Project Introduction to 3D Vision Flexible Projection Welding Workstation

Empowering the Digital Transformation of Automotive Component Manufacturing

Introduction

Taking a leading automotive component enterprise in Jiangsu Province (hereinafter referred to as "Company A") that Haifei has served as an example, this article details its digital upgrading path: by introducing a customized 3D Vision Flexible Projection Welding Workstation, the enterprise has achieved a 50% increase in production efficiency, a welding qualification rate exceeding 99.7%, and an annual cost savings of over 2 million yuan. This case provides a replicable solution template for non-standard automation transformation in the automotive component industry.

I. User Background and Requirements

1. Brief User Background

As a core supplier to an automotive OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), Company A focuses on automotive component production with an annual production capacity of over 5 million units. With OEMs imposing stricter requirements on the traceability of welding product data and delivery cycles, the traditional "manual operation + standalone projection welding" model has gradually revealed efficiency bottlenecks.

2. Overview of User Requirements

(1) Challenges Faced

Efficiency Bottlenecks: Orders with high-mix and low-volume account for over 60% of total orders. The changeover time for traditional equipment ranges from 2 to 4 hours, resulting in daily effective operating time of less than 60%.
Quality Fluctuations: Manual welding parameters rely on operators' experience, keeping the product qualification rate around 95% for a long time, and the OEM's rework rate reaches 3%.
Cost Pressure: The turnover rate of skilled welders is high, with labor costs accounting for over 25% of single-shift expenses, and potential safety hazards also exist.

(2) Expectations for Non-Standard Automation

Functional Requirements: Compatible with automatic loading and unloading of more than 6 types of special-shaped parts, and support data interconnection with the MES (Manufacturing Execution System).
Efficiency Goals: Changeover time ≤ 30 minutes, and single-shift production capacity increase ≥ 40%.
Quality Standards: Real-time monitoring of welding current/pressure/time parameters, and qualification rate ≥ 99.5%.

II. R&D of Customized Solutions

1. Customized Design Process

Flexible Fixture System: Adopting modular quick-change tooling, achieving 0.1mm-level positioning accuracy through 3D vision guidance, and compatible with products with a size range of up to 300mm.
Intelligent Control System: Retrieves set parameters based on material thickness, automatically monitors and records welding parameters for each operation, and triggers automatic alarm and shutdown if fluctuations exceed a certain range, ensuring the consistency and stability of welding product quality.
Digital Traceability: Each product is assigned a unique ID, and welding parameters and operation logs are uploaded to the customer's MES system in real time.

2. Customization Results

The finally delivered flexible projection welding workstation achieves:

10-Minute Quick Changeover: One-click retrieval of process packages via HMI (Human-Machine Interface), reducing changeover downtime by 85%.

Full-Process Data Transparency: Real-time visualization of welding process parameters and energy consumption data, supporting OEM Audit traceability.

Zero-Experience Operation: Ordinary workers can operate independently after 4 hours of training, reducing labor costs by more than 60%.

2. Production Commissioning and Delivery Training

Total Duration: 15 Days: Including equipment transportation, installation and commissioning (7 days), and dual-track training for operators/maintainers (7 days).
Official Launch: The first qualified product rolled off the production line on Day 16, and full-load operation was achieved on Day 21.

IV. Project Achievement Demonstration

1. Production Efficiency Improvement Data

Single-shift production capacity increased from 1,800 units to 2,700 units (a 50% increase).
Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) increased from 62% to 89%.

2. Welding Quality Improvement Data

Qualification rate increased from 95.2% to 99.7%, and the OEM's rework rate dropped to 0.2%.
Welding spatter reduced by 85%, and cleaning and maintenance man-hours decreased by 70%.

3. Cost-Benefit Analysis

Annual labor cost savings of 1.8 million yuan (calculated based on a reduction of 6 employees per shift).
Annual material cost savings of 350,000 yuan due to the decrease in scrap rate.
Investment payback period is only 14 months.

V. User Evaluation

Customer Feedback On Our Solutions And Machines

The Director of Production of Company A stated: "This workstation not only solves the pain point of switching between multiple product types but, more importantly, builds a digital production foundation. During the OEM's quality audit, the welding data traceability function has become a key advantage."

Long-Term Cooperation Outlook and Recommendations

Based on this cooperation, Company A has placed an additional order for 8 flexible projection welding workstation projects and committed to sharing this case at industry summits. The person in charge of its procurement department revealed: "We are promoting the transformation of our supplier system towards 'data-driven operations', and such intelligent equipment will become a mandatory access threshold."

Meeting Users' Customized Needs Is Haifei's Mission

Haifei has always adhered to the concept of "creating value for users"! We start from users' needs: What specific welding needs do you have? Do you need automated, integrated, or whole-line solutions? Please let us know - Haifei can conduct R&D and customization of automated welding equipment for you. At the same time, we will firmly uphold the grand aspiration of "striving for the rise of China's industry" and adhere to the corporate values of "Gratitude, Excellence, Altruism, and Win-Win", contributing Haifei's strength to the development of China's industrial intelligent equipment!