Flexible magazine operation and cellular techniques in automation systems

There is a strong current trend in automation towards These often systems that can handle small to medium batch sizes are also often associated with In prototyping situations. Batch numbers High complexity the application described Is for British Airways Heathrow Airport where the number of variations pattern of their meal trays Is large. The batch size the assembly variations Is also extremely variable. Catering at in assembly of each of This thesis describes the justification and design of anautomatic system to assemble these trays whilst retaining the flexibility Inherent In the current manual assembly arrangement.The work examines system layouts. Considering each possibility particularly from the flexibility and potential reliabilityaspects. This leads to the consideration of Industrial robots because of their Inherent flexibility. Consequently the variousconfigurations of robots are examined to assess the suitability of each In a cell arrangement the system which was chosen forIts potential reliability. The work continues by developing the Ideas and techniques of parts feeding to realise the maximumbenefits from a robotic cell system." The thesis describes novel magazining arrangements for handling each of the Items which make. up the tray assembly. Two major developments are described. one for the handling of stackable Items and the other for handling small discrete parts from bulk. Both systems are flexible to accomodate variations In part dimensions and possess ability to be quickly re-configured - to handle completely different parts. The equipment designed and constructed for British Airwaysuses Ideas that could also find use In many similar applications where the components have the same characteristics

Automated Order Picking Systems and the Links between Design and Performance: A Systematic Literature Review

With new market developments and e-commerce, there is an increased use of and interest in automation for order picking. This paper presents a systematic review and content analysis of the literature. It has the purpose of understanding the relevant performance aspects for automated, or partly automated, OPSs and identifying the studied links between design and performance, i.e. identifying which combinations of design aspects and performance aspects have been studied in previous research. For this purpose, 74 papers were selected and reviewed. From the review, it is clear that there has been an increased number of papers dealing with the performance of automated, or partly automated, OPSs in recent years. Moreover, there are differences between the different OPS types, but, overall, the performance categories of throughput, lead time, and operational efficiency have received the most attention in the literature. The paper identifies links between design and performance that have been studied, as well as links that appear to be under-researched. For academics, this paper synthesises the current knowledge on the performance of automation in OPSs and identifies opportunities for future research. For practitioners, the paper provides knowledge that can support the decision-making process of automation in OPSs

Technology 2001: The Second National Technology Transfer Conference and Exposition, volume 2

Proceedings of the workshop are presented. The mission of the conference was to transfer advanced technologies developed by the Federal government, its contractors, and other high-tech organizations to U.S. industries for their use in developing new or improved products and processes. Volume two presents papers on the following topics: materials science, robotics, test and measurement, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, electronics, and software engineering

NASA Tech Briefs, July 1990

Topics include: New Product Ideas; NASA TU Services; Electronic Components and Circuits; Electronic Systems; Physical Sciences; Materials; Computer Programs; Mechanics; Machinery; Fabrication Technology; Mathematics and Information Sciences; Life Sciences

Cumulative index to NASA Tech Briefs, 1986-1990, volumes 10-14

Tech Briefs are short announcements of new technology derived from the R&D activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. These briefs emphasize information considered likely to be transferrable across industrial, regional, or disciplinary lines and are issued to encourage commercial application. This cumulative index of Tech Briefs contains abstracts and four indexes (subject, personal author, originating center, and Tech Brief number) and covers the period 1986 to 1990. The abstract section is organized by the following subject categories: electronic components and circuits, electronic systems, physical sciences, materials, computer programs, life sciences, mechanics, machinery, fabrication technology, and mathematics and information sciences

Conference on Intelligent Robotics in Field, Factory, Service, and Space (CIRFFSS 1994), volume 1

The AIAA/NASA Conference on Intelligent Robotics in Field, Factory, Service, and Space (CIRFFSS '94) was originally proposed because of the strong belief that America's problems of global economic competitiveness and job creation and preservation can partly be solved by the use of intelligent robotics, which are also required for human space exploration missions. Individual sessions addressed nuclear industry, agile manufacturing, security/building monitoring, on-orbit applications, vision and sensing technologies, situated control and low-level control, robotic systems architecture, environmental restoration and waste management, robotic remanufacturing, and healthcare applications

MOOSE: Manned On-Orbit Servicing Equipment

The ability to service satellites has thus far been limited to low earth orbit platforms within reach of the Space Shuttle. Other orbits, such as geosynchronous orbits containing high-value spacecraft have not been attainable by a servicing vehicle. The useful life of a satellite can be extended by replacing spent propellant and damaged orbital replacement units, forestalling the need for eventual replacement. This growing need for satellite on-orbits servicing can be met by the Manned On-Orbit Servicing Equipment (MOOSE). Missions requiring orbit transfer capability, precision manipulation and maneuvering, and man-in-the-loop control can be accomplished using MOOSE. MOOSE is a flexible, reusable, single operator, aerobraking spacecraft designed to refuel, repair, and service orbiting spacecraft. MOOSE will be deployed from Space Station Freedom, (SSF), where it will be stored, resupplied, and refurbished

FLEXIBLE NEURAL INTERFACES FOR RECORDING AND STIMULATION OF PERIPHERAL AND VISCERAL NERVES

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

On the performance of robotic parts-to-picker order picking systems

Order picking is the activity in which a number of items are retrieved from a warehousing system to satisfy a number of customer orders. Automating order picking systems has become a common response to the wide variety of products and components stored in today’s warehouses and the short delivery lead times requested by today’s customers. As a result, new technical solutions have reached the market, including robotic parts-to-picker order picking systems such as robot-based compact storage and retrieval systems (RCSRSs) and robotic mobile fulfilment systems (RMFSs).\ua0Despite the increased use of robotic parts-to-picker order picking systems, knowledge about how they perform in terms of throughput, order lead time, human factors, quality, flexibility, operational efficiency, and investment and operational costs needs to be further developed, as does knowledge about how their performance is affected by the order picking system’s design and context. Accordingly, the purpose of this thesis is to expand knowledge about the performance of robotic parts-to-picker order picking systems by investigating how their design and context influence their performance. \ua0The thesis is built upon three studies: a systematic literature review study focusing on automated order picking systems, a multiple-case study on RCSRSs, and a single-case study on RMFSs. First, the systematic literature review study on the performance of automated order picking systems provides an overview of literature on order picking systems to date, aspects of their performance, and how their performance relates to their design. Second, the multiple-case study sheds light on characteristics of the performance of RCSRSs and the relationships between their performance and design. Third and last, the single-case study affords insights on how the context of RMFSs affects their performance.\ua0The thesis contributes to practice by providing guidance to decision makers within industry in terms of the performance to expect of robotic parts-to-picker OPSs depending on their design and context. In turn, such knowledge can facilitate the selection and design of an OPS or else the redesign of a current system. At the same time, the thesis contributes to theory by providing a synthesis of literature addressing the performance of automated OPSs and by outlining the relationships between their design and performance