AvtoVAZ introduced robotic tire changers into production

An automated line for assembling and balancing wheels began operating at the plant ahead of the start of mass production of the Lada Azimut crossover. Already now, robotic tire fitters are providing wheels for Lada Vesta and Iskra cars.

The line can work with discs with a mounting diameter from 15 to 22 inches. For current Lada models, wheels with a diameter of 15-17 inches are used, but for Azimut, for the first time in the history of the Lada brand, 18-inch wheels will be used. A trial batch of such wheels has already been assembled on a new robotic line for prototype vehicles that are being tested.

The process is fully automated and based on machine vision. The system itself determines the tire and wheel size and blocks the assembly if they do not fit together. Lubricating the tire beads before mounting is also done by a robot to eliminate the risk of damage. The already assembled wheels are inflated to the required pressure level using the “explosion” method using an automatic telescopic bell.

Automatic tire assembly line at AvtoVAZ
Lada

During the assembly process, the wheels are balanced twice: before and after installing the balancing weights. If an imbalance is detected above the permissible limit, the wheel is automatically rejected from the flow. The line’s productivity is one wheel every 12 seconds, which is one and a half times faster than on old equipment.

At the moment, the new division is working on the assembly line, supplying wheels for current models. However, its key task is to provide a technological basis for Azimut: it is for this crossover that they are mastering the installation of 18-inch wheels with increased requirements for assembly accuracy.