Automotive Industry
Conveyors that
optimize your production
With the right conveyor system, you increase capacity, reduce downtime, and gain full control over the material flow. OCS delivers proven solutions for some of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers.
Our solutions for the automotive industry
Flexible systems
The automotive industry requires flexible and ergonomic solutions. OCS overhead conveyor systems are clean, quiet, modular, and easy to integrate with robots and supervisory systems.
Efficient production flows
With OCS overhead conveyor systems, we enable lean and scalable production. The systems are quiet, clean, and easily adapted for complex assembly processes such as instrument panels, doors, bumpers, and front-end modules.
Ergonomic for complex assembly
Our conveyor systems are developed to meet both technical and human requirements. Through smart product carriers, precise positioning, and full traceability, we create efficient, ergonomic, and quality-assured assembly lines.
Complete solution for modern automotive production
OCS offers overhead conveyor systems adapted for the high pace and variation of the automotive industry. From order picking and kitting to assembly and automated unloading – our solutions provide control, flexibility, and future-proof production.
Why Overhead Conveyors?
Overhead conveyors are one of the most cost-effective ways to optimize internal flows. By positioning the conveyor path above the workspace, free floor areas are created, leading to improved ergonomics and clearer workstations.
The friction-based technology eliminates the need for chains and oil, resulting in quieter operation, reduced maintenance, and lower energy consumption.
For companies that require rapid changeovers or frequently reconfigure their lines, overhead conveyors are an obvious choice – they are modular, scalable, and easy to adapt to new products or increased volumes.
Trusted by world-leading manufacturers
With over 500 installations globally, we have been entrusted to deliver solutions that make a real difference in our customers’ production—across everything from automotive and aerospace to surface treatment, bicycle manufacturing, and vertical farming. Here are some of the companies we have had the privilege of building long-term partnerships with.
What our customers in the automotive industry achieve
Through long-term partnerships and customized system solutions, we help our customers increase capacity, reduce energy consumption, and create stable production flows.
Maximized valuable floor space
Increased capacity at every stage of production
More efficient material handling throughout the line
Stable flows with minimal disruption
Application areas within the automotive industry
Our conveyor systems are used in several parts of the production flow – from body and paint to final assembly and logistics.
Instrument panels
OCS Medium Duty system for buffering and assembly of leather on instrument panels.
Assembly of instrument panels
OCS Heavy Duty enables lean assembly of complete instrument panels with continuous workstations, simple support calls, RFID tracking, and tool integration. Final connection and testing are automated, and off-loading is performed by a robot.
Buffering of instrument panels
OCS Medium Duty system that handles instrument panels hanging from injection molding to painting. The product carrier is designed to handle several different variants. The trolleys are transported through the process individually or in trains.
Automatic transport of instrument panels
A floor-based conveyor system that transports instrument panels from the assembly line, through testing and quality control, to the position for lifting into the car. The system handles both loaded and empty racks and also includes a buffer.
Assembly of bumpers
OCS Heavy Duty system for assembly of front and rear bumpers. Using unique load carriers, the operator can raise, lower, and rotate the bumper to create an ergonomic environment during assembly. At the start of an order, the bumper is scanned and the product carrier is automatically adjusted for optimal product fit.
Buffering of bumpers
OCS Medium Duty system for buffering bumpers. After assembly, the bumpers are sent up via an elevator to the mezzanine level for buffering. Ceiling height is utilized to the maximum with this solution. The bumpers are sorted via three sorting loops into the correct sequence and then lowered via an elevator for unloading onto racks. The product carrier is designed so that several different variants can be handled.
Order picking of components for door panels
Two OCS Heavy Duty systems (front and rear door) for order picking of incoming components for door panels. The product carriers are designed to handle all incoming components for 9 complete door panels. Picking is done using a “Pick by light system” and the entire system communicates with a supervisory FMS system.
Assembly of Front-End modules
Assembly line for Front-End modules (front part of the car containing the beam, radiator, lights, and bumper). Fully automatic rotation of assembly fixtures in the product carrier ensures correct position and an ergonomic environment during assembly. At certain positions, the OCS trolley stops with an accuracy of +/- 3 mm to enable the docking of special assembly equipment.
Order picking and assembly of radiators
OCS Heavy Duty system for order picking/kitting of components for radiators. The operator transports the trolley manually or with a drive through the picking area. After the trolley is loaded with components, it is automatically transported to an available assembly station. In each assembly station, all material is gathered in the product carrier, allowing the operator to focus on correct assembly.
Assembly of door panels
OCS Heavy Duty system in combination with floor conveyors for the assembly of door panels.
Production line for car tires
OCS Heavy Duty system with several assembly stations where the operator loads tires onto OCS product carriers for further transport to an automatic unloading station. Each assembly station has a buffer of 10 minutes of production. The entire OCS system is ceiling-mounted and is thus fully integrated with assembly machines, without blocking paths for forklift transport.
Assembly of convertibles
Two OCS Heavy Duty systems for the assembly of convertibles. One system transports three parts on individual trolleys through an assembly process. In the second system, the three parts are placed on a common assembly jig and assembled into a complete unit. Before off-lifting, the functionality of the entire convertible unit is tested.
System Solutions for the Automotive Industry
OCS supplies overhead conveyor systems for the automotive industry’s internal material flows. The solutions are used for assembly, order picking, kitting, transport, and buffering of instrument panels, bumpers, door panels, radiators, tires, and other automotive components.
OCS overhead conveyors are based on patented friction-based technology that provides clean, quiet, and oil-free transport without traditional drive chains. The systems are modularly built and can be adapted with different speeds, directions, and functions according to production needs.
With Power & Free, trolleys can be stopped and buffered on a driven track while other trolleys continue through the system. Driven and manual sections can also be combined in the same solution.
System class and design are chosen based on the components’ weight, dimensions, handling needs, and production capacity requirements. Within the automotive industry, OCS has delivered solutions including Medium Duty and Heavy Duty, as well as combinations of overhead and floor-based conveyor systems.
Common Questions about Conveyors in the Automotive Industry
The system is dimensioned according to the production’s desired cycle time, number of workstations, and buffering needs. The achievable capacity depends on the product’s conditions and the system’s design.
The parts are placed in product carriers designed according to the product’s shape, weight, and handling needs. This ensures safe and controlled handling throughout the transport system. The solution can also be designed to reduce the need for re-loading.
This depends on the buffer’s size, available space, product dimensions, and the number of variants to be handled. If necessary, the buffer can be placed at height to utilize available ceiling height. With RFID tags on the trolleys, they can be identified in the system and guided according to the planned production flow.
In OCS overhead conveyors, trolleys are moved using friction-based and chain-free drive technology. The system can be divided into sections that run at different speeds and directions. This makes it possible to adapt transport to different parts of the production process.
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