Ubisense
Ford Company2021-01-21T15:53:23+00:00

Ford. Go further with Ubisense.

Ford may have pioneered the moving assembly line in vehicle production, but Ubisense location sensing technology can take it to the next level – digitizing all the manual and moving parts of the vehicle assembly process to help Ford improve fitness and operational execution.

Ubisense understands the two main drivers of cost in automotive assembly: time and quality.

Reducing assembly time increases throughput and maximizes the utilization of valuable manufacturing resources. Improving quality by eliminating errors reduces expensive repair and rework processes, and lowers future warranty costs.

Drive Ford beyond the fixed workstation

Completely remove the constraints of fixed TAKT workstations at Ford by defining infinitely variable and dynamic work zones in software.

Produce multiple product variations on the same line, eliminate idle time waiting for the next product, and complete overrunning tasks without the risk of line stoppages.

  • Vary workstation length on the same physical line based on product variant
  • Introduce new product lines without expensive line reconfiguration
  • Temporarily extend workstations to complete overrunning tasks or allow work ahead on the next product
  • Create partially overlapping workstations to maximize the use of space
  • Allow online re-work that is controlled and tracked

Solutions for Ford

Tool Control

Directly control wireless tools in real-time on fast-moving or complex assembly lines.

Yard Management

Automotive Industry - Yard Management

Locate and manage Work-In-Progress (WIP) in real-time across indoor and outdoor storage areas.

Production Logistics

Add real-time location context to traditional parts management to increase efficiency.

Flexible production for a winning portfolio

Respond faster to global market fluctuations and changing, even more individual customer demand. Digital process chains will mean efficient inventory control, with products, parts and components visible and identifiable anytime and anywhere.

Flexible and more efficient production processes will support shorter innovation cycles and allow introduction of new product innovations into model series in the shortest possible time.

Bringing IIoT to Commercial Vehicles

Rapid advances in the Industrial Internet of Things and analytics are reshaping commercial vehicle production, requiring OEMs to innovate through technology leadership, data analytics and building new business capabilities. Ubisense can help you find new ways to reduce costs, create new value streams and increase the quality of your products and services.

Connecting manufacturing systems to real-world business process is fundamental to realising this vision, and with SmartSpace® you can close a fundamental data-gap between production systems and the real-world physical activities that drive value creation.

Ford vision. Our mission.

We are proud to be a trusted adviser to some of the biggest automotive, aerospace and transit companies in the world, offering in-depth knowledge of the sectors in which we operate and the challenges that our customers face, at every level of the organisation.

Our solutions are based on our powerful, sensor-agnostic enterprise platform that uses location to deliver a real-time digital twin of our customer’s physical operations, proven to drive quality, increase productivity, manage complexity and reduce costs.

Restart operation safely

Ensure employee safety and accelerate return-to-work by monitoring social distancing and person-person and person-object-person contact tracing.

High-confidence separation measurement

  • Tags (carried by people or attached to equipment) are precisely located in 3 dimensions to within 15cm
  • Dimension4™ RTLS stability provides high-confidence contact traces uncontaminated by the false positives of less accurate systems
  • SmartSpace® tracks contact events, not people, overtime; tag data is completely anonymized until a potential safety risk is identified

AI-driven contagion model

  • The SmartSpace® AI-driven contagion model operates well beyond simple separation measurement, using detailed models to understand movement and interaction of people over time and within the context of their environment
  • The contagion model is quickly and easily adaptable as transmission mechanisms become better understood

AI-driven contagion model

  • The SmartSpace® AI-driven contagion model operates well beyond simple separation measurement, using detailed models to understand movement and interaction of people over time and within the context of their environment
  • The contagion model is quickly and easily adaptable as transmission mechanisms become better understood

Smart industry and the electric car demand

The passenger vehicle industry is undergoing unprecedented change, driven by consumer choice and the growing demand for electric and hybrid vehicles. Driven by transformative digital technologies, the factory of the future will need to be flexible, standardised and efficient to maintain or grow competitive advantage.

Connecting manufacturing systems to real-world business process is fundamental to realising this vision, and with SmartSpace® OEMs can close a fundamental data-gap between their production systems and the real-world physical activities that drive their product and value creation.

Electric cars

Ubisense Success Story

BMW and Ubisense

Ubisense is working with other global automotive manufacturers. Using our real-time location system (RTLS), BMW tracks the precise 3D location of cars and tools to within 15cm, 10 times per second. This removes the need for barcode scanning; improving efficiency and error-proofing assembly tasks.

You’re in good company.

Ubisense is proud to be a trusted adviser and supplier to some of the biggest and most forward thinking automotive companies in the world

Automate Tool Audits

Our solutions are based on our powerful, sensor agnostic SmartSpace® enterprise platform, which uses location to deliver a real-time digital twin of our customer’s physical operations, driving quality, increasing productivity, managing complexity and reducing costs.

Location Data Integration

Ubisense Dimension4™ Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) uses not just Ultra-Wideband (UWB) but can integrate any location sensing technology to offer extended use cases across the automotive plant.

Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) or RFID can be integrated in the same system for high volume parts and materials tracking to optimize production logistics, optical vision and laser systems offer millimetre level accuracy for critical fastening and tightening sequencing, and GPS extends coverage outside to storage and test areas.

Application Integration

Ubisense connects to any existing system of record, including ERP and MES to update planning and execution with real-time events and activity, and tool control systems to ensure correct operations are enabled, tracked and audited to reduce errors and improve quality.

Extensible APIs support any non-typical integration through various interfacing technologies including REST services, .NET, and direct RDBMS integration.

Reporting and Dashboard

Build and customize process and KPI reports from large volumes of historical and real-time data. Move from out-of-date excel planning documents to real-time systems offering insight and optimisation of off-line repair and rework processes like Aston Martin <link to case study>

Highlight process inefficiencies and give decision makers valuable business insights into performance, trends and previously hidden processes.

How to get started

Speak to one of our automotive experts to define the sensor and tag coverage required to enable the solution you need; wireless tool control, production logistics, yard management and repair/rework optimisation.

Software integrations with ERP, MES and tool controllers enabled, and reporting and dashboards easily configured whether on-premise or in the cloud.

Hardware installation and configuration with Ubisense and local partners, including automated sensor calibration and verification.

Ongoing tech support and training to ensure continued performance and optimisation for busy, dynamic and complex manufacturing facilities.

Technology

World-class technology specifically designed to operate in complex and dynamic automotive plants with a proven track record of reducing costs and increasing efficiencies.

Advisory

Trusted advisers offering deep understanding of digitizing the automotive assembly processes from long-standing relationships with leading global OEMs.

Customer Service

Strong customer references demonstrating compelling return on investments and a global service network meaning local support where you need it.

Zero Interruption

A solution architected with automotive manufacturers in mind, with the ability to install, configure, test and deploy without disruption to ongoing operations.

Additional features

Ubisense

How can we help
transform your business?

Get in touch to discuss how Ubisense SmartSpace and Dimension4 can make your business more productive, flexible, profitable and safe.

HEAD OFFICE (UK)

Ubisense Limited
St Andrew’s House
St Andrew’s Road
Chesterton
Cambridge, CB4 1DL
United Kingdom

+44 1223 53 5170

NORTH AMERICA

8400E Crescent Pkwy
Suite 648
Greenwood Village
Denver, CO 80111

+1 720 549 7553

EUROPE

Ubisense GmbH
Klaus-Bungert-Straße 5B
40468 Düsseldorf
Germany

+49 211 2297330

Ubisense SAS
52 Boulevard De Sébastopol
75003 Paris
France

+33 1 83 79 06 81