更具差异化的车型线和按照客户规格制造的独立汽车及其更先进的技术的趋势，导致了汽车变体数量的爆炸性增长。因此，包括自动化流程和物流系统在内的制造业必须以尽可能灵活的方式进行设计。本文以一家德国汽车制造商为例，介绍了装配线的物流系统。这个例子包括物料的优化供应和定位、准时交货和信息系统。还描述了物流系统中包含的一些自动预装配站。

THE TREND TOWARDS MORE DIFFERENTIATED MODEL LINES AND INDIVIDUAL CARS BUILT TO CUSTOMERS' SPECIFICATIONS AND THEIR MORE SOPHISTICATED TECHNOLOGY, HAS LED TO AN EXPLOSIVE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF AUTOMOBILE VARIANTS. THEREFORE, MANUFACTURING INCLUDING AUTOMATED PROCESSES AND LOGISTICS SYSTEMS MUST BE DESIGNED IN AS FLEXIBLE A MANNER AS POSSIBLE. IN THIS CONTRIBUTION, THE LOGISTICS SYSTEM FOR THE ASSEMBLY LINE IS PRESENTED, USING A GERMAN AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURER AS AN EXAMPLE. THE EXAMPLE INCLUDES THE OPTIMIZED SUPPLY AND POSITIONING OF MATERIAL, JUST-IN-TIME DELIVERY, AND THE INFORMATION SYSTEM. SOME AUTOMATED PREASSEMBLY STATIONS WHICH ARE INCORPORATED IN THE LOGISTICS SYSTEM ARE ALSO DESCRIBED.