Robot Aided Assembly in Massproduction with High Flexibility (Example: Assembly of Electrical Motors): Robotergestützte Montage in der hochflexiblen Serienfertigung (Beispiel: Montage von Elektromotoren)

Abstract

The growing trend towards small-to-medium production batches along with the highly competitive situation in the marketplace, to which low-priced high-quality products are the only answer, compels us to implement flexibly automated small-batch manufacturing processes for multi variant products. Essential elements for a flexible automation of assembly lines are sensors and industrial robots. The state of the art in robot-aided assembly with high flexibility is illustrated using the manufacture of stepping motors for office machines as an example. These motors are offered in various dimensions and versions. They are ordered in different lot sizes, and customers often call for detail modifications at short notice. This situation, which is typical of medium-batch assembly in precision mechanics, has resulted in production with a relatively low degree of automation. Basically, this automation project is being implemented with industrial robots with flexible peripherals and feeders installed at existing belt conveyors. Various parts are fed from bulk stored by vibratory helical feeders equipped with alternating baffles and sensors. Quality and jointing checks can be made by fitting the industrial robots with complex grippers and sensors. As there are few distinct classification features for many workpieces, the robots also carry out positional checks and corrections.