Automotive air-conditioning compressor production lines combine many processes: component assembly, tightening, pressure testing, leak testing and functional run tests. They must ensure both assembly accuracy and complete testing for each unit. Using separate I/O islands and multiple control systems often leads to fragmented data and difficult maintenance.

In one project, the line adopted a Siemens PLC with RB remote I/O, using RB-1110, RB-210H, RB-310H and RB4454modules to bring assembly stations, drive units, pressure benches and leak-testing equipment into a single remote I/O system.

• Torque, angle and in-position data from assembly stations and pressure/flow/leakage measurements from test stations are all collected through RB modules into the PLC;

• Control commands are issued from one system, synchronizing assembly and testing cycle times;

• Production data are linked to compressor serial numbers, enabling full traceability for quality analysis and after-sales support.

With RB remote I/O, the entire compressor line achieves unified data acquisition, control and traceability without replacing existing machinery, making a complex discrete manufacturing process more transparent and manageable at the control level.