Assembly with Robots

In the western world, economic logic (and need) has replaced the indentured craftsman by computer controlled machining centres within manufacturing industries. The same rationale is the incentive behind the development of robots that are technically capab

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Assembly with Robots Tony Owen

&\ Kogan

Page

First published in 1985 by Kogan Page Ltd 120 Pentonville Road, London NI 9JN Copyright © 1985 Tony Owen Softcover reprint of the hardcover J st edition 1985 All rights reserved British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

Owen, A.E. Assembly with robots. I. Assembling machines - Automatic control 2. Robots, Industrial 1. Title 670.42'7 TS178.4

ISBN-13: 978-1-4684-1502-5 DOl: 10.1007/978-1-4684-1500-1 The Anchor Press and bound by Wm Brendon & Son Ltd, both of Tiptree, Essex

e-ISBN-13: 978-1-4684-1500-1

Contents

Preface, 9 Chapter 1: Introduction

11

Chapter 2: Why use robots?

15

Robot versus hard automation, IS Robot availability, purchase and viability, 17 Assessing the robot market, 20

Chapter 3: Which configuration?

24

Specialized robots, 28 Robot capability, 33 Which programming method?, 34 Important elements in robot specifications, 39

Chapter 4: Calculation of cycle times

43

Methods for calculating cycle time, 43 Parts trees, 50 Assessing workload, 50

Chapter 5: Grippers

54

Sophisticated gripper versus simple gripper, 55 Compliance, 60 Types of grippers, 61 Gripper design, 64 Sensory control of grippers, 66 Gripper classifications, 67 Multiple robots, 70 Multiple arm robots, 70 Multiple grippers, 70

Chapter 6: The assembly process

78

Assembly techniques, 79

Chapter 7: Product and process design for assembly Product compatibility, 88 Method of construction, 89 Fifteen design rules, 89

87

ChapterS: Workstations The system, J08 Assembly line balancing, 110 Balancing a robot line, lJ4 Implementation of workstations, 116

108

Chapter 9: Material feeders Automatic feeders, 117 Feeding delicate items, 121 Component manufacture at site of usage, 123 Feeding consumable materials, 124 Conveyors, 125 Automated guided vehicles, 126 Prepackaged material control, 127

117

Chapter 10: Sensing and vision Sensors, 129 Selecting a suitable sensor, 137 Automatic inspection, 138

129

Chapter 11: Man-machine mix Interaction between man and machine, 141 Programming, 142 Man-robot systems, 144

141

Chapter 12: Safety Humans at risk from injury by robots, 147 Safety procedures and devices, 149 Procedural checks, 150

147

Chapter 13: Evaluation of a robot system Methods of financial appraisal, 155 Strategic and tactical justification, 157 Productivity ratios, 158 Robot versus manual cost per hour, 159 Resource graphs, 159 Cost groups, 165 The proposal, 167

152

Chapter 14: Economics of alternative systems Assessing costs, 169 Equilateral triangle, 170 Direct calculation, 171 Benefits and total expected savings, 174 Systems for a range of quantities, 176 Flexible and fixed aspects of automated assembly, 177

169

Chapter 15: Economics of robots and grippers The workstation, 182 The gripper design, 184

180

Chapter 16: The future The short-term outlook, 192 The long-term outlook, 195

188

References and bibliography, 199 Appendix: Assembly Robots Available in the USA and the UK, 201 Index, 207

Preface

In the western world, economic logic (and nee