Viking Sewing Machines AB in Huskvarna, Sweden, is one of the world’s oldest, largest and most modern manufacturers of sewing machines. The complete assembly was FlexLink’s first delivered Dynamic Assembly System (DAS) starting production in the beginning of 1999 generating complete production flow with easy control and high ergonomic standards. 

Viking Sewing Machines AB installed the new DAS line for the assembly of their new product Designer 1, with serial production starting in the beginning of 1999. It is possible to run several products simultaneously on the line. Viking only runs Designer 1 at the present. Their latest product, which is globally exported, is the most modern and sophisticated sewing machine in the world. 

Flexible system, easily adjusted 
The manual assembly line consists of seven workstations and six additional working places providing spare assembly capacity. The system is flexible and is easily adjusted to circumstances. Some stations can be doubled with the help of a working place, for instance during training time for a new operator. The operation time on the stations varies between 6 and 9 minutes. The line starts with the first operator placing the sub-assembly onto the pallet together with all the components to be assembled on subsequent stations. Before packaging, every sewing machine has a 12-minute automatic test. After delivering the finished sewing machine, the pallet returns to the start on the return conveyor running under the line. 

Assembly flow management 
“The assembly work follows a computerized route handled by the AFM computer and the actual route can be followed on the screen “, says Olof Dahlin, production engineer, Viking Sewing Machines. “If there is no station available the pallet will circulate on the line until an assembly station becomes available.” “On our old production lines, you had to follow a sequential flow, taking the stations in order, without any possibility of changing assembly steps or the defined role at each work station.” 

Approved ergonomics
“Ergonomical adaptation of each work station is very important for us which the DAS-line provided together with vertical height adjustment of each station. A physiotherapist has inspected, EMG-tested and approved the line.” “This is the first DAS line and it has been running for one year. There were some problems at first, but now it is functioning quite well.”