Design, engineering and testing of an innovative adaptive automation assembly system

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 531-540
Author(s):  
Marco Bortolini ◽  
Maurizio Faccio ◽  
Francesco Gabriele Galizia ◽  
Mauro Gamberi ◽  
Francesco Pilati
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Systems Design ◽  
Assembly System ◽  
Assembly Systems ◽  
Design Engineering ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Adaptive Automation ◽  
Work Cycle ◽  
Levels Of Automation ◽  
High Flexibility

Purpose Industry 4.0 emerged as the Fourth Industrial Revolution aiming at achieving higher levels of operational efficiency, productivity and automation. In this context, manual assembly systems are still characterized by high flexibility and low productivity, if compared to fully automated systems. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to propose the design, engineering and testing of a prototypal adaptive automation assembly system, including greater levels of automation to complement the skills and capabilities of human workers. Design/methodology/approach A lab experimental field-test is presented comparing the assembly process of a full-scale industrial chiller with traditional and adaptive assembly system. Findings The analysis shows relevant benefits coming from the adoption of the adaptive automation assembly system. In particular, the main findings highlight improvements in the assembly cycle time and productivity, as well as reduction of the operator’s body movements. Practical implications The prototype is applied in an Italian mid-size industrial company, confirming its impact in terms of upgrades of the assembly system flexibility and productivity. Thus, the research study proposed in this paper provides valuable knowledge to support companies and industrial practitioners in the shift from traditional to advanced assembly systems matching current industrial and market features. Originality/value This paper expands the lacking research on adaptive automation assembly systems design proposing an innovative prototype able to real-time reconfigure its structure according to the product to work, e.g. work cycle, and the operator features.

scholarly journals Guest Editorial: Design Engineering in the Age of Industry 4.0

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Janet K. Allen ◽  
Sesh Commuri ◽  
Jianxin Jiao ◽  
Jelena Milisavljevic-Syed ◽  
Farrokh Mistree ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Systems Design ◽  
Smart Manufacturing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Design Engineering ◽  
Production Environment ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Industrial Iot

Abstract This special issue is motivated by the trend of smart factories of the future towards the fourth Industrial Revolution, which makes it possible to better leverage capabilities and resources in a human-cyber-physical production environment. This emerging paradigm of Industry 4.0 poses new systems design problems at the interface of smart manufacturing, robust and flexible automation, distributed and reconfigurable production systems industrial IoT, and supply chain integration. Recent advances of design engineering in the age of Industry 4.0 are presented in this special issue. More than forty (40) papers were received and peer-reviewed, out of which thirteen (13) papers were selected for publication. These are both theoretical and practical, as well as state-of-the-art reviews, new perspectives, and outlook for future research directions in the field. The papers span a range of design aspects and Industry 4.0 technologies. There are three intersecting clusters in this category: design principles and techniques for Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing technologies, and machine learning and data-driven techniques for Industry 4.0.

Agility in assembly systems: a comparison model

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 411-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Barbazza ◽  
Maurizio Faccio ◽  
Fabio Oscari ◽  
Giulio Rosati
Keyword(s):  
Production Cost ◽  
Model Complexity ◽  
Assembly System ◽  
Assembly Systems ◽  
Direct Production ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Comparison Model ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Quantitative Definition

Purpose This paper aims at analyzing different possible assembly systems, including innovative potential configurations such as the fully flexible assembly systems (FAS), by defining a novel analytical model that focuses on the concept of agility and its impact on the whole system performance, also evaluating the economic convenience in terms of the unit direct production cost. Design/methodology/approach The authors propose a comparison model derived by Newton’s second law, introducing a quantitative definition of agility (acceleration), resistance of an assembly system to any change of its operative state (inertia) and unit direct production cost (force). Different types of assembly systems (manual, flexible and fully FAS) are analyzed and compared using the proposed model, investigating agility, system inertia and their impact on the unit direct production cost. Findings The proposed agility definition and the proposed comparison model have been applied considering different sets of parameters as independent variables, such as the number of components to assemble (product model complexity) and the target throughput of the system. The main findings are a series of convenience areas which either, for a given target unit direct production cost (force), defines the most agile system to adopt or, for a given target agility (acceleration), defines the most economical system to adopt, as function of the independent variables. Originality/value The novelty of this work is, first, the analytical definition of agility applied to assembly systems and contextualized by means of the definition of the new comparison model. The comparison between different assembly systems on the basis of agility, and by using different sets of independent variables, is a further element of interest. Finally, the resulting convenience areas represent a desirable tool that could be used to optimally choose the most suitable assembly system according to one or more system parameters.

A mathematical programming approach for walking-worker assembly systems

2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emre Cevikcan
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Programming ◽  
Task Allocation ◽  
Programming Model ◽  
Programming Models ◽  
Assembly System ◽  
Programming Approach ◽  
Assembly Systems ◽  
Mathematical Programming Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mathematical Programming Approach

Purpose – It has become increasingly critical to design and maintain flexible and rapid assembly systems due to unpredictable and varying market conditions. The first stage of developing such systems is to restructure the existing assembly system. After designing the manufacturing system, efforts should be made for capacity adjustments to meet the demand in terms of allocating tasks to workers. Walking-worker assembly systems can be regarded as an effective method to achieve flexibility and agility via rabbit chase (RC) approach in which workers follow each other around the assembly cell or line and perform each task in sequence. In this paper, a novel mathematical programming approach is developed with the aim of integrating RC in assembly processes. Therefore, this study is thought to add value to industrial assembly systems in terms of effectively raising engineering control for task allocation activities. Design/methodology/approach – Two consecutive mathematical models are developed, since such a hierarchical approach provides computational convenience for the problem. The initial mathematical programming model determines the number of workers in each RC loop for each segment. In addition, the number of stations and the distribution of station times in the segments is essential. Therefore, the succeeding mathematical programming model generates stations in each segment and provides convenience for the workflow in RC loops. The output of mathematical programming models are the parameters of simulation model for performance assessment. Findings – The effectiveness of the proposed approach was validated by an application in a real-life chair production system. The application resulted in performance improvements for labour requirement (12.5 per cent) and production lead time (9.6 per cent) when compared to a classical assembly system design (CASD) where one stationary worker exists in each station. In addition, it is worth to note that RC leads to a reduced number of workers for a considerable number (39.4 per cent) of test problems. What is more, input as well as output factors have been determined via discriminant analysis and their impacts to the utilization of RC were analyzed for different levels. Practical implications – This study is thought to add value to the industry in terms of effectively providing convenience during production planning and task allocation in assembly lines and cells. Originality/value – To the best knowledge of the author, optimization models for RC considering a real industrial application have not yet been developed. In this context, this paper presents an approach which models RC by the use of mathematical programming in manual assembly processes to address this research gap. The contribution of the paper to the relevant literature is the development of hierarchical mixed integer linear programming models to solve RC problem for the first time.

scholarly journals Integrated design environment for reusable modular assembly systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 664-672
Author(s):  
Pedro Ferreira ◽  
Paul Danny Anandan ◽  
Ivo Pereira ◽  
Vikrant Hiwarkar ◽  
Mohmed Sayed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
System Design ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Solution Space ◽  
Design Solution ◽  
Assembly System ◽  
Assembly Systems ◽  
Design Activity ◽  
Modular Assembly ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Support Tools

Purpose This paper aims to provide a service-based integrated prototype framework for the design of reusable modular assembly systems (RMAS) incorporating reusability of equipment into the process. It extends AutomationML (AML) developments for an engineering data exchange to integrate and standardize the data formats that support the design of RMAS. Design/methodology/approach The approach provides a set of systematic procedures and support tools for the design of RMAS. This includes enhanced domain knowledge models that facilitate the interpretation and integration of information across the design phases. Findings The inclusion of reusability aspects in the design phase improves the sustainability of future assembly systems, by ensuring equipment use until its end-of-life. Moreover, the integrated support tools reduce the design time, while improving the quality/performance of the system design solution, as it enables the exploration of a larger solution space. This will result in a better response to dynamic and rapidly changing system requirements. Social implications This work provides a sustainable approach for the design of modular assembly systems (MAS), which will ensure better resource utilization. Additionally, the standardization of the data and the support of low cost tools is expected to benefit industrial companies, particularly the small- and medium-sized enterprises. Originality/value This approach offers a service-based platform which uses production data to incorporate reusability aspects into the design process of modular assembly system. Moreover, it provides a framework for modular assembly system design by extending the current design processes and interactions between stakeholders. To support this, a standardized method for information representation and exchange across the several phases of the RMAS design activity is briefly illustrated with an industrial case study.

scholarly journals Adaptive Automation Assembly Systems in the Industry 4.0 Era: A Reference Framework and Full–Scale Prototype

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1256
Author(s):  
Marco Bortolini ◽  
Maurizio Faccio ◽  
Francesco Gabriele Galizia ◽  
Mauro Gamberi ◽  
Francesco Pilati
Keyword(s):  
Current Literature ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
General Framework ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Assembly Systems ◽  
System Productivity ◽  
Adaptive Automation ◽  
Industrial Companies ◽  
Human Operators

Industry 4.0 emerged in the last decade as the fourth industrial revolution aiming at reaching greater productivity, digitalization and operational efficiency standard. In this new era, if compared to automated assembly systems, manual assembly systems (MASs) are still characterized by wide flexibility but poor productivity levels. To reach acceptable performances in terms of both productivity and flexibility, higher automation levels are required to increase the skills and capabilities of the human operators with the aim to design next-generation assembly systems having higher levels of adaptivity and collaboration between people and automation/information technology. In the current literature, such systems are called adaptive automation assembly systems (A3Ss). For A3Ss, few design approaches and industrial prototypes are available. This paper, extending a previous contribution by the Authors, expands the lacking research in the field and proposes a general framework guiding toward A3S effective design and validation. The framework is applied to a full-scale prototype, highlighting its features together with the technical- and human-oriented improvements arising from its adoption. Specifically, evidence from this study show a set of benefits from adopting innovative A3Ss in terms of reduction of the assembly cycle time (about 30%) with a consequent increase of the system productivity (about 45%) as well as relevant improvements of ergonomic posture indicators (about 15%). The definition of a general framework for A3S design and validation and the integration of the productivity and ergonomic analysis of such systems are missing in the current literature, representing an element of innovation. Globally, this research paper provides advanced knowledge to guide research, industrial companies and practitioners in switching from traditional to advanced assembly systems in the emerging Industry 4.0 era matching current industrial and market features.

Linking product design to flexibility in an assembly system: a case study

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 610-630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Narges Asadi ◽  
Mats Jackson ◽  
Anders Fundin
Keyword(s):  
Product Design ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Assembly System ◽  
Assembly Systems ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Flexible Assembly Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Flexible Assembly

Purpose The recent shift towards accommodating flexibility in manufacturing companies and the complexity resulting from product variety highlight the significance of flexible assembly systems and designing products for them. The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the requirements of a flexible assembly system for product design from the assembly system’s standpoint. Design/methodology/approach To fulfil the purpose of the paper, a literature review and a case study were performed. The case study was conducted with an interactive research approach in a global market leader company within the heavy vehicle manufacturing industry. Findings The findings indicate that common assembly sequence, similar assembly interfaces, and common parts are the main requirements of a flexible assembly system for product design which reduce complexity and facilitate various flexibility dimensions. Accordingly, a model is proposed to broaden the understanding of these requirements from the assembly system’s standpoint. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to the overlapping research area of flexible assembly systems and product design. Practical implications The proposed model is largely based on practical data and clarifies the role of product design in facilitating flexibility in an assembly system. It can be used by assembly managers, assembly engineers, and product designers. Originality/value The key originality of this paper compared to the previous studies lies in presenting a novel assembly-oriented design model. The model enhances understanding of a flexible assembly system’s requirements for product design with regard to reducing complexity and managing variation in a flexible assembly system. These requirements can be applied to product design across various product families within a company’s product portfolio.

Modeling of assembly systems with complex structures for throughput analysis during transients

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 262-271
Author(s):  
Yukan Hou ◽  
Yuan Li ◽  
Yuntian Ge ◽  
Jie Zhang ◽  
Shoushan Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Fixed Point Theory ◽  
Point Theory ◽  
Assembly Systems ◽  
Complex Structures ◽  
Throughput Performance ◽  
Throughput Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Serial Production Lines ◽  
Transient And Steady State

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an analytical method for throughput analysis of assembly systems with complex structures during transients. Design/methodology/approach Among the existing studies on the performance evaluation of assembly systems, most focus on the system performance in steady state. Inspired by the transient analysis of serial production lines, the state transition matrix is derived considering the characteristics of merging structure in assembly systems. The system behavior during transients is described by an ergodic Markov chain, with the states being the occupancy of all buffers. The dynamic model for the throughput analysis is solved using the fixed-point theory. Findings This method can be used to predict and evaluate the throughput performance of assembly systems in both transient and steady state. By comparing the model calculation results with the simulation results, this method is proved to be accurate. Originality/value This proposed modeling method can depict the throughput performance of assembly systems in both transient and steady state, whereas most exiting methods can be used for only steady-state analysis. In addition, this method shows the potential for the analysis of complex structured assembly systems owing to the low computational complexity.

A design approach for process-based knowledge management systems

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 693-717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Surendra Sarnikar ◽  
Amit V. Deokar
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Feasibility Study ◽  
Systems Analysis ◽  
Design Theory ◽  
Systems Design ◽  
Design Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Analysis And Design ◽  
Systems Analysis And Design ◽  
Design Techniques

Purpose This paper presents a design approach for process-based knowledge management (PKM) systems that can support knowledge-intensive processes where effective task execution is highly reliant on the knowledge and expertise of participants executing the tasks. The proposed design approach includes design methods and kernel theories governing the design of PKM systems and can also be easily integrated with existing systems analysis and design techniques. Design/methodology/approach The design science research methodology is used to design and develop the artifact which includes the overall PKM design approach. Information systems design theory is used as a high-level framework to develop and structure the design approach. Relevant design methods and behavioral theories are reviewed to identify kernel theories that guide the design and development of PKM systems. The design approach consists of meta-requirements for PKM systems and design processes to achieve the meta-requirements. A feasibility study is conducted to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed approach. Findings The design approach presented in this paper can guide system analysts and system developers in the design of knowledge management systems for supporting knowledge-intensive processes. The paper also includes a comprehensive design theory for PKM systems consisting of meta-requirements and a synthesis of various kernel theories into actionable design procedures. The proposed procedures include knowledge requirements modeling, knowledge flows modeling and knowledge and process performance modeling procedures. The feasibility study indicates that the PKM approach can be more useful and effective than solely using unified modeling language (UML)-based systems analysis and design techniques for the design of PKM systems. Research limitations/implications An implication to information systems design research is the feasibility of developing a specialized design approach that incorporates significant domain knowledge to solve complex information system design problems. An implication to practice is the significant potential to improve productivity and effectiveness of systems analysts and designers in developing PKM systems. A limitation is the small sample size of the feasibility study used to evaluate the ease of use and utility of the design approach. Originality/value The study makes a unique contribution by proposing a design approach that integrates business process and knowledge management considerations. The approach is particularly valuable because of the focus on integration with existing systems analysis and design techniques, thus allowing for easier adoption.

Digital librarianship practice and open access technology use for sustainable development in Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Omorodion Okuonghae ◽  
Edwin Iroroeavwo Achugbue
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Open Access ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Access Technology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Education Fund ◽  
Social Media Tools ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The continuous advancement in technology has disrupted practices in many sectors, including education. Thus, this study aims to examine digital librarianship practice and open access technology use for sustainable development in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach The survey type of descriptive research design was adopted in this study while the population of the study comprised librarians in universities in Delta State. A total of 38 randomly selected librarians from four universities in Delta State were used for this study, and the data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings This study revealed that the level of digital librarianship practice in university libraries in Delta State for sustainable development is low; just as social media tools, open source integrated library systems and Google Cloud Platforms are the most commonly used open access technologies in the libraries. Furthermore, this study showed that perennial factors such as poor funding of education, inadequate quality educational infrastructure, mismanagement of education fund among others are hindrance to sustainable development in the country’s educational sector. Research limitations/implications This study is limited in its use of only one state (out of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja) in Nigeria for this research. Also, social desirability bias on the part of the respondents could have influenced the pattern in which the respondents reacted to items in section D. Practical implications This study has practical implications for the sensitization and training of librarians towards leveraging on the various open access technologies in delivering effective library and information services required in the Fourth Industrial revolution. Originality/value This study seeks to pioneer a new area of focus by examining digital librarianship practice and open access technology use as enablers of sustainable development.

Agile Montage*/Agile assembly – Assembly planning and assembly system as integral elements of factory planning

2019 ◽  
Vol 109 (09) ◽  
pp. 622-627
Author(s):  
P. Burggräf ◽  
M. Dannapfel ◽  
T. Adlon ◽  
A. Riegauf ◽  
K. Müller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
Assembly Planning ◽  
Assembly System ◽  
Agile Methods ◽  
Assembly Systems ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Economic Optimization ◽  
Customer Needs ◽  
Factory Planning ◽  
Solution Approach

Produzierende Unternehmen intensivieren aufgrund zunehmend volatiler Kundenbedürfnisse die Anwendung agiler Produktentwicklungsansätze. Ziel des Beitrags ist die Einführung eines Konzepts zur Befähigung dieser dynamischen Produktentwicklung in der Montage. Der integrative Lösungsansatz basiert auf der wirtschaftlichen Optimierung des Agilitätsgrades von Montagesystemen sowie dem selektiven Einsatz agiler Methoden in der traditionell plangetriebenen Montageplanung als Teil der Fabrikplanung.   To meet more volatile customer needs, manufacturing companies increasingly make use of agile product development approaches. This article aims to introduce a concept to enable for dynamic product development in assembly. This integrative solution approach is based on the economic optimization of the degree of agility of assembly systems and on the selective use of agile methods in traditional, plan-driven assembly planning as part of factory planning.

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