AUGMENTED REALITY FOR THE POSITIONING OF FASTENERS AND ADHESIVES IN SHEET METAL JOINING PROCESSES IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

The manual sheet metal joining process in the automotive industry relies on visual guides to locate standardized joint positions. Traditionally, operators place physical templates on the workpiece to mark the exact positions of each joint prior to operating the machinery. In attempts to eliminate this step, applications of augmented reality (AR) that provide positional information through digital means have been introduced. AR offers additional functionalities such as displaying animations and tolerances; however, existing works on the topic often rely on markers in the workspace and face limitations due to ergonomics and workpiece complexity. This paper introduces an AR solution that uses model targets and digital templates to overlay the positional information of joints on the workpiece, enhancing manufacturing visualization. In addition, the positional and diametrical relative accuracies of joints are measured and provided to the user in real-time. Functionalities such as animations, a user interface (UI), and a progress tracking mechanism additionally enhance the process for the user. Unity and Vuforia Engine together with a sample workpiece were used to demonstrate the concept. The resulting solution is free of physical markers in the workspace, resistant to accidental occultation, and suitable for a variety of sheet metal joining processes and workpiece complexities.