Dynamic vs dedicated automation systems - a study in large structure assembly

Abstract

The manufacturing industry needs to increase productivity and flexibility to stay competitive. This requires more adaptable and versatile production capabilities. It is expected that dynamic systems, consisting of mobile robots, will be particularly prominent in manufacturing environments where it is difficult to move components and products in a flexible manner. This paper compares the relative advantages of a dynamic, mobile robot-based system with traditional dedicated automation systems. The study uses simulations to evaluate several representative scenarios with different product supply bottlenecks, interference among mobile robots and mixes of products inspired by the aerospace industry. The results show that mobility enables higher resource utilisation and increased flexibility. This highlights the potential operational advantages mobile robot-based systems would offer and gives clear justification to continue the development of dynamic, self-organising production systems based on mobile robots. ARTICLE HISTORY

Structures Dynamic Property Analysis of Elastic Composite Cylindrical Rolling Element

“…In terms of material attributes, the metal part of the rollers used GCr15 with an elastic modulus of 2.07×10 5 MPa, a Poisson's ratio of 0.3 and a density of 7,850 kg/m 3 . The elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio and density of PTFE were 280 MPa, 0.4 and 2, 200 kg/m 3 , respectively.…”

“…The performance of rolling elements determines the performance of roller bearings, to a very large extent. By investigating the surface geometric characteristics of solid cylindrical rolling element, many scholars have modified their generatrixes, using the crowning technique, aiming to reduce the axial stress of rolling elements, effectively improving the singular distribution of edge pressure, at both ends of rolling elements, as well as strengthening the bearing capacity and fatigue life [2][3][4][5]. However, when it comes to processing and manufacturing, the precise modification of cylindrical rolling element profiles requires high process precision and incurs high costs.…”

Maximizing the Use of Environmental Constraints: A Pushing-Based Hybrid Position/Force Assembly Skill for Contact-Rich Tasks

“…Teaching process with a teach pendant. The users need to adjust the pose of the object using visual feedback, thus causing a contact force between the object and the environment dependent on human labor 1 . Robots have been extensively used in structured production environments to ensure consistent yields and efficient manufacturing [12].…”

“…In most advanced computer, communication, and consumer electronics (3C) product manufacturing factories, the vast majority of production processes requiring high-precision operations have been efficiently realized by fixed, dedicated automation systems or position-controlled robots [1]. The requirement for the quick setup and reprogram of new robotic assembly lines for new products in 3C factories is rapidly growing [2], [3], [4].…”