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Industrial Location for Moving lines

Industrial Location Mapping

Want to make sure that your tools only work when they are supposed to and in the correct places? ILM can help.

Overview  |  Challenges |  Solutions |  Video  | Features and benefits 

 

Industrial Location Mapping

Using the wrong battery tool in an assembly line can cause downtime and frustration. What if we told you there is now a foolproof solution designed to eliminate tooling errors? Industrial Location Mapping (ILM) can handle your complete production line or parts of a line. It can help you minimize reworking and will make line rebalancing simpler. All this can save you time, reduce unnecessary costs, and increase productivity.

Challenges when using battery tools

A growing number of automakers and other manufacturers are making the transition from cable to cordless tools in production to increase flexibility and make rebalancing simpler. However, a challenge associated with battery tools is that they are not physically coupled to a specific station and can move around in the plant. Consider the following questions:

  • Regardless if you use moving or stop-and-go lines in your assembly, how do you make sure that the right tool is used at the right station? 
  • How do you tie your tool to a specific area within a station? 
  • How do you prevent operator errors in your production line? 

Industrial Location Mapping lines, also known as ILM, answers to these challenges. 

Use a tool-location solution from Atlas Copco

ILM is a tool-location solution that will ensure that your tools only operate where they are supposed to at the right time. It is the latest addition to our Workstation Solutions Portfolio. ILM's simple infrastructure can help you perform easy rebalancing and enjoy the freedom and flexibility of battery tools – without decreasing production safety in stop-and-go lines or in moving lines. In addition, there is no need for a server. 

Industrial Location Mapping – The right tools in the right location

This standalone, tool-location solution ensures that battery tools only operate in their permitted area. The simple infrastructure of Industrial Location Mapping helps users perform easy line rebalancing.

Features and benefits

Easy line rebalancing

For line rebalancing, the reteaching and reconfiguring of tool tags for different product variants or for a new line, is easily done.

Radio-based accuracy

ILM ensures that a tool is used in its permitted area with an accuracy between 10-50 cm depending on system mode and environment.

Real-time tool tracking

ILM provides real-time visualization of a tool’s position on a PC or server. It is well-suited for moving production lines.

Simple to set up

ILM does not require a server and is easy to install and set up. Start with one station and extend according to your need.

A stand-alone solution

There is no need for a server, the intelligence in the ILM Tags calculates the distance to the Anchors.

Tool orientation detection

Enables bolt differentiation in some cases.

No plant interference

ILM Tags and Anchors communicate with each other via UWB radio technology which does not interfere with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Integrates with Atlas Copco tools

ILM integrates with a wide selection of our tools.

Different system modes use the same software

There are two different modes for ILM, Basic and Managed, which can be used depending on your need.

How does ILM work?

ILM is designed to handle a complete production line or parts of a line. The tool-location solution consists of ILM Tags and Anchors that communicate with each other through ultra-wideband-radio technology. In this way the tool orientation detection ties a tool to a specific position with set orientation conditions and safeguards that the tool only works (is enabled) where it is supposed to. 

There are two different ways to work with ILM:

  • Basic mode - an effective solution for stop-and-go lines. 
  • Managed mode - the best choice for moving lines.

Industrial Location Mapping

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