A process design framework for flexible assembly of electric vehicles

Mass customization is driving automobile manufacturers to enhance the flexibility of their assembly processes. Consequently, new flexible assembly systems are emerging, but have yet to break free from the constraints of traditional processes. Therefore, we propose a process design framework for flexible assembly of electric vehicles to enhance the flexibility of flexible assembly systems from the design stage. The design framework comprises a design module and an optimization module. The design module clusters parts with similarity exceeding a certain threshold into part families and generates multi-objective multi-unit part family process plan based on assembly requirements. The optimization module evaluates process solutions and provides feedback to the design module. Finally, this paper uses the genetic algorithm to simulate and solve the design framework. The research findings show that process modularization design can overcome the rigid constraints of traditional processes and also maintain feasibility by calculating part similarity across three dimensions: function, structure, and process. This paper provides a new insight into flexible assembly systems and offers practical guidance for practices.