Automotive Circle International

With its multitude of finely tuned production processes, vehicle assembly represents probably the most complex field within automotive production. Intelligent planning and organisation of the assembly steps, and developing time-efficient, cost-efficient and robust assembly processes is among the top manufacturing priorities of every automotive OEM.

In contrast to, e.g., the press plant, body shop or paint shop, where, in volume series production, almost full automation is state-of-the-art, the degree of automation in assembly today is only at 5 to 10%, typically, since many of the assembly steps require so much sensitivity, flexibility and a "feel" for the process, that, despite all progress in robotics and despite the high cost of human labour, manual assembly still is the most efficient and reliable way to build cars.

All the more, it is highly important for OEM to use their workforce as meaningfully and efficiently as possible, to design ergonomic assembly processes, and to permanently optimize the process technologies, organisation and logistics in order to remain competitive. With all its complexity, there are still large potentials for efficiency improvement to be realized in vehicle assembly.

With this background, and after its successful premiere in February 2011, the new Automotive Circle International conference on "Assembly Engineering" again sets about to offer a high-level, international forum for automotive engineers and to facilitate an intense technical information exchange on recent practical progress and innovative concepts in automobile assembly, on 28 and 29 February 2012 in Bad Nauheim, Germany.

Project results from globally leading OEM, important new developments from relevant system suppliers as well as trailblazing, practice-oriented studies of from leading research institutions will shed light on today's possibilities and future trends in automotive assembly technology. Highly interactive plenary, group and one-on-one discussions will additionally maximize the event's benefit and networking opportunities.

Focus on value-added processes: How can the consequent optimisation of the assembly process chains and logistics maximize cost reduction?
How can assembly production times be further reduced?
Where and how is it possible to further improve the process ergonomics? What new occupational health findings need to be reflected in assembly processes?
Possibilities for automation: What is viable, what is sensible? What can be achieved via an object-coupled mechanisation?
How can novel pre-assembly concepts increase the production efficiency?
What is possible via more intelligent consignment and part logistics?
How can the footprint of assembly lines be minimised?

Programme Coordinator
Dr. Dirk Meine, Automotive Circle International
Tel. +49 511 9910-319, Fax +49 511 9910-339
dirk.meine@vincentz.net

Automotive engineers with responsibilities for assembly processes and assembly systems, in the pre-development, development, planning and production of international OEM, as well as from corresponding system suppliers and engineering service providers.

Participating companies:
(as of: 23.02.2012)

A. Raymond GmbH & Co. KG, DE
ABB Automation GmbH, DE
Audi AG, DE
BMW Group, DE
DAF Trucks Vlaanderen N.V., BE
Daimler AG, DE
Deutsches Zentrum f. Luft- u. Raumfahrt (DLR), Institut f. Robotik u. Mechatronik, DE
Dürr Systems GmbH, DE
EFS-Gesellschaft für Hebe- und Handhabungstechnik mbH, DE
EJOT GmbH & Co. KG, DE
Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A., IT
Ford Otomotiv San. A.S., TR
Ford-Werke GmbH, DE
Honda Engineering Europe Ltd., GB
Honda Motor Co., Ltd, JP
Hyundai Motor Company, KR
ifp - Prof. Dr.-Ing. Joachim Milberg Institut f. Produktion u. Logistik GmbH & Co. KG, DE
inos Automationssoftware GmbH, DE
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Institut f. Fördertechnik u. Logistiksysteme, DE
LOM Innovation GmbH & Co. KG, DE
Maceas GmbH, DE
Magna Automotive Services GmbH, DE
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, IN
MAN Truck & Bus AG, DE
MAN Truck & Bus Österreich AG, AT
Adam Opel AG, DE
polyplan GmbH, DE
RWTH Aachen University, Werkzeugmaschinenlabor (WZL), DE
SAIC Motor UK Technical Centre Ltd., UK
Skoda Auto a.s., CZ
Steinbeis Transferzentrum OIT, DE
tesa Converting Center GmbH, DE
Vincentz Network, DE
Volkswagen AG, DE
Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge, DE
Volkswagen Poznan Sp. zo.o., PL
Witte Automotive /
Witte-Velbert GmbH & Co. KG, DE