Abstract: A workpiece presenter for fixturing a workpiece of a vehicle assembly is provided, including a platform 50, and a tooling plate 7 removably connected to the platform, the tooling plate including a planar body 10 for supporting fixture tools 32, 34 holding the workpiece and including a connector mechanism to allow the planar body 10 to be removably connected with the platform 50 and the tooling plate having a locater mechanism 70, 72, 74 to locate the planar body 10 with respect to the platform 50 in a repeatable manner.

Abstract: A method of designing a manufacturing process line for a vehicle closure. A process is identified by specifying a set of discrete steps. A subset of steps is assigned to one of a plurality of standardized work cells. The work cells include a standardized workpiece presenter and a standardized processing tool. Additional subsets of discrete steps are assigned to a standardized work cell until the design for the manufacturing process is complete.

Abstract: A tooling plate to fixture a workpiece for a vehicle subassembly is provided, including a planar body 10 for supporting fixture tools 32, 34 for holding a workpiece, a connector mechanism to allow the planar body 10 to be removably connected with a workpiece presenter 50, and a locater mechanism 70, 72, 74 to locate the planar body 10 with respect to the workpiece presenter 50 in a repeatable manner.

Abstract: An automotive vehicle is provided having a body being assembled by a joining process line from a plurality of workpieces joined into a plurality of subassemblies according to the steps of providing templates arranged in a predetermined alignment to form a process line, with each template being generated from a defined set of standardized task stations which are operative to perform a joining process on a workpiece of the subassemblies, fixturing workpieces in a workpiece presenter provided in the task stations, at least one workpiece presenter including a tooling plate removably connected and precision located on a platform of a workpiece presenter, and sequentially joining the workpieces together to form the body.

Abstract: A method of designing a manufacturing process line. A process is identified as a set of discrete steps. A subset of steps is assigned to one of a plurality of standardized work cells. The work cells include a standardized workpiece presenter and a standardized processing tool. Additional subsets of discrete steps are assigned to a standardized work cell until the design for the manufacturing process is completed.

Abstract: A method of designing a manufacturing process line. A process is identified as a set of discrete steps. A subset of steps is assigned to one of a plurality of standardized work cells. The work cells include a standardized workpiece presenter and a standardized processing tool. Additional subsets of discrete steps are assigned to a standardized work cell until the design for the manufacturing process is completed.

Abstract: A workpiece presenter for fixturing a workpiece of a vehicle assembly is provided, including a platform 50, and a tooling plate 7 removably connected to the platform, the tooling plate including a planar body 10 for supporting fixture tools 32, 34 holding the workpiece and including a connector mechanism to allow the planar body 10 to be removably connected with the platform 50 and the tooling plate having a locater mechanism 70, 72, 74 to locate the planar body 10 with respect to the platform 50 in a repeatable manner.

Abstract: A manufacturing system is provided which includes a first set of templates for manufacturing a portion of a first type of vehicle, a second set of templates for manufacturing a portion of a second type of vehicle, and a third set of templates for further manufacturing either the first type of vehicle from the vehicle portion produced by the first set of templates, or the second type of vehicle from the vehicle portion produced by the second set of templates.

Abstract: A tooling plate to fixture a workpiece for a vehicle subassembly is provided, including a planar body 10 for supporting fixture tools 32, 34 for holding a workpiece, a connector mechanism to allow the planar body 10 to be removably connected with a workpiece presenter 50, and a locater mechanism 70, 72, 74 to locate the planar body 10 with respect to the workpiece presenter 50 in a repeatable manner.

Abstract: A process line for fabricating an assembly from a plurality of subassemblies generated from various workpieces is provided, which includes a plurality of standardized task stations for performing a work process on a workpiece, at least first and second templates, with each of the templates comprising a defined set of standardized task stations, and with each of the sets including a predetermined arrangement of the standardized task stations and being operative to perform a work process on a workpiece, and a combination of templates including at least the first and second templates arranged in predetermined alignment to form the process line.

Abstract: An automotive vehicle is provided having a body being assembled by a joining process line from a plurality of workpieces joined into a plurality of subassemblies according to the steps of providing templates arranged in a predetermined alignment to form a process line, with each template being generated from a defined set of standardized task stations which are operative to perform a joining process on a workpiece of the subassemblies, fixturing workpieces in a workpiece presenter provided in the task stations, at least one workpiece presenter including a tooling plate removably connected and precision located on a platform of a workpiece presenter, and sequentially joining the workpieces together to form the body.

Abstract: A method of assembling on a common process line a plurality of discrete assemblies is provided including providing a plurality of standardized task stations, determining at least first and second templates, each template being operative to perform an operation on a plurality of workpieces, combining at least the first and second templates in a predetermined alignment to form a process line, presenting a first assembly workpiece to be operated on by the task stations of at least the first template to form a first assembly, and presenting a second assembly workpiece to be operated on by the task stations of at least the first template to form a second assembly.

Abstract: A method of engineering a flexible process line which produces a first set of automotive vehicle assemblies and a materially different second set of automotive vehicle assemblies is provided, the method includes defining standardized task stations, determining at least first and second templates from a defined set of task stations for the first vehicle assemblies, combining templates to form a process line for the first set of vehicle assemblies, defining templates for the second set of vehicle assemblies, combining templates for the second set of automotive assemblies to form a process line for the second set of automotive assemblies, and determining a set of templates common to said first and second process lines and providing the common templates in combination with the templates which are discrete to the process line for at least one of the sets of automotive assemblies.

Abstract: A method of engineering a process line for fabricating an assembly from a plurality of subassemblies generated from various workpieces is provided, which includes the steps of providing a plurality of standardized task stations, determining at least first and second templates, with each template comprising a defined set of task stations for producing a subassembly, and combining at least the first and second templates in a predetermined alignment to form the process line to fabricate the assembly.