General Competition (April 1992)

Development of Advanced Technologies and Systems for Controlling Dimensional Variation in Automobile Body Manufacturing

Sponsor: Altarum (formerly 2mm-Auto Body Consortium)

• Project Performance Period: 9/1/1992 - 10/31/1995
• Total project (est.): $12,462,236.00
• Requested ATP funds: $4,860,498.00

The automobile industry represents 9 percent of the nation's gross national product and directly affects one in every seven workers, so any process improvements potentially have a major impact on the economy. The Auto Body Consortium, working with General Motors, Chrysler, and the University of Michigan, proposes to attack the under-researched technology of auto body assembly. The program will concentrate on improvements to measurement technology and process control for present-day assembly systems to achieve improved fit of the basic body parts and subassemblies. Target tolerances include: 2 mm total variance for body openings, 1.5 mm total variance for major panels such as doors and side frames, and 1 mm total variation for stamped sheet-metal parts. Looking to the future, consortium members will also work to improve the scientific understanding of the sheet metal assembly process, laying the groundwork for improved process control and assembly systems, and develop technology-transfer models to assure that the results of the program are implemented rapidly by the U.S. auto industry and other sheet-metal forming industries. ABC members include: ASC Inc., CDI Transportation Group Inc., Classic Design, Delta Engineering, Detroit Center Tool Inc., Efficient Engineering, Perceptron Inc., Pioneer Engineering, Progressive Tool & Industries Co., and Richard & Trute Tool & Die.

For project information:

Thomas W. Weber, (313) 246-2605

Active Project Participants

• CDI-Modern Engineering (Warren, MI)
  [Original, Active Member]
  
• Classic Design, Inc. (Troy, MI)
  [Original, Active Member]
  
• Comaupico (formerly Progressive Tool & Industries Company (PICO)) (Southfield, MI)
  [Original, Active Member]
  
• Daimler Chrysler Corporation (Detroit, MI)
  [Original, Active Member]
  
• Detroit Center Tool, Inc. (Detroit, MI)
  [Original, Active Member]
  
• General Motors Corporation, Technical Center (Pontiac, MI)
  [Original, Active Member]
  
• Norgren Automotive (formerly ISI Robotics) (Mt. Clemons, MI)
  [New Member since original JV was formed]
  
• Perceptron, Inc. (Plymouth, MI)
  [Original, Active Member]
  
• Pioneer Engineering & Manufacturing (Warren, MI)
  [Original, Active Member]
  
• University of Michigan, Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (Ann Arbor, MI)
  [Original, Active Member]
  
• Weber Technologies, LLC (formerly ASC, Inc.) (Ann Arbor, MI)
  [Original, Active Member]
  

ATP Project Manager

Jack Boudreaux, (301) 975-3560
jack.boudreaux@nist.gov