Modelling and simulation of robotic production systems

Abstract

Modern manufacturing systems consist of a sequence of robotic systems, such as robotic cells, which are widely used in the industry. As they become commonplace and play important roles in modern industrial production, efficient modelling and use of robotic cells become a necessity. Robotization brings many measurable benefits. It enables effective utilization of both human resources and the possessed machine park and thus contributing to the improvement of product quality and efficiency. Industrial robots not only increase the growth of productivity, by replacing man in monotonous works, requiring enormous, not achievable for human precision but above all ensure the accuracy and repeatability of the product quality. Appropriate design and modelling of robotic manufacturing systems are crucial in the efficient integration of work cell components and proper maintenance of robotic production systems. Therefore, new solutions for programming environments in industrial applications are sought which not only allow reprogramming of industrial robots but also enable the virtual design of new production lines, which in turn allows the faster introduction of higher quality products. This article presents the modelling and programming of robotic work cells in the Siemens Process Simulate environment.