Abstract
Human-robot collaboration (HRC) is a complex procedure in manufacturing due to the problems posed by compatibility and operational safety among humans and robots, and by task definitions among them in a collaborative order. In this paper, the research results of the human-robot collaboration study for the case of an automotive brake disc assembly is presented. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is proposed as a decision-making method for the human-robot collaboration system, and detailed hierarchical task analysis (HTA) is applied to allocate operational tasks to humans and robots, thus reducing the chance of duty interference. Additionally, a virtual environment software (Tecnomatix Process Simulate, version 11.1,80, Siemens, Munich, BY, Germany, 2012) is used to model the assembly workstation, providing an opportunity to evaluate the feasibility of the process through different scenarios. Finally, an experimental test is conducted to evaluate the performance of the assembly procedure. This research proves that, although human-robot collaboration increases the total process time slightly, this collaboration improves human ergonomics considerably and reduces the operator injury risk.
Highlights
Today there is strong competition among industries toward factory-wide automation; manufacturers apply automation in their production line since they have a high interest in increasing the production rate without jeopardizing the quality and accuracy of the final product
A safety design framework for human-robot collaboration in the absence of predefined regulations has been proposed by Reference [3]; authors have tried various strategies to design a safe workspace
Using a virtual environment reduces the risk connected to production changes, production planning time, and cost, while improving the process ergonomic safety [28,29]
Summary
Today there is strong competition among industries toward factory-wide automation; manufacturers apply automation in their production line since they have a high interest in increasing the production rate without jeopardizing the quality and accuracy of the final product. Robots have played major roles in automated production lines due to their superior capabilities. Robots have been widely used to perform repetitive, non-critical tasks, such as handling, welding, and joining [1], recently researchers have developed specific studies with the aim of integrating them in a collaborative workspace. A collaborative workspace deals with the cooperation of humans and robots trying to accomplish a specific task. A safety design framework for human-robot collaboration in the absence of predefined regulations has been proposed by Reference [3]; authors have tried various strategies to design a safe workspace Using collaborative robots, operator safety should not be put at risk in any aspect; this requires clear task definition and allocation for humans and robots in a collaborative work cell [2].
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