HYBRID ASSEMBLY - A STRATEGY FOR EXPANDING THE ROLE OF ADVANCED ASSEMBLY TECHNOLOGY

Citation
Ps. Wu et al., HYBRID ASSEMBLY - A STRATEGY FOR EXPANDING THE ROLE OF ADVANCED ASSEMBLY TECHNOLOGY, Computers & electrical engineering, 22(2), 1996, pp. 109-122
Citations number
12
Categorie Soggetti
Computer Application, Chemistry & Engineering","Computer Science Hardware & Architecture","Computer Science Interdisciplinary Applications","Engineering, Eletrical & Electronic
ISSN journal
00457906
Volume
22
Issue
2
Year of publication
1996
Pages
109 - 122
Database
ISI
SICI code
0045-7906(1996)22:2<109:HA-ASF>2.0.ZU;2-8
Abstract
In response to the market pressures for greater product variety couple d with smaller batch size and quicker delivery, intelligent flexible a ssembly systems are being adopted by many companies in developed count ries. However, only large and well-established companies are positione d to benefit from them. In consequence, the penetration of advanced as sembly technologies has been woefully slow. Use of dedicated manual as sembly line is the most common assembly practice in many less develope d industrial societies like Hong Kong. To stay competitive, these soci eties require less capital intensive assembly strategies that allow si multaneous assembly of different products on the same assembly line. T his paper addresses the needs of such societies by proposing a new hyb rid assembly strategy. The proposed strategy is suitable for adoption by small companies used to manual assembly. It converts an existing si ngle-product manual assembly line from one of single-product productio n to one capable of assembling multiple products through the controlle d introduction of robot stations. It requires the robotic operations t o fit into the work mode of an otherwise manual system. Two major prob lems arise due to the introduction of robots into a manual assembly li ne. They concern: (i) the identification and retrieval of workpieces f rom a continuous flow line; and (ii) the cooperative interface between human operators and the robot stations. Technological solutions are p roposed for these problems. The principles underlying the proposed app roach are illustrated through a case study.