Patent ID: 6112393
Filing Date: 2000-09-05
Classification: B23Q,Y10T

Abstract:
A process for assembling engines from a series of engine frames flowing through the assembly process comprising the steps of:defining a plurality of work steps necessary to assemble an engine from an engine frame, each of said work steps having associated therewith a time period for carrying out said work step;establishing a sequence of said work steps to effect complete assembly of an engine;defining a plurality of work stations for carrying out said work steps including a first work station and a last work station in serial arrangement for the flow of engine frames through the assembly process from one work station to the next, each said work station including at least one of said work steps and having an engine frame positioned at such work station;allocating said works steps within said work stations in said sequence to effect an aggregate of time periods at each said station for carrying out the work steps within each said work station so that the aggregate time period for each work station is generally equal to the respective aggregate time period at each other said station for carrying out the work steps within each work station;conveying engine frames through said work stations from said first work station to said last work station;performing said work steps on a respective engine frame at each of said work stations in said sequence;simultaneously advancing the engine frame at each work station to the next work station at time intervals corresponding to said aggregate time period, with each station thus having an engine frame that has been advanced from the previous work station; andcompleting assembly of an engine wherein the time period that the corresponding engine frame resides at any of said work stations is substantially equal to the time period that said engine frame resides at any of the other work stations.