Assembly automation - the way to a factory of the future

Abstract

The main features of a factory of the future are: high level of flexibility of technological processes and equipment, high degree of processes automation, high productivity and high quality of manufacturing products. And in all cases production has to be cost-effective. The biggest difficulty in realization of these features takes place in the field of assembly processes. It is necessary to create intelligent manufacturing processes and equipment in this field. Any technological process even the most complicated one can be characterized by two aspects, namely by the whole structure, and by the particular operational methods. As for the later the modern tendency to make use of normally neglected physical effects to improve the assembly processes seems very promising. This paper presents, as an example, a new method of pneumovortical assembly module, which yields good results. But even greater success can be achieved through optimizing the assembly processes structure. We present the method of computer guide search for the optimal variant of technological assembly process and the layout of assembly equipment with rational operational methods and structure.