VW and Fraunhofer are developing hybrid assembly automation

Fraunhofer IWU’s work on the ID.3 shows that parts designed without automation in mind will continue to require human hands. A Kuka robot positions an underbody panel under a Volkswagen ID.3 during automated transport trials at the Fraunhofer IWU, and project manager Marcel Lorenz, MSc Engineer, monitors the process. (Photo: © Fraunhofer IWU) Fraunhofer IWU and Volkswagen Sachsen GmbH have developed a semi-autonomous robotic assembly system for vehicle underbody panels (UBPs), demonstrating the approach to a component in the Volkswagen ID.3. The HAutoMont project uses vacuum grippers and screwdriving robots to free workers from physically demanding installation tasks. UBP installation requires demanding postures where workers work on large, flexible components on the roof or under the vehicle that are difficult to position without applying force. Fixing screws and clips must be purchased separately and particularly large panels may require a second worker. Automation has its own complications. Non-rigid parts resist consistent machine use; production cycle times leave little room for rework; and the growing variety of parts over the life of a model requires specialized tooling that may need to be replaced after short production runs. The test component, one of 13 UBPs on the ID.3, is a streamlined polypropylene shield 110 cm long, 88 cm wide and 2 mm thick. Vacuum grippers hold at three defined points to limit deformation, while the screwdriving robot locates each hole and automatically tightens the connections, allowing the subprocess to normally take place on the manual assembly line. The project’s design recommendations for future components prioritize defined grip points, snap-on connections, and resistance to bending in use. Floor space is identified as a permanent constraint, as automated solutions and the safety buffers they require take up much more space than human workers. Why this matters: The most valuable finding is where automation should not be implemented. The project’s conclusion that human tactile perception and adaptive flexibility remain difficult to replicate is as commercially important as any advance in robotics technology; This moves manufacturers toward a hybrid model that deploys automation selectively rather than extensively, a more economically realistic path from full assembly automation. Design for automation is emerging as a discipline as important as automation itself. The recommendation to consider machine assembly requirements during component design, rather than tailoring automation around existing parts, suggests that the bottleneck in AI production is increasingly higher up in the product development process, not in the factory.