By using a UR10 cobot from Universal Robots to screw aircon compressors onto engine blocks, Opel relieves its assembly staff of an ergonomically unfavorable task. With the pilot application at the Eisenach plant, the car manufacturer is entering automation with cobots and gaining experience for future applications.
The business transformation
The Eisenach plant plays a key role in lean manufacturing. Opened in September 1992, the site with its approximately 1,400 employees has set trends for automotive manufacturing in Germany. With the aim of reinforcing its pioneering role, Opel established a plant-wide automation team in Eisenach in 2018. From body construction to assembly, the team identifies the potential for the use of new technologies and introduces them at the site. When the new project team started, they quickly found that collaborative robots could provide them with enormous innovative strength in developing modern assembly concepts. The cobots’ ability to work in proximity with people creates completely new scenarios for automation.