Design for assembly in West Germany - experiences and trends

Over the last few years German firms have been concentrating their efforts at rationalization increasingly on the area of assembly tasks. The aims pursued in this connection have by no means been restricted to assembly automation, they have also included a basic reduction in the time spent on assembly. It has become increasingly evident, however, that product design is vitally important to this objective. In the industrial projects of the Fraunhofer Institute IPA, in which automation of assembly tasks is planned, 75% of the products in the projects are modified or even completely redesigned. The product design measures are achieved by the greater exchange of knowledge between the various experts which results from teamwork in firms. Computer-aided systems play a vital role in this. Numerous examples demonstrate that this method of procedure is efficient, and in the area of product design for assembly German industry compares favourably with its international competitors. (IPA)