Virtual Commissioning in CB Case Study
Case Study A:
Cycle Time Optimization
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Case Study B:
Operational Stability and Special Functions
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Case Study C:
New type integration
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
What we offer
Upgrading Automation without Disrupting Production Lines
At CB Control Systems, we offer professional PLC programming services tailored to the automotive industry.
Our engineers have hands-on experience with BMW GSC Standard and Siemens PLC platforms, ensuring that every project meets the highest industry benchmarks.
We work across multiple sectors, including automotive assembly lines, body-in-white processes, material handling, welding systems, and robotic integration.
Our References
Audi Neckarsulm
['22-'23]
Location: Neckarsulm, Germany
Department: Assembly line
Platform: WinMOD
Standard: S7 StaSoM v8.0
BMW Debrecen
['23-'24]
Location: Debrecen, Hungary
Department: Logistics / Body warehouse
Platform: S7 15xx/ TIA v17
Standard: TMO v3.11
BMW Spartanburg
['24-'25]
Location: Greer, South Carolina, USA
Department: Assembly line
Platform: S7 15xx/ TIA v17
Standard: TMO v3.11
Whether you prefer WinMOD or
RF::SUITE, choose your platform and let CB Control Systems handle the
rest
Challenge
Cycle time optimization is a common challenge in every production process, regardless of its size. At AUDI Neckarsulm, there was a bottleneck between two production lines. The normal production process, operating as a takt production system, could not provide the required cycle time within the buffer area.
Solution
During virtual commissioning, the problem was identified at an early stage. Since mechanical adaptation had not yet started, the production process could be adjusted without additional costs.
Through extensive testing, various process improvement ideas were evaluated using the virtual model before selecting the final solution. The solution included adding an additional stop point between buffer positions. This stop point had to be positioned as close as possible to the second buffer position so that a third car could enter halfway into the buffer area.
Result
Instead of two cars with far distance between them, are now fitted two cars on the closest distance as possible (~20 cm) and third car can enter half way to buffer area which is enough to achieve the desired cycle time.
By using the virtual model, the entire process improvement was implemented without any risk of equipment damage, which would not have been possible if system limits had been tested directly in the plant during commissioning. Additionally, due to limited space, preparing equipment for various tests would have been very time-consuming in reality, whereas the virtual model could be adjusted quickly and easily.
Challenge
One of the biggest challenges in the automotive industry occurs when the vehicle must be transferred from one transport structure to another. At BMW Leipzig, vehicles must be transferred from the Skillet-SKID (transport platform) to another production system via a transfer shuttle. This is a complex task since in addition to moving components, there are also monitoring components such as scanners and cameras, as well as communication with higher-level IT systems. All elements must be properly synchronized to ensure successful transport, which requires extensive and repeating testing to identify and eliminate software bugs.
Solution
This challenge does not have a single specific solution but represents a typical use case for virtual commissioning. Virtual commissioning is especially valuable when a production process requires extensive testing that would be impractical or very slow during traditional commissioning due to the number of involved components. Using the virtual model, engineers can repeatedly simulate the same process and test various scenarios efficiently. This allows them to observe system behavior and detect potential software issues. Some software bugs are not immediately detectable and may only occur after dozens of cycles, which in traditional commissioning would mean discovering them only after production has started.
Result
By using virtual commissioning, most software bugs related to process sequencing were identified and resolved before traditional commissioning began. As a result, potential equipment damage was prevented, and commissioning time was significantly reduced.
Shorter commissioning time reduces overall production downtime, thereby minimizing production rework costs.
Challenge
When a plant uses a HEMS (Heavy Electric Monorail System) as a production line, as in the our cases of BMW Spartanburg and AUDI Ingolstadt, there is always a challenge when the line must be prepared for a new chassis type. The HEMS infrastructure remains the same, but the chassis dimensions may vary (longer or shorter). As a result, new stop positions must be defined at technical stations, as well as new hoist heights at worker stations.
Solution
Instead of the traditional, very slow process, where a test chassis is placed on the HEMS and the entire production line is driven in manual mode while defining all positions and heights, a simple and effective solution is to use a digital twin of the production process.
Result
By using a digital twin, the required positions and heights are defined much faster and without causing downtime, because the work is done in the office without interrupting production. An additional advantage is the early detection of potential problems and resolving them before they can occur on real equipment.
Every automation project is unique. Allow us to listen to your challenges and let us show you how virtual reality training can help.
CB Control Systems d.o.o.
Adress: Humska ulica 2, 10360 Sesvete, Hrvatska
OIB: 17382526547
CB Control Systems d.o.o. © 2019. – all rights reserved
Privacy notice