AIR CONDITIONING

Daikin Europe NV designs and manufactures a wide variety of technologically advanced air conditioning units.
Approximately 700,000 air conditioners are produced annually in Ostend. Daikin Europe NV employs about 1,400 people there.

The project involved replacing an old system (in which the heat exchangers were mostly operated manually) with an automated transport system that integrates specific machines and processes.

The objectives were:

1. Increase production capacity by 30%, enabling a heat exchanger to be completed every 35 seconds.
2. The ability to assemble a new type of heat exchanger in addition to the existing types.
3. Eliminating manual tasks, which can result in a productivity increase of up to 15%. This was also expected to reduce scrap due to damage by 90%.

Last but not least, this also represents a significant ergonomic improvement for the operators.

In addition, “total mix” production (a mix of different types of heat exchangers) had to be possible, while maintaining the order of the products (even after parallel processes).

IMA has developed a solution for this that incorporates the following techniques:

• A loop-shaped conveyor system connects a number of automated processes and workstations and brings the workpiece carriers to the operator each time.

•  Products of various sizes are placed on the workpiece carriers, which can be automatically adjusted to the appropriate size.

• Assembly and brazing operations are performed on the heat exchanger at various ergonomic workstations.

• The heat exchangers undergo a pressure and leak test. Five parallel leak test booths have been set up for this purpose.