Assembly with Robots

In: Springer eBook Collection

Abstract

1: Introduction -- 2: Why use robots? -- Robot versus hard automation -- Robot availability, purchase and viability -- Assessing the robot market -- 3: Which configuration? -- Specialized robots -- Robot capability -- Which programming method? -- Important elements in robot specifications -- 4: Calculation of cycle times -- Methods for calculating cycle time -- Parts trees -- Assessing workload -- 5: Grippers -- Sophisticated gripper versus simple gripper -- Compliance -- Types of grippers -- Gripper design -- Sensory control of grippers -- Gripper classifications -- Multiple robots -- Multiple arm robots -- Multiple grippers -- 6: The assembly process -- Assembly techniques -- 7: Product and process design for assembly -- Product compatibility -- Method of construction -- Fifteen design rules -- 8: Workstations -- The system -- Assembly line balancing -- Balancing a robot line -- Implementation of workstations -- 9: Material feeders -- Automatic feeders -- Feeding delicate items -- Component manufacture at site of usage -- Feeding consumable materials -- Conveyors -- Automated guided vehicles -- Prepackaged material control -- 10: Sensing and vision -- Sensors -- Selecting a suitable sensor -- Automatic inspection -- 11: Man-machine mix -- Interaction between man and machine -- Programming -- Man-robot systems -- 12: Safety -- Humans at risk from injury by robots -- Safety procedures and devices -- Procedural checks -- 13: Evaluation of a robot system -- Methods of financial appraisal -- Strategic and tactical justification -- Productivity ratios -- Robot versus manual cost per hour -- Resource graphs -- Cost groups -- The proposal -- 14: Economics of alternative systems -- Assessing costs -- Equilateral triangle -- Direct calculation -- Benefits and total expected savings -- Systems for a range of quantities -- Flexible and fixed aspects of automated assembly -- 15: Economics of robots and grippers -- The workstation -- The gripper design -- 16: The future -- The short-term outlook -- The long-term outlook -- References and bibliography -- Appendix: Assembly Robots Available in the USA and the UK.