Monterrey, Mexico – October 2024 – A leading North American automotive supplier has reduced production line changeover time by 45% and boosted output by 17% after implementing ABB PM862 automation systems at its Monterrey assembly facility. The upgrade, finished in Q3 2024, addressed the plant’s biggest pain point: slow, error-prone switches between production of different automotive components (e.g., engine brackets, suspension parts) that cost the company $140,000 monthly in lost capacity.
The Challenge: Slow Changeovers Limited Production Flexibility
Before adopting the PM862, the Monterrey plant used a mix of outdated controllers and manual processes to manage its 6 flexible assembly lines. The system struggled with three core issues:
- Lengthy Changeovers: Switching between component models required technicians to manually reconfigure 20+ parameters (e.g., robotic arm positions, torque settings) per line—taking 2.5–3 hours per changeover. With 8–10 changeovers weekly, this wasted 20–30 production hours monthly.
- Human Error Risks: Manual parameter entry led to 5–7 quality incidents per month (e.g., misaligned drill holes, over-tightened bolts), requiring rework that added $35,000 monthly in labor costs.
- Limited Line Coordination: The legacy controllers couldn’t communicate across lines, leading to bottlenecks when one line finished changeover before others. This disrupted the plant’s just-in-time (JIT) delivery schedule for clients like Ford and GM.
As the auto industry shifted to more frequent model updates (e.g., electric vehicle component variants), the plant’s inflexible system became unsustainable. “We were spending more time switching lines than producing parts,” said Carlos Mendez, the plant’s automation manager. “We needed a system that could keep up with the industry’s demand for flexibility.”
ABB PM862: The Flexible Automation Solution
After testing three automation platforms, the plant chose the ABB PM862 for its speed, programmability, and cross-line coordination capabilities:
- One-Click Changeovers: The PM862 stores pre-configured parameter sets for 50+ component models. Technicians select a model via the HMI, and the controller automatically updates all line parameters (robotic movements, torque settings, sensor thresholds) in 30 minutes—down from 2.5 hours.
- Error-Proof Programming: The controller’s built-in logic checks prevent invalid parameter entries (e.g., torque settings outside safe limits), eliminating human error. It also integrates with vision systems to verify part alignment post-changeover.
- Cross-Line Synchronization: The PM862 connects all 6 assembly lines via Ethernet/IP, enabling synchronized changeovers. “Now, all lines finish switching at the same time—no more bottlenecks,” Mendez explained.
- Scalable I/O Capacity: The controller supports up to 4,096 I/O points, allowing the plant to add new sensors and actuators as it expands its product portfolio. It also integrates seamlessly with ABB’s YuMi collaborative robots, used for delicate assembly tasks.
Results: Flexibility Drives Output and Savings
Two months after deployment, the Monterrey plant’s performance metrics are transformative:
- Changeover time cut by 45%: Average changeover time dropped from 2.5 hours to 1.375 hours, reclaiming 18 production hours monthly.
- Production output up 17%: The extra capacity allowed the plant to produce 2,800 more components monthly, generating $95,000 in additional revenue.
- Rework costs down 70%: Error-proof programming reduced quality incidents from 5–7 to 1–2 per month, saving $24,500 monthly in labor and materials.
“The PM862 turned our rigid lines into flexible powerhouses,” Mendez said. “We can now handle more model changes without sacrificing speed or quality—something our auto clients love.”
Javier Rodriguez, ABB’s regional sales director for automotive automation, emphasized the PM862’s fit for the industry. “Auto suppliers need to adapt fast to model changes and EV transitions,” he said. “The PM862’s programmability and synchronization features make it the ideal controller for flexible manufacturing.”
The plant plans to install 12 more ABB PM862 systems at its Guanajuato facility in Q4 2024, with the goal of reducing changeover time by 50% across all North American operations.
