not carried out until the “end of the line”. This last step took up to ten minutes to perform and affected the output rate of the vehicle plant. Today, adjustment is automated and meets the output requirements of manufacturers of vehicles with multi-link rear axles. AuE Kassel GmbH implemented a new rear axle adjustment system for a well-known German car manufacturer in just nine months. Once the axle has been adjusted, it can be installed directly in the vehicle. Based on a gantry design and equipped with drives and valve terminals from Festo, it adjusts track and camber in less than 60 seconds.
Securely clamped
Integrated directly in the production process of the car manufacturer, linear conveyor technology transports the axle on a workpiece carrier through the machine in either a longitudinal or a transverse direction. A lifting frame that can be lowered directly above the axle holds all of the Festo components and the tools for adjusting track and camber. After the axle is clamped, counterholders swivel under the subframe mounts of the axle, and later provide the attachment points for the car body. ADNH high-force cylinders with a piston diameter of 100 mm clamp the axle at four positions as accurately as if it were screwed onto the vehicle. The advantage of the ADNH high-force cylinders is in the series connection of two, three or four cylinders with the same piston diameter and stroke. This means that, compared to a conventional cylinder, the force can be doubled, tripled or even quadrupled during the advance stroke. A Festo SMAT sensor on a guide unit detects the level of the wheel hub. The height at which a slide unit must move to the axle can thus be determined.
Heinrich-Hertz-Str. 52
34123 Kassel
Germany
Area of business: Automation specialist for all production tasks relating to axles, chassis and comparable problems