Popular Mechanics (South Africa)
Superhero suits for Audi factory workers. Well, almost.
Tony Stark’s Iron Man outfit may be nothing more than a madeup superhero exosuit, but Audi, who gave Stark a full-house R8 to drive in the Marvel movies, has a few much more real suits of its own.
‘EXOSUITS’ or ‘exoskeletons’ may have been the stuff of science fiction, but no longer is the technology relegated to the realm of fantasy, as more and more motormanufacturing plants begin dabbling in it to increase productivity among their workers.
Transport manufacturers, from Ford to Hyundai and BMW to Boeing, are using exoskeletons in their manufacturing plants, with increasingly positive feedback from their employees. The aim of introducing exoskeletons into the production line is to help ease the strenuous physical load placed on workers who often have to exert themselves on cars overhead.
Deep in Germany, in the heart of Bavaria, lies the town of Ingolstadt, famous for being the home of Audi.
The town is well-known for hosting the Audi Forum and museum of classic cars, and to this day it’s still the site of Audi’s factory headquarters. It’s here that the automaker enlisted the help of 60 employees to test two exoskeletons aimed at improving ergonomics across the production facility.
Knowing the proud history of German motor manufacturing, it should come as no surprise that manufacturers BMW and Audi are first in the queue to adopt exoskeletons into their factories. After all, German ingenuity and engineering always seem to be at the forefront of motoring excellence.
Audi has a proud heritage of being forward-thinking in its approach, always striving to break the bounds of what is possible. It was this brand that gave us quattro power and dominated the World Rally Championship in 1982 and 1984 when rules were changed to include fourwheel-drive vehicles for the first time. Audi was also the first to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans using a dieselpowered vehicle, the R10 TDI.
In keeping with its longstanding tradition of innovation, it’s no wonder then that when it came time to choose Tony Stark’s ride for the Iron Man movies, the R8 was at the top of the list. But now the German giant has shifted focus to the people behind its impressive machines, in an ecosystem where the human body and machines are constantly melding into one more cohesive unit.
Audi opted to source two exoskeletons: the Paexo from Ottobock and the Skelex 360 from Skelex, unlike Hyundai who chose to develop its exoskeletons in-house. Both of the Audi units are made from breathable material that provides comfort during body contact. The Paexo has a tension cable and expander, and the Skelex 360 makes use of leaf springs made out of carbon fibre.
Exoskeletons are either passive or powered, meaning they either have motors or not. Both of Audi’s suits are passive units, and neither is fitted with a battery either. Passive exoskeletons help the wearer to redistribute weight and physical stress, while powered exoskeletons can give the worker that Iron-Man feeling, delivering an extra oomph of power when lifting and manoeuvring heavy objects.
In 2018, Ford decided to implement the passive EksoVests from Ekso Bionics at 15 of the brand’s manufacturing plants. According to the Mustang-maker, the suits help support workers’ arms and give them anything between two to seven kilograms of lifting assistance.
Audi says it wanted its exoskeletons to protect workers’ joints and ensure their muscles tire at a slower rate while performing overhead tasks. Audi exoskeleton specialist Ralph Hensel says the company has been working with exoskeletons for around four years, regularly testing different systems in pilot-project phases.
So far, the exoskeletons have been
deployed in the assembly, paint shop and tool construction processes. Ralph goes on to say that, depending on their application, the exoskeletons have different operating modes that can be engaged when required: ‘[They] are worn like a backpack on the shoulders and secured in place with a belt around the hips. Arm cups support the arms when the wearer is performing overhead work. These absorb part of the arm’s weight and transfer it to the hips via support structures. This reduces the burden on the shoulders.’
Another system on trial at the Audi factory was created by Laevo, which reduces the burden on the person’s back when they are lifting or moving heavy objects. Initial tests in logistics, the press plant and assembly yielded promising results, which were objectively substantiated in a lab study at the University of Tübingen in Germany.
According to the findings, Laevo reduces lumbar pressure by up to
60 per cent. The two exoskeletons currently being tested in Ingolstadt, Skelex 360 and Paexo, support arms in an elevated position so that both muscular fatigue and shoulder-joint load are reduced. The exoskeletons system makes use of springs that are loaded during the motion of the worker and restore energy when needed to better support the wearer in their task. ‘In our first test run in Ingolstadt
– especially in the paint shop – we got very positive feedback from our workers, who were overwhelmed by the perceived support when using the exoskeleton during their work,’ explains Ralph. ‘This makes them feel significantly less tired in the shoulder region.’
During the testing phase, Audi checks the performance of each worker with an exoskeleton against different specifications to see if freedom of movement is restricted, if the material is comfortable for lengthy usage, and how much support the exoskeletons give workers while performing their jobs. The practical tests are meant to check how the exoskeletons can be adapted to each worker’s individual needs. All tests are done while wearers do static and dynamic tasks, which include installing the brake lines, screwing the underbody panelling into place and applying corrosionand sealing protection.
To date, the exoskeletons are currently only in use at the Ingolstadt factory, but after evaluating feedback from workers, Audi might implement the suits for a pilot phase at its factories all around the world.