Visual Assembly 4.0: Digital Standardisation of Assembly Procedures in Industrial Pump Manufacturing

In the context of Industry 4.0, manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises face mounting pressure to digitalize their operational procedures without losing the practical, experience-driven knowledge embedded in their workforce. The challenge is particularly acute in specialized industrial equipment manufacturing, where assembly processes are complex, operator-dependent, and historically underdocumented. This thesis presents the design, development, and validation of a Visual Assembly System termed Visual Assembly 4.0, implemented at Battioni Pagani Pompe S.p.A., a leading Italian manufacturer of industrial vacuum pumps and centrifugal pumps The research followed a three-phase action research methodology. In the first phase, a comprehensive Gemba Walk was conducted across the company's assembly lines, supplemented by structured interviews with senior technicians and video analysis of current assembly procedures. This phase captured tacit knowledge that had never been formally documented. In the second phase, a standardized Visual SOP system was developed for four industrial product families: the ELBA 6500 centrifugal pump, the KTM 1200 vacuum pump, the KTS 1080-DFR vacuum pump, and the Garda centrifugal pump range. The system combines real photographic documentation, technical exploded-view diagrams, a nine-symbol colour-coded iconographic system, and an IKEA-inspired minimalist layout. In the third phase, the system was validated through A/B testing with operators on the shop floor, measuring assembly time, error rates, and operator-reported ease of use. Results indicate meaningful improvements across all measured performance indicators: reduced assembly time for new operators, lower error incidence during complex assembly phases, and significantly higher operator confidence when following the new visual instructions compared to the previous text-based approach. The developed Visual SOPs are immediately deployable and are designed to be scalable across additional product lines, as well as compatible with future Augmented Reality integration at the shop floor. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on visual management, Design for Assembly, and knowledge transfer in manufacturing SMEs, providing a replicable methodological framework applicable to similar industrial contexts.