Palletized Assembly System Delivered to Dynalink
by: Ryan Ripley, Production Manager
posted: February/March 2006

In late January 2005, MVS Dynalink released a detailed specification for an assembly machine unlike any other. The machine would be accurate, fast, and flexible. It would use techniques developed during many attempts at manual and automatic ball joint production both at MVS Europe and Dynalink. It would be capable of producing over two million ball joint products per year. Most importantly, it would be able to manufacture suspension links of virtually any length or orientation.

During the year that followed, each department at Dynalink worked hard to prepare for the transition to automated assembly. Dean Reagan’s purchasing group kept the machine builder up to date with revised purchase orders for each change made to the machine’s design during construction. The engineering group, especially Mikael Herve, worked with the machine builder to be certain that changes to product design would not negatively affect the function of the machine. A cross-functional team lead by Mike Leeke, Sean Hickman, and Brian Hoffman spent countless hours designing and implementing a facility layout that would accommodate the machine’s 30 x 50 foot floor space requirement. Matt Hoffman and Don Dahl prepared the necessary quality documentation, which was passed on to Randy Race and Brett Crawford for presentation to each customer who would ultimately be serviced by the machine. Finally, the production group lead by Alfredo Soto and Tony Torres trained long and hard so as to be ready to push product through this new work center.

After much anticipation and feverish preparation, the machinery finally arrived in December. The first parts rolled off the line in January. Much fine tuning remains and the Dynalink team is slowly adjusting to the automated assembly environment. The first product to run on the new system is a radial ball joint and bushing combo link for Daimler Chrysler’s Jeep Grand Cherokee. Other products will follow including double radial ball joints and radial-axial configurations.

Upgrades to this machine versus previous attempts to automate this type of assembly are many. One example is the replacement of hydro-pneumatic presses with electric, servo controlled units. This will allow precise control of both force and distance during the crimping operation. Christian Mühlich at MVS Europe was instrumental in driving this change. Further, this system is equipped with a vision system aimed at identifying incorrect assemblies. Finally, unlike most automated ball joint assembly machines, the change over time is expected to be under thirty minutes. Dynalink is anxiously awaiting the impact of these quality and productivity improvements.