Comau supplies robotic systems for 20 Alfa Romeo production lines.

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Comau has designed a flexible body-in-white (BIW – body) manufacturing solution for the new generation Tonale (pictured below) to meet the customer’s precise production targets and quality, the first of the new generation Alfa SUV. Time to goals and market objectives.

The new and improved Line 20 is designed to allow the automaker to randomly mix and match up to 4 versions of its mid-size Tonale while maintaining the desired trajectory.

fully expandable; The innovative solution allows the automaker to produce multiple brands on the same line, allowing it to expand production further in the future if needed.

In addition, Comau’s ability to deliver the highest quality in processes and manufacturing throughout the entire project allowed the joint project team to ensure the value of the final product, fully meeting the strict requirements of a premium brand such as Alfa Romeo.

With the construction of five new lines and the retrofitting of 15 existing lines to accommodate the new Tonale, Comau was able to deploy the production lines in record time despite many challenges.

The SUV body is significantly larger than the originally designed compact car, and Comau was asked to make the necessary changes without affecting the overall production of the car.

By concurrent engineering; The team, in line with its “Zero Loss Launch” philosophy, has developed a transition strategy that will allow Comau to run re-dredging operations in parallel with current operations. Comau also worked on the lines during the factory’s natural time, minimizing the impact on production.

As part of Comau’s lean manufacturing approach, The automated and semi-automated manufacturing solution is based on proprietary ComauFlex technology, nicknamed Butterfly due to its impressive agility and use of suspended robots.

This setup allows Alfa Romeo to change or modify a specific vehicle model by adjusting the robot’s tooling, not the robot’s program itself.

In addition to protecting the size of the client’s initial investment; It is designed to allow new models to be introduced in the future for a fraction of the initial outlay.

Indeed, The entire system has 468 welding robots, of which 148 are completely new and 320 are taken from existing lines. Comau used advanced simulation tools throughout the development period, guaranteeing the best quality and product.

The Comau-designed solution enables Alfa Romeo to carry out complex bodyshop processes with extreme precision, and fully assembles the entire BIW from start to finish.

With the help of three different vision systems to aid in the automated picking and positioning of parts, the robots perform semi-structural adhesive spreading on parts and plasma cutting, among other operations; .

The process involves adding roughly 2,800 welds for each model.

With significant net output, Alfa Romeo time, There will be significant savings in long-term costs and production efficiency.

In addition, Because the solution is a fully modular system built around standard products integrated within an expandable design framework; A carmaker can quickly expand its production environment with limited impact on existing production.

Comau CEO Pietro Gorlier said: “Partnering with a famous brand like Alfa Romeo is an amazing opportunity to develop cutting-edge technology and we are proud to see the results of Comau’s field-proven expertise between the two Italian countries. Examples of excellence.

“Our commitment to unwavering quality is seen in the processes and products used to create Tonale, allowing us to ensure maximum value for the customer.”

Comau Chief Engineer Andrew Lloyd said: “In supporting the Alfa Romeo brand in their product expansion; Comau leverages its long-standing experience in automation and smart manufacturing to offer an unprecedented level of flexibility.

“The innovative approach to implementing brand new technologies and retrofitting existing lines and equipment is a direct result of our commitment to provide scalable, sustainable solutions that help our customers better meet their goals today and tomorrow.”