Use Of A Robot For Parts Provision In Manual Small Parts Assembly

Abstract

Despite the growing popularity of automation, many companies still use manual assembly within their production. Especially when small deviations in product series are involved, automation is usually not flexible enough and does not add value. This paper describes a new robotic assistance system with the aim to support the worker by separating him from logistics and the choice of the next component. The robot should be the interface between manual assembly and logistics, it will grip the required component and deliver it to the worker. This results in a constellation where the assembly worker can focus on value-added assembly activities and work in a more ergonomic workspace, as there are no complex and overwhelming Kanban shelfs. The consistent use of storage containers means that the robot has no workplace where it must be flexible due to varying products. Furthermore, the logistics area does not have to be adapted to the assembly worker. This enables more efficient logistics solutions that would not be used in a normal manual assembly, such as shelves filled to the ground. In this context, the main challenge is to develop an efficient relationship between the worker and the robot. Here, communication possibilities between the worker and the robot must be investigated, in particular regarding the process flow and error management. Before we focus on new logistic software tools to automate the whole logistic process and to generate the code for the robot, we first want to show the efficiency of our concept by implementing it in form of a demonstrator and testing it on a selected industrial product. Afterwards we want to compare the efficiency and ergonomics of this new approach with the usual manual assembly process.