Masterpiece - Hongqi L Platform Assembly Workshop - Process Chapter

The Hongqi L series sedan is a masterpiece of Chinese beauty. The designers at the Ninth Institute have fully expressed the artistic spirit of technological craftsmanship in the design of the Hongqi L platform assembly workshop.

At the beginning of the project, the Development Department of FAW Group required that the new Hongqi factory reflect FAW's characteristics, ensuring vehicle quality while achieving comprehensive automation and intelligence, all while maintaining the classic traditional style of Chinese factories. The Ninth Institute officially launched the project in December 2017, completing the transformation plan in two months, and after five months of intensive construction, delivered the brand new factory to the client in August 2018.

From bold innovative process architecture large-scale transformation to meticulous design of work tool placement, all reflect the craftsmanship spirit of the Ninth Institute. Below, we will present the highlights of the L platform assembly workshop in two parts: process and experience.

Most Innovative - Island Layout

The most challenging issue for the Ninth Institute project team when taking over the L platform assembly workshop renovation project was how to transform a steel-framed workshop into an intelligent factory supported by high technology that complements the elegance of the L series vehicles.

After thoroughly analyzing the assembly process and building structure of the L platform, the project team proposed a bold idea: to eliminate all unnecessary overhead transportation, dismantle the traditional workshop's numerous steel structures, free up sightlines, and arrange all workstations in an island layout, using AGV carts for automated logistics of vehicle bodies and parts.

Old Hongqi L platform assembly workshop

The island layout assembly workshop is a pioneering creation by the Ninth Institute, with great complexity and difficulty during implementation. The project team conducted extensive research on the process layout and logistics transportation for L platform assembly, considering and designing each workstation comprehensively while also taking into account overall area division and ground color matching, resulting in a clean and orderly appearance with a strong sense of technology, forming a major visual highlight of the factory.

New Hongqi L platform assembly workshop

Most Technologically Advanced - Process Design

The main workstations in the L platform assembly workshop include interior work island, chassis work island, exterior work island, and inspection line. Vehicle bodies and components are automatically transported by AVG carts.

AVG carts in operation

The interior work island and exterior work island use ground-level four-column lifts to raise vehicle bodies delivered by AGV to the appropriate height. After completing operations, the lift returns to ground level. This design ensures operational quality, achieves seamless logistics connection, and is very aesthetically pleasing and simple.

Ground-level four-column lift

The chassis work island is equipped with two assembly islands, each with heavy-duty adjustable rotating lifting devices that can adjust vehicle bodies to any height and angle to ensure optimal working posture for operators. Each assembly island is also equipped with a ground-level four-column lift for supporting chassis adjustments in conjunction with lifting devices carrying vehicle bodies to achieve automatic chassis assembly. The tightening of components on both assembly islands is completed by an automatic tightening robot, which meets flexible production needs while reducing costs. All tightening data from every workstation in the L platform assembly workshop, including that from automatic tightening robots at chassis work islands, is uploaded via network to factory servers for product quality traceability.

Heavy-duty adjustable rotating lifting device

Most Complex - Floor Design

The floor of the new L platform assembly workshop is flat and seemingly simple but is actually quite complex.

The first major highlight is the navigation magnetic track for AVG carts. The automated logistics in the L platform assembly workshop relies entirely on AGV carts whose tracks cover the entire factory. If magnetic tracks were laid on the ground after traditional construction was completed, protruding tracks would obstruct other pedestrian and logistical flows within the factory and affect visual aesthetics. The project team innovatively buried AGV magnetic tracks underground to overcome issues such as cross-construction and debugging difficulties, resulting in an atmospheric and aesthetically pleasing surface.

The second major highlight is the light wood-colored flooring laid under workstations; it is classic and elegant while hiding various pipelines and key equipment such as lifting devices and robot travel tracks beneath it. This design not only simplifies factory layout but also protects critical mechanisms with movable flooring for easier equipment maintenance.

Chassis workstation island

To rationally store and retrieve production tools while improving cleanliness at workstations, the project team designed a process tool cabinet that integrates tool storage, information system operation, and energy interfaces. For customized requirements at different workstations, universal interface components adaptable to various storage methods were added to tool cabinet interfaces for both aesthetics and practicality.

The project team also equipped each workstation with a tablet computer that integrates Anton system, AGV calling system, and process visualization functions to provide operators with a more advanced and convenient working experience.

Process tool cabinet design diagram

In the process design of the L platform assembly workshop, people at the Ninth Institute invested significant wisdom and effort to create industrial beauty through technology and forge perfect quality through details. They successfully completed what was entrusted by clients while also setting a model project for China's luxury car manufacturing sector!