Considering Gripper Allocations in Balancing of Human-Robot Collaborative Assembly Lines

Abstract

Assembly lines are one of the best ways to meet human needs within production systems. In recent years, developments in the field of technology have also affected assembly lines. Companies that want to meet rapidly increasing demands and needs have started to design their assembly lines according to changing and developing technology. In the last few years, companies adopting paradigms such as smart factories and digital transformation have increased interest in industry 4.0 technologies. Especially the developments in the field of robotics called the wonder of technology, are a revolutionary change for assembly lines. Human-robot interaction represents an essential step in production. Collaborative robots (Cobots) can share the same working environment as humans. Inspired by the necessity of human-cobot interaction, this study investigates assembly line balancing with human and cobot collaboration. In addition, this study is the first to consider the appropriate gripper types required for cobots to perform assembly tasks of different sizes and shapes. A mixed integer linear programming model has been developed for the related problem, and an illustrative example has been presented to understand the developed model better. This study demonstrates how cobots with various technological capabilities and suitable grippers can change traditional assembly lines to determine the optimal number of workstations and grippers within a particular cycle time when predetermined tasks are performed by sharing the same work environment in interaction with humans.