Development of a manufacturing system for gear assembly using collaborative robots

Abstract

Using robots in manufacturing processes is becoming more and more common. Robots can perform repetitive tasks that are not suitable for humans. Using robots in production can also save both time and money, as well as increasing product quality. However, using robots in complex assembly tasks can be challenging. Narrow spaces and tight fits can cause problems for the robots. Consequently, the paper presents a case study where two collaborative robots are used to assemble a planetary gear. In addition, the paper describes how a mobile robot is used to deliver the components used in the assembly. Image processing is used to orient the robots according to each other and localize the correct parts for each robot. One of the robots is also equipped with a force sensor which enables the ability to determine when a part is mounted correctly. The collaborative robots communicates through the Modbus/TCP protocol, while the mobile robot communicates through ARCL (Advanced Robotics Command Language) commands. All communication flows via a PLC, making the system a small-scale manufacturing system.