Industry
Agricultural machinery, combine harvesters.
Customer story · Agricultural machinery
CNH Industrial: 72 screws, the right sequence, the right torque.
In combine rotor assembly at Zedelgem, Belgium, CNH Industrial uses Arkite to enforce the screw sequence, connect the tightening tools and stop errors that used to appear only when the machine was in operation.
At a glance
Project summary
Process
Combine rotor assembly: 72 screws per variant, four torque programs.
Setup
One 3D sensor and one projector.
Integration
Tightening tools: sequence control, tool disabling, torque.
The challenge
Errors that only showed up in the field
The combine rotor is built in two product variants. Each requires a distinct combination of 72 screws, a critical screw sequence and four different torque programs. A screw in the wrong place, in the wrong order or at the wrong torque affects how the rotor performs.
Those errors were often only detected once the product was operational, when correction is expensive. Rotation of employees between workstations added a further layer of complexity: execution had to stay consistent regardless of who was at the station.
Requirements for the station
- Enforce the critical screw sequence for both variants
- Apply the correct torque program at each screw position
- Detect errors at the station, not in operation
- Keep execution consistent across rotating operators
The solution
Sequence guidance with tool interlocks
CNH Industrial deployed Arkite at the combine rotor station in Zedelgem. Arkite projects real-time guidance onto the workstation, showing the operator which screw position comes next in the required sequence.
The platform communicates with the tightening system. Tools are disabled until the correct position in the sequence is addressed, and the correct torque program is applied at each designated location. Sequence errors and wrong torque values are blocked at the moment they would occur.
Implementation
How each rotor is built
- 01
Variant selection
The station runs the screw pattern and torque programs for the rotor variant being built.
- 02
Projected sequence
Arkite highlights the next screw position on the rotor, in the required order.
- 03
Tool release
The tool is only enabled for the correct position, with the matching torque program.
- 04
Confirmation
The step completes when the screw is tightened at the designated location, and the operator moves to the next position.
Results
What CNH Industrial achieved
Faulty products eliminated
Sequence guidance and tool disabling eliminated faulty products caused by errors in screw placement, sequence or torque.
Lower cost of quality
Detecting errors in the assembly process significantly reduced the cost of rework, product inefficiencies and operational disruption.
Global Gold WCM Award 2017
The implementation earned CNH Industrial the Global Gold World Class Manufacturing Award for Best Practice in 2017.
A tightening error is now stopped at the station, before it can reach a combine in the field.
Take control of critical tightening steps
See how Arkite connects guidance, tool control and validation at the workstation.