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Purpose This paper aims to describe an information model, the Canonical Robot Command Language (CRCL), which provides a high-level description of robot tasks and associated control and status information.Design/methodology/approach A common representation of tasks was used that is understood by all of the resources required for the job: robots, tooling, sensors and people.Findings Using CRCL, a manufacturer can quickly develop robotic applications that meet customer demands for short turnaround, enable portability across a range of vendor equipment and maintain investments in application development through reuse.Originality/value Industrial robots can perform motion with sub-millimeter repeatability when programmed using the teach-and-playback method. While effective, this method requires significant up-front time, tying up the robot and a person during the teaching phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper aims to define and describe test methods and metrics to assess industrial robot system agility in both simulation and in reality.Design/methodology/approach The paper describes test methods and associated quantitative and qualitative metrics for assessing robot system efficiency and effectiveness, which can then be used for the assessment of system agility.Findings The paper describes how the test methods were implemented in a simulation environment and real-world environment. It also shows how the metrics are measured and assessed as they would be in a future competition.Practical implications The test methods described in this paper will push forward the state of the art in software agility for manufacturing robots, allowing small and medium manufacturers to better utilize robotic systems.Originality/value The paper fulfills the identified need for standard test methods to measure and allow for improvement in software agility for manufacturing robots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper aims to propose a parallel automated assembly line system to produce multiple products in a semi-continuous system.Design/methodology/approach The control system developed in this research consists of a manufacturing system for two-level hierarchical dynamic decisions of autonomous/automated/automatic-guided vehicles (AGVs) dispatching/next station selection and machining schedules and a station control scheme for operational control of machines and components. In this proposed problem, the assignment of multiple AGVs to different assembly lines and the semi-continuous stations is a critical objective. AGVs and station scheduling decisions are made at the assembly line level. On the other hand, component and machining resource scheduling are made at the station level.Findings The proposed scheduler first decomposes the dynamic scheduling problems into a static AGV and machine assignment during each short-term rolling window. It optimizes weighted completion time of tasks for each short-term window by formulating the task and resource assignment problem as a minimum cost flow problem during each short-term scheduling window. A comprehensive decision making process and heuristics are developed for efficient implementation. A simulation study is worked out for validation.Originality/value Several assembly lines are configured to produce multiple products in which the technologies of machines are shared among the assembly lines when required. The sequence of stations is pre-specified in each assembly line and the components of a product are kept in machine magazine. The transportation between the stations in an assembly line (intra assembly line) and among stations in different assembly lines (inter assembly line) are performed using AGVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The following paper is a “Q & A interview” conducted by Joanne Pransky of Industrial Robot Journal as a method to impart the combined technological, business and personal experience of a prominent, robotic industry engineer-turned successful business leader, regarding the commercialization and challenges of bringing technological inventions to market while overseeing a company. This paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The interviewee is Aldo Zini, President and CEO of Aethon, Inc., a robotics and software company that has developed an innovative automated platform to improve internal supply logistics. In this interview, Zini shares some of the technical and business details that have led up to the latest version of Aethon’s core product, the TUG, a mobile autonomous robot with more than 450 installs worldwide. Findings – Zini received a BS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s in Public Management (Health Systems IT) from Carnegie Mellon University. While obtaining his BS degree, Zini did an internship in hospital consulting and became immediately interested in healthcare automation as a way to solve hospital inefficiencies. Zini went on to become the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Automated Healthcare, which developed the first robotic medication dispensing system for hospitals (ROBOT-Rx) and was acquired by McKesson for $67 million. Before joining and investing in Aethon, Zini was Senior Vice President of sales and marketing for TechRx, one of the largest providers of software solutions to the pharmacy industry, which was sold to NDC Corporation for over $200 million. Originality/value – Zini has been leading the technology revolution in hospital automation for more than 25 years. His contributions to technology-driven companies have led to acquisitions worth more than a quarter of a billion dollars. Zini owns several patents in medication-dispensing technology, and is credited with the development of key methodologies in quantifying the value proposition for several technology platforms deployed in hundreds of hospitals across the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a technique for assessing and comparing the static and dynamic performance of three different models of small six-axis industrial robots using a Renishaw XL80 laser interferometer system, a FARO ION laser tracker and a Renishaw QC20-W telescoping ballbar. Design/methodology/approach – Specific test methods are proposed in this work, and each robot has been measured in a similar area of its working envelope. The laser interferometer measurement instrument is used to assess the static positioning performance along three linear and orthogonal paths. The laser tracker is used to assess the contouring performance at different tool center point (TCP) speeds along a triangular tool path, whereas the telescoping ballbar is used to assess the dynamic positioning performance for circular paths at different TCP speeds and trajectory radii. Findings – It is found that the tested robots behave differently, and that the static accuracy of these non-calibrated robots varies between 0.5 and 2.3 mm. On the other hand, results show that these three robots can provide acceptable corner tracking at low TCP speeds. However, a significant overshoot at the corner is observed at high TCP speed for all the robots tested. It was also found that the smallest increment of Cartesian displacement (Cartesian resolution) that can be taken by the tested robots is approximately 50 μm. Practical implications – The technique used in this paper allows extremely accurate diagnosis of the robot performance, which makes it possible for the robot user to determine whether the robot is in good or bad condition. It can also help the decision-maker to select the most suitable industrial robot to achieve the desired task with minimum cost and specific application ability. Originality/value – This paper proposed a new method based on the performance verification approach for solving the robot selection problem for flexible manufacturing systems. Furthermore, despite their importance, bidirectional repeatability and Cartesian resolution are never specified by the manufacturers of industrial robots nor are they described in the ISO 9283:1998 guide, and they are rarely the object of performance assessments. In this work, specific tests are performed to check and quantify the bidirectional repeatability and the Cartesian resolution of each robot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the integration of a gesture control system for industrial collaborative robot. Human and robot collaborative systems can be a viable manufacturing solution, but efficient control and communication are required for operations to be carried out effectively and safely. Design/methodology/approach – The integrated system consists of facial recognition, static pose recognition and dynamic hand motion tracking. Each sub-system has been tested in isolation before integration and demonstration of a sample task. Findings – It is demonstrated that the combination of multiple gesture control methods can increase its potential applications for industrial robots. Originality/value – The novelty of the system is the combination of a dual gesture controls method which allows operators to command an industrial robot by posing hand gestures as well as control the robot motion by moving one of their hands in front of the sensor. A facial verification system is integrated to improve the robustness, reliability and security of the control system which also allows assignment of permission levels to different users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the importance of redesigning, reusing, remanufacturing, recovering, recycling and reducing (6R) to sustainable manufacturing and discuss the general procedure to reconfigure robots. Two critical challenges in adopting industrial robots in small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) are flexibility and cost, as the number of tasks of the same type can be limited because of the size of an SME. The challenges can be alleviated by 6R. The 6R processes allow a robot to adopt new tasks, increase its utilization rate and reduce unit costs of products. Design/methodology/approach – There is no shortcut to implement sustainable manufacturing. All of the manufacturing resources in a system should be planned optimally to reduce waste and maximize the utilization rates of resources. In this paper, modularization and reconfiguration are emphasized to implement 6R processes in sustainable manufacturing; robots are especially taken into consideration as core functional modules in the system. Modular architecture makes it feasible to integrate robots with low-cost customized modules for various tasks for the high utilization rates. A case study is provided to show the feasibility. Findings – Finding the ways to reuse manufacturing resources could bring significant competitiveness to an SME, in the sense that sophisticated machines and tools, such as robots, can be highly utilized even in a manufacturing environment with low or medium product volumes. The concepts of modularization and 6R processes can be synergized to achieve this goal. Research limitations/implications – The authors propose the strategy to enhance the utilization rates of core manufacturing resources using modular architecture and 6R practice. The axiomatic design theory can be applied as the theoretical fundamental to guide the 6R processes; however, a universal solution in the implementation is not available. The solutions have to be tailored to specific SMEs, and the solutions should vary with respect to time. Practical implications – To operate a sustainable manufacturing system, a continuous design effort is required to reconfigure existing resources and enhance their capabilities to fulfill new tasks in the dynamic environment. Social implications – The authors focus on the importance of sustainable manufacturing to modern society, and they achieve this goal by reusing robots as system components in different applications. Originality/value – Sustainable manufacturing has attracted a great deal of attention, although the operable guidance for system implementation is scarce. The presented work has thrown some light in this research area. The 6R concept has been introduced in a modular system to maximize the utilizations of critical manufacturing resources. It is particularly advantageous for SMEs to adopt sophisticated robots cost-effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this study has been to evaluate the technology of autonomous mobile manipulation in a real world industrial manufacturing environment. The objective has been to obtain experience in the integration with existing equipment and determine key challenges in maturing the technology to a level of readiness suitable for industry. Despite much research within the topic of industrial mobile manipulation, the technology has not yet found its way to the industry. To mature the technology to a level of readiness suitable for industry real-world experience is crucial. This paper reports from such a real-world industrial experiment with two mobile manipulators. Design/methodology/approach - In the experiment, autonomous industrial mobile manipulators are integrated into the actual manufacturing environment of the pump manufacturer Grundfos. The two robots together solve the task of producing rotors; a task constituted by several sub-tasks ranging from logistics to complex assembly. With a total duration of 10 days, the experiment includes workspace adaptation, safety regulations, rapid robot instruction and running production. Findings - With a setup time of less than one day, it was possible to program both robots to perform the production scenario in collaboration. Despite the success, the experiment clearly demonstrated several topics in need of further research before the technology can be made available to the industry: robustness and cycle time, safety investigations and possibly standardization, and robot and workstation re-configurability. Originality/value - Despite the attention of research around the world, the topic of industrial mobile manipulation has only seen a limited number of real-world integrations. This work reports from a comprehensive integration into a real-world running production and thus reports on the key challenges identified from this integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The aim of this paper is to develop a detailed descriptive model for kitting operations, allowing resources sizing and computation of systems' economic performances. Design/methodology/approach -- A mathematical model allows to size resources, given product characteristics and production mix, and determines total system costs by assessing relevant cost items including investment costs (vehicles, containers, storage racks), direct operating costs (transport and kitting workforce, vehicles energy consumption and maintenance, quality costs), indirect operating costs (space requirements, work in process (WIP) and safety stock holding costs, administration and control). Findings -- The choice of parts delivery supply to assembly lines requires a thorough economic comparison of alternatives. However, existing models are often simplistic and neglect many critical factors which affect the systems' performances. As a consequence, industries are unsure about which system is best for their environment. This model allows assessment of the cost and suitability of kitting in any specific industrial setting. Results of the model application are case-specific and cannot be generalized, but the major impact of labour and error correction cost has been highlighted. Research limitations/implications -- The model at present focusses on the in-house kitting systems based on travelling kits concept only. Although all quantitative cost drivers are included, some context-related qualitative decision factors are not yet included. The model assumes that the information about product structure and part requirements is known and that a preliminary design of the assembly system (i.e. line balancing) has been carried out. Practical implications -- Production managers are given a quantitative decision tool to properly assess the implementation of kitting policies at an early decision stage. This allows exploring the trade-offs between the alternatives and properly planning the adoption of kitting systems, as well as comparing kitting with alternative material supply methods. Originality/value -- With respect to previous simplified literature models, this new approach allows quantification of a number of additional factors which are critical for successful implementation of cost-effective kitting systems, including kitting errors. An exhaustive cost estimation of kitting systems in multiple, mixed-model assembly lines is thus permitted. Paper type Research paper [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]