**Birmingham**: BMW Group’s Hams Hall plant has integrated advanced technologies, including digital twin systems and Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot, to streamline engine production and enhance maintenance processes, enabling real-time monitoring and more efficient inspections of its extensive manufacturing infrastructure.
BMW Group’s Hams Hall plant, located near Birmingham, England, has implemented advanced technology to optimise its engine production process. The facility, which assembles three- and four-cylinder internal combustion engines alongside V8 and V12 models, is notable for its significant output, manufacturing around 400,000 engines and 1.4 million components annually. With the vast amount of data generated, the company has integrated digital twin technology and deployed Boston Dynamics’ Spot quadruped robot to enhance its data management and maintenance protocols.
Previously, Hams Hall relied on over 400 custom dashboards for data compilation, utilised by various internal teams employing different data access methods. This complex system resulted in fragmentation, prompting the need for a “single source of truth.” In response, BMW created a comprehensive digital twin of the facility, which integrates in excess of 15 IT systems into a three-dimensional model accessible via smartphones and tablets. This integration enables real-time monitoring of production health, illustrated through a system of colour-coded symbols.
The plant’s extensive infrastructure, which includes tunnels with pipes, chillers, and various hydraulic panels, necessitates ongoing maintenance to prevent air leaks. The digital twin technology highlighted gaps in inspection data, indicating a need for the Innovation and Digitalization (I&D) team to strengthen and automate inspection processes.
To address the previously labor-intensive inspections for air leaks, BMW opted for automation rather than traditional Internet of Things (IoT) sensors due to cost and time concerns associated with sensor installations. The solution came in the form of the Spot robot, which was described by Brad Tomlinson, the technical lead of Hams Hall’s I&D team, as pivotal in providing transparency and identifying data gaps. “With that transparency, we can start to identify the gaps, and we wanted to use Spot to fill those gaps,” he stated.
Spot is equipped with an array of sensors, including a thermal camera for temperature readings and an acoustic sensor for detecting air leaks. The robot carries out routine inspections, following a predefined schedule, and is also deployed for ad hoc inspections based on worker notifications of irregularities.
Tomlinson elaborated on the efficiency improvements, noting that maintenance requests can now be completed seamlessly through the digital twin, where employees can directly access Spot’s inspection details. He highlighted that this integration of technology does not necessitate extensive experience for operation, which has proven advantageous for the internship programme at Hams Hall, where technology interns from local universities receive hands-on training.
The success seen with Spot has also been demonstrated through the detection of air leaks that were previously unrecognised, prompting more routine monitoring from floor team members. Tomlinson characterised Spot as being almost fully embedded into the maintenance system at the plant, facilitating a collaborative approach between technology and human expertise.
In related news, Boston Dynamics is set to participate in the Robotics Summit & Expo, which will take place from April 30 to May 1 at the Boston Convention and Expo Center. The event expects over 5,000 developers focusing on various commercial applications of robotics, with a keynote speech from Aaron Saunders, the firm’s chief technology officer, discussing the future of humanoids.
Source: Noah Wire Services
Subscribe to Industry Updates
