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A fully automated assembly line is selected against operating duty, not against a catalog photograph. Upstream and downstream interfaces, representative samples and whether carrier payload includes the nest decide whether “fully automated” is a staffing statement or a controls statement. This page maps duty questions for US plant buyers; it is not a claim that one architecture fits every product family.
Bring parts at the tolerance extremes and at the nest mass you will run. Ask whether payload includes retained tooling. If one station needs a long dwell, the sample run should show carriers waiting without blocking unrelated stations. Record cycle time against the stated duty cycle, including planned stops.
Confirm three-phase supply, compressed air demand, cooling water, footprint and the PLC interface before treating a line as drop-in. A fully automated cell that still needs two operators for recovery is a different operating duty than an unattended night shift. Write the intended staffing into the RFQ.
Acceptance should show how a failed assembly is diverted while its processing history remains attached. Counting every pallet movement as output hides misses. SAT language should name the product variants, run duration and data export. Engineering sign-off stays with the buyer and equipment supplier.
Industry dispute one: a single machine versus an integrated line. A chassis quote that omits feeders, vision and takeaway is not comparable to a line quote that includes them. Ask for the interface register—electrical, utilities, controls—on the same form.
Industry dispute two: nominal speed versus validated output. Public literature may show multi-meter-per-second transport. That number is a mechanical limit under stated conditions. Your throughput depends on dwell, inspection and recovery. Request test conditions and buyer samples, then compare factories on that basis.
Industry dispute three: machine price versus installed project cost. Tooling, shipping, utilities, installation and spare parts can exceed the chassis. A fully automated assembly line that arrives without SAT labor is an incomplete project, not a bargain. Use the dwell-time article when the duty map is still open, then return to the inquiry form.