Ubisense Smart Factory installed at Daimler

Since the beginning of July 2013, Ubisense Smart Factory is in production on the Mercedes S-class assembly line in Sindelfingen, Germany. In a pilot phase, the system was tested and integrated with the DC tools in two line segments. The remaining stations were then equipped and all the DC tools were integrated in the subsequent step, which went live in July.

Smart Factory is used in the Sindelfingen plant to identify vehicles and assets on the final assembly line and to control tools based on their position. Linked to the vehicle ID, the real-time tracking data is also transferred to other systems in the production facility, so machine operators always know which particular vehicle is arriving at a station—even on those line segments where conventional vehicle sensing systems cannot be used. Cumbersome, manual scanning processes are thus eliminated, vehicles and tools are matched automatically and the correct tool programs are loaded at the respective work stations. As a result, unproductive assembly time is reduced significantly and errors that can occur with manual processes are avoided.

Smart Factory is integrated seamlessly with the car manufacturer’s PLUS manufacturing execution system and allows for a direct control of the DC tools via the Atlas Copco Open Protocol. In the full roll-out, devices and tools provided by other vendors are also controlled via the real-time location data. The system was implemented by Ubisense together with Atlas Copco, who have a strategic partnership since 2009.

Daimler to use Ubisense Assembly Control System on Mercedes S-Class assembly line

The Ubisense Smart Factory System Solution for automotive assembly lines based on its six-sigma Real-Time Location System has achieved the pilot acceptance milestone in Daimler’s project to equip the assembly line for the Mercedes S-Class premium cars in Germany.

Following an extensive proof of concept at the customer’s plant in Rastatt, Ubisense was awarded the contract to equip the S-Class assembly line in the Sindelfingen plant. The project was divided into two phases: the pilot phase covered 2 line segments and the associated DC tools provided the means to integrate and test the solution; the system will now be installed at the remaining stations and all the DC tools will be integrated.

The Ubisense Smart Factory System automates the recognition of tool / vehicle interactions on the production line, eliminating the need to scan vehicle ID numbers and ensuring that the correct tool program is being used for the particular vehicle at the station. In addition, the exact location of each vehicle is tracked continuously and matched to the vehicle ID which is then supplied to external worker assistance systems as the vehicle arrives at each station. This is particularly useful on line segments where traditional vehicle sensing technologies are not available.

The result of using the Ubisense Smart Factory System will be a significant reduction in unproductive assembly time, as well as eliminating many errors that can occur in manual operations such as scanning.

The Smart Factory System is integrated with the car manufacturer’s PLUS manufacturing execution system and with the DC tools via the Atlas Copco Open Protocol. The final solution will also control other devices and the tools of several other vendors. Ubisense is implementing the solution together with Atlas Copco following the strategic partnership which the two companies launched in 2009.


Richard Green, Ubisense CEO, added: “We are delighted to be working with Daimler and Atlas Copco, both renowned for the high quality of their products and their manufacturing excellence. We look forward to supporting our customers in achieving their ambitious manufacturing goals over the years to come.”