Effective integration of Cobots and additive manufacturing for reconfigurable assembly solutions of biomedical products
- PDF / 904,540 Bytes
- 5 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 74 Downloads / 167 Views
SHORT ORIGINAL PAPER
Effective integration of Cobots and additive manufacturing for reconfigurable assembly solutions of biomedical products Filippo Rossi1 · Fabio Pini1 · Andrea Carlesimo1 · Enrico Dalpadulo1 · Francesco Blumetti1 · Francesco Gherardini1 · Francesco Leali1 Received: 1 July 2020 / Accepted: 24 July 2020 © Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Collaborative robotics and additive manufacturing are two enabling technologies of the Industry 4.0 manufacturing paradigm. Their synergic integration requires novel and effective design approaches, aiming to the development of new reconfigurable solutions for customised processes and products. This work presents an integrated approach that exploits the capabilities of Cobots to mimic the repetitive and exhausting operator’s movements as well as the competitive advantages offered by additive manufacturing to realize tailored equipment. In particular, the case study shows the development of a customised device for the manipulation of biomedical components by means of a Cobot, which is introduced in a workstation to replace manual operations. Moreover, the flexibility and the effectiveness of a Cobot can be improved thanks to customised devices for gripping and pick-and-place operations based on a specific application. During the development phase, we simulated the assembly process, and tested different options. The final configuration, with conformal circuits and suction cups, can pick, manipulate and assembly the biomedical components, and thanks to a Fused Filament Fabrication technology is additively manufactured. In conclusion, this developed prototypal solution proves the real capabilities offered by integrating Cobots and additive manufacturing for the lean automation of a biomedical workstation. Keywords Design approach · Collaborative robot · Additive manufacturing · Biomedical components · Industry 4.0
1 Scenario
* Francesco Gherardini [email protected] Filippo Rossi [email protected] Fabio Pini [email protected] Andrea Carlesimo [email protected] Enrico Dalpadulo [email protected] Francesco Blumetti [email protected] Francesco Leali [email protected] 1
Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari”, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Vivarelli 10, 41125 Modena, Italy
The use of automation in a production or assembly line arises from the possibility of improving the manufacturing process thanks to faster and more repeatable operations, or to avoid human errors. Specifically, automated lines with robots serve over several shifts, providing 24-hour working coverage and manage mixed production batches with high quality standards, thanks to the inherent repeatability and flexibility of industrial robots. Therefore, when the first industrial robots were introduced in the production lines, their primary goal was to replace most workers. This situation caused an enormous change in terms of plant organization and layout, while the significant cost
Data Loading...
