Designing a dexterous reconfigurable packaging system for flexible automation

This paper presents a design for a reconfigurable packaging system that can handle cartons of different shape and sizes and is amenable to ever changing demands of packaging industries for perfumery and cosmetic products. The system takes structure of a multi-fingered robot hand, which can provide fine motions, and dexterous manipulation capability that may be required in a typical packaging-assembly line. The paper outlines advanced modeling and simulation undertaken to design the packaging system and discusses the experimental work carried out. The new packaging system is based on the principle of reconfigurability, that shows adaptability to simple as well as complex carton geometry. The rationale of developing such a system is presented with description of its human equivalent. The hardware and software implementations are also discussed together with directions for future research

Flexible automation and the loss of pooling synergy

This paper focuses on the effects of flexible automation on the performance of a job shop. Flexible automated machines may significantly improve the delivery performance and the flow time of jobs. The insertion of a flexible automated system in a job shop, however, also has a counter effect on the manufacturing performance. This is caused by the reduction of pooling synergy due to the dedication implied by flexible automated machines. This paper investigates by means of a simulation study to what extent the loss of pooling synergy will deteriorate job shop performance. Simulation is also used to indicate the level of efficiency of the automated machinery needed to overcome the negative effect of the loss of pooling synergy. The simulation study also highlights the importance of appropriate off-line assignment rules, which assign jobs to either the conventional or automated machines. Major conclusion of this paper is that the ‘pooling loss effect’ should be taken into account in the design and justification of new flexible automated machinery. The design of appropriate offline assignment rules, furthermore, has to be seen as an integral part of investment in new technology.

Intelligent assembly in flexible automation

This work investigates the automation of assembly cells and the need to incorporate sensor-guided decision techniques. The experience of industry in this area is examined by observing a real cell on the shop floor. From the collected data conclusions point to an alternative error interpretation which describes the successful completion rather than an enumeration of errors. A methodology for the description of the process in robotic assembly is developed. The constituent phases in handling components are identified as Feeding, Transport and Mating. Each phase has well defined characteristic properties which can be determined using appropriate sensing mechanisms. The mating phase is given special attention by proposing the method of information Spaces as a suitable frame work for sensor fusion and context directed interpretation. Thus the successful progress is described regarding any deviations as errors. They in turn can be interpreted in the context in which they were encountered and recovery is accomplished in the demonstration cell by operator taught routines. Where error repetition occurs, a simple look-up technique suffices to remove the need for another operator intervention. The required data structures and the implementation of the experimental cell are discussed. It is concluded from the results that the principle of knowledge-based assembly control exhibits an intelligent behaviour which contributes to an increase in the cell productivity. This method addresses only a part of the overall problem of assembly automation, but it has a central place in the system and could be extended to the complete system

An automated supermarket checkout system utilizing a SCARA robot : preliminary prototype development

In recent years, a number of retail stores have introduced self-checkout systems at the cash point, however these normally require a high degree of participation by the customer, often leading to requests for help by store attendees. A review of the literature has shown that the use of robots at checkout points, with their potential to reduce customer effort, has not yet been addressed. A separate literature review has shown that the four-axis SCARA robot, used extensively in the manufacturing industry due to its advantages in cost, speed and rigidity, is rarely applied to service tasks. In this work these two research gaps are being addressed. A first prototype of an automated supermarket checkout system, exploiting the advantages of the SCARA robot and including machine vision, has been developed. The system is able to recognize various items placed by the customer on a conveyor, transfer the items to a container, pack them neatly, and total the bill. Evaluation of the prototype indicates that acceptable speed and reliability of the system can be attained.peer-reviewe

The Diffusion of Flexible Automation and Robots

This working paper is based on the authors' contributions to the Innovation Management Workshop held at IIASA in June 1981. Chapters 1-4 were written by Heinz-Dieter Haustein; chapter 5 was prepared by Harry Maier. The authors describe the role of flexible automation in increasing productivity, characterize flexible automation as a socioeconomic phenomenon, make a rough forecast of robot diffusion, and present some information on robots and national innovation policy using the GDR as an example

A distributed knowledge-based approach to flexible automation : the contract-net framework

Includes bibliographical references (p. 26-29)

Automation - Development of the Material-Technological Basis - Changed Conditions of Efficiency

This paper was presented at a joint seminar on flexible automation held in Berlin (East) from June 8-11, 1982. The seminar was a collaborative project between IIASA and the Academy of Sciences of the German Democratic Republic. The report and the working material presented to the conference deal, among other things, with the influence of the flexible automation on the further development of the material-technological basis and on the whole system of the productive forces. Hence the following questions arise: Does the qualitatively new level of automation mean in connection with the development and application of micro-electronics and what is flexible automation? What are the constituent elements of the new level of automation and which are the consequences for the development of the material-technological basis? and Which changes within the conditions of efficiency take place due to the new level of automation on the basis of micro-electronics? The presented paper offers some aspects regarding these questions

Towards practical guidelines for conversion from a fixed to a reconfigurable manufacturing automation system

It is generally considered to be a key requirement in the development of reconfigurable manufacturing systems, that economic feasibility is only attainable if the system is defined to be reconfigurable at the outset of its design. In this work we consider the potential exception to this requirement, in the context of a common industrial scenario where a specialized and expensive manufacturing machine or system will otherwise be rendered useless due to loss of business of the particular product being manufactured. Specific guidelines to convert from a fixed to a reconfigurable system are proposed, and evaluated through a case study.peer-reviewe

Flexible Automation: Two Approaches to the Assessment of Employment Impacts

This paper on flexible automation written by Dr. Goldberg was presented to a IIASA workshop which was held in June 1982 in Berlin (GDR) and organized by the Management and Technology Area in cooperation with the Academy of Sciences of the GDR. This paper is particularly interesting in several respects. Firstly, it addresses the problem which corresponds to the Institute's interest. The main issue addressed is the impact assessment of flexible automation in employment. Two methodological approaches are presented in this paper. Secondly, Dr. Goldberg selected the service sector in general and banking in particular as a case study. As flexible automation is more common in industry, especially in manufacturing, than in the services, his paper fulfills a certain pioneering mission. Thirdly, the message of this paper can be interpreted as the study of selected social and societal effects of modern information technology. Dr. Goldberg's paper proves that the impact analysis of modern technology deserves an interdisciplinary approach

Flexible Automation Versus the Evolution of the Organizations

Industrial enterprises have to face to more and greater national and international competition and this generates a continuous pressure over them. This desideratum has to be approached with some sufficient distinct means from which the automation is only one moreover possibility. So in this paper we try to answer the question: What is the relation between the flexible automation and the evolution of the organizations?Industrial enterprises; International competition; Flexible automation.