At AVTOVAZ, a new automated line for wheel assembly has been launched

AVTOVAZ has launched a new automated line for the assembly and balancing of wheels. Currently, the new equipment is already supplying wheels for the serial Lada Vesta and Iskra, and the company notes that "the high production pace and built-in quality control systems will also become the basis for preparing for the release of the new Lada Azimut crossover".

The new line allows for the assembly of wheels of a wide range of sizes, not only standard models with diameters of 15-17 inches, but also 18-inch wheels - this size will be used for the first time on Lada brand cars. A trial batch of 18-inch wheels for Azimut has already been manufactured and is currently being used during the assembly of prototype samples and their testing. Potentially, the new line is capable of assembling wheels with diameters up to 22 inches.

According to the company, the main feature of the new line is complete automation and multi-stage control. Machine vision is used to determine the wheel size, and if the tire does not fit the disk, the process is interrupted. Even the operation of applying lubricant to the tire before installation has been automated, which should exclude the possibility of damage to the tire or disk, while inflation is carried out by the "blast" method using an automatic telescopic bell.

At the balancing stage, each wheel is checked twice, before and after the installation of weights, and if incorrect values are detected, the product is removed from the technological flow without the operator's participation. Thanks to robots of the fifth generation and automatic reconfiguration within the line, high productivity is ensured, and the assembly of the wheel takes 12 seconds, which is one and a half times faster compared to the previous equipment, the company adds.

Photo: AVTOVAZ