dc.description.abstract | The collaborative approach where humans use robots as an intelligent assistant in the same
workspace to achieve a common goal have become a powerful tool.
Collaborative robots support quick adaptation to changing requirements, by quick
reconfigurability to a new product- or process mix, and quick adaptability to different
processes in the production line. In other words, they enable flexibility in the production
processes; also known under the concept of ‘agility’ in the supply chain literature. At the
same time, cobots have shown to enable lean processes in the production line by reducing cost
due to elimination of waste. For example, the cobots enable reduced installation and
reconfiguring time, less process complexity, prevent unused employee creativity and they
need less manufacturing space.
By combining the lean and agile manufacturing paradigms in the supply chain, the benefits
from both worlds can be achieved.
This thesis explores the collaborative robot’s ability, as a process technology strategy, to
enable leagile manufacturing (by extrapolating lean and agile) with improved performance
from flexibility and lean processes, in industrial environments with high product- and process
variety. Further to show how to implement the product variety across the supply chain,
including the manufacturing processes. The findings are summarized by a conceptual
framework for leagile manufacturing through collaborative robots. This is achieved by
triangulating an explorative literature study (by reviewing supply chain management and
production systems literature and real-life cases) and expert interviews.
Keywords: Collaborative Robots, Leagile Manufacturing, Lean Manufacturing, Agile
Manufacturing, Flexibility, Reconfigurability. | nb_NO |