Programmable logic controller based monitoring system for oil filling of heavy vehicle rear axle assembly

In the chassis assembly shop, there are instances when the rear axle oil was not filled. During the period from January to December, there were ten such instances that were reported. Out of the 10 cases, 6 cases seized after handing over the vehicle to the customer and 4 cases were identified when the vehicles left the assembly process. The reason for the seizing of the trucks was predominantly due to the absence of the oil in the rear axle or in some cases, due to the discrepancy that occurred. This problem can be rectified by introducing the concept of interlocking, wherein the conveyor stops from proceeding to the next stage in case the rear axle oil is not filled. To prevent any further chances of error, a system was suggested where a code is scanned, which gives details of the bill of materials used to assemble the truck. This bill of material includes the axle model number which is cross referenced with a traceability matrix to determine the quantity of oil required and confirming the oil filling process with a sticker. © 2018. MechAero Foundation for Technical Research & Education Excellence.