Magna International Inc.

Am General LLC

John T McNally

Jeffrey R Spehar

Hariton N Poparad

Mark Cutshall

A vehicle frame rail includes a first half having a hole, a second half having a hole, a spacer locating member and a spacer. The second half is connected to the first half such that the hole in the first half is aligned with the hole in the second half and so as to form an enclosed space between the first half and the second half. The spacer locating member has a body section and a hole. The body section of the spacer locating member is spaced apart from the first half and the second half. The spacer has a first end, a second end and a bore extending from the first end to the second end. The spacer is located in the hole of the spacer locating member such that the bore is aligned with the hole in the first half and the hole in the second half.

Vehicle frame rails and methods of assembling vehicle frame rails

A system for forming different types of clamshell components including a moveable base, a stationary base, and a squeezer assembly capable of accommodating different types of clamshell components having different lengths, shapes, locations of piercings. The squeezer assembly includes interchangeable squeezer elements. To switch between forming a first type of clamshell component and a second type of clamshell component, one of the two bases is moved relative to the other of the two bases and/or squeezer units for forming the first type of clamshell component are replaced with squeezer units for forming the second type of clamshell component. Reconfiguring the bases and interchanging the squeezers of a clamshell tool, instead of replacing an entire clamshell tool with a different clamshell tool, minimizes lost productivity time, reduces capital costs, and eliminates the problem of storing several different clamshell assembly tools.

Adjustable clamshell assembly fixture

An assembly line system comprises a plurality of cassette-type tooling elements and a plurality of moveable base modules. The tooling elements and the base modules have complementary mounting structures for supporting detachable mounting of the tooling elements onto the base modules. A driving system drives each base module to a respective first position within a product assembly area for the assembling a first product, and drives each base module to a respective second position within the product assembly area for assembling a second product. When the first product is dimensionally different than the second product, the respective first position is different than the respective second position for at least one of the plurality of base modules.

Flexible assembly process

A frame assembly for a motor vehicle comprises a forward module and a rearward module. The forward module comprises a pair of forward side rail portions, which are interconnected by a cross portion. The forward side rail portions are angularly disposed with respect to one another such that they have an increasing distance therebetween as they extend rearwardly. Rearward ends of the forward side rail portions are connected to associated forward ends of the rearward side rail portions. At least one of the forward and rearward side rail portions has a notch formed therein permitting an end portion thereof to be bent laterally to permit interface with the associated side rail portion connected thereto. The end portion is then bent back and is welded to the associated side rail portion connected thereto.

Growing community of inventors

Berkley, MI, United States of America

John T McNally