Semi-automated Assembly Process Using Arm Manipulator

Today’s global market requires the ability to adapt to high production volumes, product variety, increase product quality and decrease production time to market for the assembly system. The increase of demand for the product quality and variety is 2P product related requirements, meanwhile increase of demand for the production volume and decrease production time to market time is 2P production related requirements. This paper defines these requirements as “2+2P” a main research problem of the assembly system. As well as, the future assembly systems need to fulfill capability and capacity flexibility of the market. The empirical studies have documented that human is the most flexible element of the manufacturing systems and they are responsible for capability flexibility, while machines are good at repetitive tasks and they enhance the capacity flexibility. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to examine the increase of human centered automation levels in manual assembly system, with the integration of ARM manipulator using System Modeling Language. In this study, an assembly, conventionally having a lower degree of automation, is investigated for human and arm interaction for productivity gains keeping constant flexibility. The integration methodology is based on System Modeling Language (SysML), for specifying analyzing, designing and verifying hybrid system. The station layout, tooling design and manipulator programming are elaborated using digital Solid works and Process Simulator tools. The motivations as well as the benefits derived from the employment of the arm manipulator into industrial case are discussed. The proposed methodology allows decrease of cycle time from 900 seconds to around 470 seconds, increase productivity, ergonomics of the assembly cell and increases the product quality by reducing human involvement by 23%.