Comau and Foton Daimler together to build the manufacturer’s first high-end truck made in China

Comau has built an advanced, automated welding solution for Beijing Foton
Daimler Automotive Co., Ltd (BFDA), a joint venture between Daimler Trucks
AG and the Chinese truck manufacturer Foton Motor. In doing so, Comau is
helping support BFDA’s first localized heavy-duty truck for the Chinese
market, the “Actros”, which is based on the Mercedes-Benz global platform
and uses Daimler’s most advanced truck technology. Featuring 100% process
automation, the Comau-designed production line is engineered to be
completely flexible in order to handle complex model management and variable
output management. With a target annual production capacity of 50,000 units,
Comau’s welding solution will meet both the customer’s current and future
production requirements.

Under the scope of the project, Comau’s engineering team was tasked with
mastering the Daimler Integra 6 standard to create an automated, flexible,
intelligent and digital welding line for both the door area and the
framework of the instrument panel.

Built to ensure cycle efficiency and streamline workflows, the solution
features proprietary Comau products, such as RH-Clean, an automatic cleaning
roller device that can be used with different types of rollers and
pre-hemming tools, and a quality-control vision system that uses QUISS
camera detection and is equipped with a kick-in/kick-off process to ensure
the quality of the parts after gluing. Finally, the project also leverages
virtual commissioning technology to help test and optimize the new
production line while shortening the actual commissioning time, reducing
labor hours and reducing potential post-site commissioning risks.

“Throughout this successful collaboration, the Comau team has played an
important role in improving the competitiveness of our products. We are
particularly impressed with their expertise in various aspects such as
design, reliability and cost.” mentioned William Sparenberg, Head of
Mercedes Benz Truck Factory.

“We are honored to have been selected by Foton Daimler to work on this
milestone which paves the way to localizing its first heavy-duty truck.
Daimler is a global leader in the automotive industry, not only because of
its large volume of business, but also because of its pursuit of
technological advancement,” said Gaetano Cantalupo, Comau Head of Countries
Cluster APAC. “Winning this project is a recognition of Comau’s
capabilities, expansion of its customer base and expansion into new business
modules.”

Mass production of the high-end Actros truck is expected to start in Q2
2023.

ABOUT COMAU

Comau, a member of Stellantis, is a worldwide leader in delivering advanced
industrial automation products and systems. Its portfolio includes
technology and systems for electric, hybrid and traditional vehicle
manufacturing, industrial robots, collaborative and wearable robotics,
autonomous logistics, dedicated machining centers and interconnected digital
services and products able to transmit, elaborate and analyze machine and
process data. With over 45 years of experience and a strong presence within
every major industrial country, Comau is helping manufacturers of all sizes
in almost any industry experience higher quality, increased productivity,
faster time-to-market and lower overall costs. The company’s offering also
extends to project management and consultancy, as well as maintenance and
training for a wide range of industrial segments. Headquartered in Turin,
Italy, Comau has an international network of 6 innovation centers, 5 digital
hubs, 9 manufacturing plants that span 13 countries and employ 4,000 people.
A global network of distributors and partners allows the company to respond
quickly to the needs of customers, no matter where they are located
throughout the world. Through the training activities organized by its
Academy, Comau is also committed to developing the technical and managerial
knowledge necessary for companies to face the challenges and opportunities
of Industry 4.0.