Detailed explanation of "Nissan Intelligent Factory" that produces Nissan "Aria" Microsoft "Manufacturing / Automotive Industry DX Forum 2021"

Explaining the advanced nature of the "Nissan Intelligent Factory"

Mr. Kazuhiko Murata, Managing Executive Officer, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. General Manager, Powertrain Production Technology Development Division Mr. Kazuhiko Murata, General Manager of Powertrain Production Technology Development Headquarters, appeared. He explained the next-generation car production that is underway at the Nissan Intelligent Factory (NIF), a new car production concept that was introduced at the Tochigi Plant this year.

Mr. Murata says that the environment surrounding the production business in the automobile industry is currently undergoing major changes. ” was an epoch-making event, and it has become the basis not only of the automobile industry but also of the manufacturing industry. However, due to the changing times, there are more people who do not want to engage in such work in modern times, and in addition, the outbreak of the pandemic has made it difficult to maintain such a "labor-intensive" style. explained that

Furthermore, due to the declining birthrate and aging population in Japanese society, it is necessary to reform the working environment at factories, and flexibility is required for unexpected situations due to the pandemic caused by the spread of the new coronavirus infection. In addition, he emphasized that concrete measures to reduce CO2 emissions by realizing the agreements of COP26 and to respond to climate change are the most important points, and that Japan must also contribute.

Cars as products are evolving at an accelerated pace, and Nissan is focusing on technologies such as "electrification", "intelligent" and "connected" as core technologies of "Nissan Intelligent Mobility". He indicated that strengthening the production system will be essential in order to respond to the increasing complexity and sophistication of car production and realize the creation of cars with a wide variety of variations.

The new crossover BEV "Aria", which will be the first model to be produced at NIF, has two types of battery capacity, front-wheel drive, and a drive system that prepares e-4WD, and a total of four types of power trains are available in the line. up. In addition, it is an advanced model that supports "Propilot 2.0" that realizes hands-off driving on highways and connected services that make full use of two wide displays.

The environment surrounding the automobile industry is undergoing major changes, and there are four main areas that need to be addressed. Vehicles are becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated, and production sites are also under pressure to respond.

At NIF, which realizes such advanced vehicle production, we have developed technologies to create future cars, robots that grow with craftsmanship, coexistence of humans and robots, and zero-emission production systems. Prepare four pillars.

In terms of specifics, we will introduce the integrated powertrain installation system called "SUMO" by Nissan in terms of production technology. Until now, the assembly of powertrains has been done manually by workers, but the process requires workers to work in unnatural postures and places a heavy burden on them. SUMO adopts a two-layer structure in which three pallets divided into front, center, and rear are placed on a common pallet for all vehicles so that they can be used properly according to the type of powertrain to be installed. 27 different module configurations are possible with 3x3x3, and the four types of powertrains actually required for Aria can be handled with one facility.

Up until now, the installation of the headlining, which is the inner trim of the roof, was also a physically demanding process in which workers entered the car installed on the line and worked in an unnatural posture. , NIF adopted automatic assembly for the first time in a domestic factory. Unlike the engine and other parts, the headlining is fixed to the vehicle body using soft resin clips instead of bolts, and the workers confirmed the completion of fixing by feeling with their fingertips. A force sensor is installed in the arm part of the automated robot. Automatic assembly is realized by converting the change value of the insertion force into data.

The world's first integrated body and bumper coating uses a completely new water-based coating jointly developed with a coating manufacturer. In the past, resin bumpers were baked at 85°C and steel bodies at 140°C after painting. Because it became possible, it became possible to paint after assembling the bumper to the body. In addition to achieving a perfect color match between the body and bumper thanks to the one-piece painting, it also uses 25% less energy. It is a technology that promotes energy reduction toward zero emissions.

NIF's four-pillar powertrain collective mounting system "SUMO" In the automatic assembly of the headlining, a force sensor was installed on the arm of the robot to enable the work. The body paint is baked at the same 85 degrees Celsius as the bumper. Developing a new water-based paint that makes it possible

Explaining the "new generation EV powertrain" that creates the driving force of Aria. Since the launch of the first-generation Leaf in 2010, Nissan has continued to evolve the e-powertrain, which is the heart of the vehicle, and has expanded its use of ePOWER, which is combined with the engine. However, Aria has developed a completely new powertrain with a view to production at NIF. Quietness and high-speed running performance are enhanced by adopting a magnet-less 8-pole wound-field rotor that makes it easy to adjust the magnetic force during gliding.

Rotors, stators, housings, PEBs (inverters), etc. that make up the new-generation EV powertrain are collectively produced on a dedicated assembly line. The world's first mass-produced 8-pole wound-field rotor for an automotive motor replaces the permanent magnets, which require rare earth elements, with a high-precision winding technology to eliminate them from the rotor. The rotor uses a combination of 8 poles, which are made by winding 118 turns of copper wire with a diameter of 1.2 mm for a length of 350 m. A "nozzle-type winding device" is used to wind the copper wire, and a total of 944 windings for 8 poles can be wound in 20 minutes, and it is possible to work for 8 motors at the same time.

Magnet-less 8-pole wound-field rotor is used in the ``new-generation EV powertrain'' that produces the driving force of the AriaThe assembly line for the new-generation EV powertrain The 8-pole wound-field rotor uses permanent rare earth

In the past, workers learned the process using paper materials and videos for the difficult work of handling such advanced technology. Support System). Utilizing digital technology such as MR by "HoloLens 2", it is now possible to practice work while watching the actual product on the actual line, enabling early work proficiency with intuitive operation.

Regarding IOSS, Mr. Murata said, "After this, the member in charge of digital will explain 'business innovation with digital utilization' and 'work support system using MR technology'." I passed the baton and finished the commentary.

At NIF, we will gradually deploy the technology cultivated at the Tochigi factory, which has adopted the "IOS" (Intelligent Operation Support System) jointly developed with Microsoft, to factories in Japan and overseas.