Challenge details:

In an automobile chassis assembly line, fuel tanks are installed on the chassis of the vehicle. The fuel tank sizes are 200L and 400L depending on the vehicle and the material is either metal or polymer. The fuel tanks are placed on a trolley adjacent to the assembly line (Figure 1). The weight of the fuel tanks can be up to 60kg. The fuel tanks are rolled out from the trolley, lifted and placed on brackets on the vehicle chassis (Figure 2). This activity is done manually and is an ergonomically difficult task.

A solution is desired to automate this activity which involves picking up the fuel tanks from the trolley, properly orient and place them on the brackets on the vehicle chassis and fasten the clamps to secure the tanks in place. The device used should be safe to operate alongside humans working on the assembly line (cobot).