With the new generation of W220 replacing the W140, numerous innovations have been developed for the new S Class. DaimlerChrysler has also come up with new ideas in S Class production. Building No. 30 provides a new production site for body construction at the DaimlerChrysler works, thus creating a series-related area of responsibility. Up to now, the S Class bodies have been produced in a mix with the C and E Class.

A new feature in body shop is the use of IP 67 modules which take INTERBUS far into the area of welding cells and welding processes. The conveying technology for transporting the bodies, and the connection to existing systems are handled by motor control switches distributed to the PLC systems via INTERBUS.

Building No. 30 has a total of 170 processing stations arranged on the fishbone principle. Each S Class body is made up of approx. 400 pressed pieces joined together by 5,500 welding points and 70 m of glued joints. 217 Kuka robots and 242 welding tongs are permanently in operation. The Kuka robots work with PC-based KRC1 robot controllers that are installed as INTERBUS slave to the PLC and carry out I/O processing as INTERBUS submaster for their robot area. The Bosch welding controllers communicate directly with the Kuka robot controller in the lower level INTERBUS. The new master/slave concept for robot controllers therefore takes on part of the work of the PLC which can then take over higher-level I/O processing tasks in the cell area. Safety-related signals are processed by 75 safety controllers that are linked to the INTERBUS as slave stations.

When working at max. capacity, approx. 360 bodies-in-white will be manufactured daily in three shifts. General contractors for the three manufacturing zones Z1, Z2 and Z3 are Bucher GmbH from Eislingen, the welding systems manufacturer, Kuka Schweißanlagen in Augsburg, and DaimlerChrysler equipment manufacturing in Sindelfingen.

PC based automation with INTERBUS

PC 104 Technology for DaimlerChrysler

In the body shops of the Bremen and Sindelfingen works where the latest C Class is also produced, INTERBUS is responsible for grouping the decentralized I/O nodes.

In order to be able to produce the required quantities, more than 1,000 kuka robots with master/slave card and c. 200 PC based controllers (Atrium) from Schneider Automation with INTERBUS-PC-104 master interface connection are used in the two works.

In the conveying technology as a whole, as well as in parts of the plant technology, drives are networked and controlled via the INTERBUS motor control switch. In this project, the new IP 65 modules are used.

Responsible for the construction of the body shops are the three general contractors:TMS, Austria, Kuka from Augsburg and DaimlerChrysler equipment manufacturing in Sindelfingen.