Integrated Multi-Robotic Assembly Planning for Improved Productivity

Abstract

In product assembly, optimized sequence is a prerequisite for automated systems. The assembly process can be optimized through appropriate selection and allocation of the given tasks in a multi-device framework. These two discrete tasks need to be integrated to produce the optimum result and a cost effective system to cope with the needs of the system, the present work attempts to generate an automatic assembly sequence and seeks for optimal allocation of tasks amongst the available robots. Further, an effective task allocation approach considers the capabilities of the deployable robots. This paper presents an integrated approach for assembly sequence generation and task allocation for multi-robot systems by considering their capability in terms of time and space. An example of a 21 part drive assembly is given to illustrate the concept and procedure of the proposed methodology.