Patti Engineering Provides Solution for FCA US Transmission Plant Operation

The FCA US LLC Indiana Transmission Plant 1 (ITP1), a customer of Patti Engineering, is relentlessly engaged in improving processes. One of the processes that has been an issue for the ITP1 team is the RFID system on the sub-assembly line of the RFE rear-wheel drive transmission. This sub-assembly line consists of 10 automated stations, which are a combination of assembly and verification operations. The automation at each station is controlled by Allen Bradley SLC500 PLCs. The RFID modules identify part types, which determines the operations performed at each station. The RFID also records a pass or fail when the pallet leaves the station, directing it to either final assembly or for rework or scrap. Therefore, RFID is integral to the process.

Siemens Readers installed (Before Datalogic equipment was removed)

The RFID system that FCA US was using was an old, nearly obsolete Datalogic system. These older RFID tags are battery-powered, which require the replacement of the tag batteries on a regular basis. After years of use, the tags were starting to break and the supply of available spares was getting low. Finding replacement parts was becoming extremely challenging, raising concerns about the plant’s ability to keep the line running in the future.

Even though the reliability of the current RFID system was problematic, the SLC500 control system and mechanical functionality of the line were both solid. Therefore, it made sense to try to integrate a new RFID system with the existing equipment.

With these guidelines in mind, Patti Engineering and FCA US worked with Siemens to come up with a high-frequency RFID solution using the Siemens SIMATIC RF300 series of equipment. The Siemens RF300 series of high-frequency readers was chosen because they were developed for an industrial environment that requires consistent performance in a high-speed operation. The series coordinates with a large selection of tags for many different applications and environments, which means appropriate tags could be found for this application and would have flexibility to expand the same system if needed.

One important aspect of this project is the flexibility of the Siemens RF300 series to integrate with...

Patti Perspective Spotlight: FCA US Engineer, Chris Hileman

Born and raised in the town of Peru, Indiana, Chris Hileman grew up a small-town boy with big dreams. Chris’ tenacious passion for technology and hands-on projects has driven him to the position he is in today at the FCA US Transmission Manufacturing Engineering Center (TMEC), managing the 68RFE and nine-Speed transmission assembly lines.

Chris graduated from Ball State University with a degree in Manufacturing Engineering Technology. In 2005, Chris was given the opportunity to launch his career as an engineer with Subaru of Indiana. After six years with Subaru, he moved into a control engineer position with FCA US where he would soon move through the ranks to the position he is in today.

In just three short years with FCA US, Chris found himself promoted into a maintenance manager position, working on the assembly lines of the four- and six-speed transmissions. It was there that Chris gained the experience and expertise necessary for FCA US to ask him to return to their engineering team at TMEC as manager of the 68RFE (used in RAM heavy duty trucks) and nine-speed transmission assembly lines - a position he has held for just shy of two years.

When asked what he likes best about his position, Chris notes, “Every day I get to see something ‘accomplished’.” He goes on to describe his passion for making an impact in a continuously changing industry. “It is very satisfying on a personal level to be part of the team that is driving the changes and resolving issues that our business faces every day.”

A key challenge that Chris is facing in his current position is integrating major new equipment changes while assuring those changes do not adversely affect his existing production lines. The particularly sensitive nature of production numbers in Chrysler’s large factory means this challenge keeps Chris on his toes.

Although Chris’ career has taken him in many different directions over the years, Chris is now raising his family in his hometown.. “Careful, don’t blink while driving past because you might miss it,” he says of the town with a population of 13,000.

Chris lives with his wife of 12 years and their two daughters. He describes his daughters as being very involved in their activities including ballet, tap, music, softball, and watching sports with the family such as football, baseball and hockey. Chris playfully adds, “ALL CHICAGO teams! Sorry Sam… Go Blackhawks!”

In their leisure time, the Hileman family enjoys camping, spending evenings on their boat at a nearby lake, fishing and hunting. Their most recent family trip was spent hiking for three days at Turkey Run Indiana State Park over Labor Day Weekend. “Gorgeous area,” Chris says of the park.

Chris’ advice for those just starting out:
“Run! No, just kidding. My biggest advice is some that I wished I had received. Right out of college, don’t get disappointed if you don’t land that dream job. You have to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run. When I graduated college, I roofed houses, did masonry work, completed electrical jobs and any job I could find to pay the bills. I worked hard and kept after my dreams and now have an incredible job! Although stressful at times, you can and will get there!”

New Technology: Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500S Software Controller

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