BSH Home Appliances is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of household appliances. At the Dillingen an der Donau site, several thousand dishwashers for various brands are produced every day.
To ensure precise, fast, and reliable screw assembly, BSH Dillingen has relied on automated screwdriving systems for decades. Through close collaboration with WEBER, various screwdriving processes have been continuously optimized and automated over the years to make production even more efficient.
Screwdriving of the pump base is a critical process step in dishwasher assembly at BSH. This connection must remain permanently sealed throughout the appliance’s entire service life to withstand extreme thermal and chemical stress. At the same time, manual assembly posed a significant physical strain on employees and no longer met the company’s long-term ergonomic standards.
To make this process more efficient and ergonomic, a robot-assisted screwdriving system was integrated into the appliance manufacturer’s production line. A KUKA industrial robot handles precise positioning, while the WEBER SER screwdriving system carries out the fastening. The combination of robotics and screwdriving technology ensures consistently high quality, reduces physical strain on employees, and increases process reliability in the assembly of dishwashers for brands such as Siemens, Bosch, Neff, and others.
Advantages of the SER screwdriving system on the industrial robot for BSH:
The control panel of a dishwasher contains essential control elements. Assembly at BSH therefore requires precise and reliable screwdriving technology that also ensures extremely short cycle times.
The HSE handheld screwdriving system with automatic screw feeding enables BSH employees to carry out precise and reliable screw connections on the control panel. Automatic feeding ensures that screws are always readily available, allowing required cycle times to be consistently met. The system’s high repeatability also guarantees consistent screwdriving quality.
Advantages of the HSE handheld screwdriver for BSH:
In production at BSH Dillingen, screw connections on the inner and outer doors are particularly safety-critical, as they contain electronic components and are opened and closed daily. A reliable and durable fastening is therefore essential for the leading home appliance manufacturer. At the same time, the screwdriving processes must be completed within extremely short cycle times.
WEBER has implemented two SEB-type screwdriving systems with automatic screw feeding. Using screw templates, the screws are positioned with precision and driven in with high repeatability. Each SEB unit inserts 4–6 screws per cycle in approximately 10 seconds, ensuring fast and efficient assembly. Thanks to simultaneous screw feeding and process monitoring, the cycle time remains constant.
Advantages of the SEB stationary screwdriver for BSH:
During the assembly of the short side panels of the dishwashers, screw connections had to be carried out on both the left and right sides at a height of approximately 800 mm. This posed ergonomic challenges for BSH employees, as it required a stooped posture and the screw points were difficult to access.
To create an ergonomic and process-reliable solution, a compact handheld screwdriving system (HSE) with control unit and automatic feeding was implemented. According to BSH, WEBER developed an ergonomic handling device with a special cable guide for this purpose. This system enables employees to perform screwdriving tasks with minimal physical strain.
Advantages of the HSE handheld screwdriver with customized handling device and cable guide:
Together, innovative solutions were developed and processes continuously optimized to achieve sustainable improvements in production.
WEBER will continue to support BSH in optimizing screwdriving processes and adapting them to new requirements in dishwasher assembly. The focus lies on Industry 4.0 and lightweight construction applications to further increase efficiency and flexibility.
By integrating modern control systems, screwdriving processes can be monitored and documented with greater precision. Using OPC UA or MySQL databases, screwdriving parameters can be directly linked to the serial numbers of the dishwashers, enabling seamless quality control.
At the same time, lightweight screwdriving systems for robots and cobots offer new possibilities for flexible assembly. Especially in the case of high product variety, they ensure greater efficiency and rapid adaptation to different designs and materials.
