Communication system between screwdrivers and asphalt rollers

• Main Authors: Thorstensson, Simon, Sterner, Anton
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Blekinge Tekniska Högskola, Institutionen för maskinteknik 2018
• Subjects: Product development; database; screwdriver; Industry 4.0; calibration; Mechanical Engineering; Maskinteknik
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:bth-16803

A company producing mostly asphalt rollers has a hard time quality assuring their bolted connections. There is an assembly line at the company where the different parts are put together using screwdrivers. These screwdrivers therefore need to be properly calibrated, to meet the high standards on the bolted connections.   The purpose of this research has been to come up with a cost-effective solution for the manufacturing company, so that they can digitally keep track of their screwdrivers and determine the need for calibration. The aim is to achieve full control over the quality of the connected screw-joints.   A lot of the research was focused around Industry 4.0 and IoT (Internet of Things) which are two of the most recognized buzzwords in production industries today. A product development process was used to develop the proposed solution that would help solve the identified problems.   The result of the research and the product development process is an Excel based database where information about screwdrivers are held. The database can determine when there is a need for a screwdriver to be calibrated based on the total amount of performed tightenings for each screwdriver. The total amount of performed tightenings are determined by the total amount of produced asphalt rollers which is retrieved from a production software within the company. The database also stores timestamps for calibration and service intervals, for each screwdriver.   The initial research was focused on new screwdrivers, however, inventorying of the screwdrivers made it clear that most of the screwdrivers in the manufacturing line only had the basic functions. With this information, the focus shifted to include both new and old screwdrivers. The final solution uses existing information from the company to determine when calibration is needed. Most manufacturing companies today still uses old tools, this solution can help them transition into a more digitalized industry. This solution doesn’t require tools to be compatible with a software while still offering the modern functions of newer screwdrivers.