Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
11-30-1987
Degree Name
Master of Science in Industrial Engineering - (M.S.)
Department
Industrial and Management Engineering
First Advisor
Gerald Barnes
Abstract
The thrust of this paper is directed toward establishing a roboticized small parts assembly line where none currently exist. Technical and pragmatic requisites were established and reviewed prior to installing the proposed robotic workcell. Although the specific model chosen for discussion is the locksmithing industry, the procedures followed, the design tools utilized, and the methods of job-costing employed apply equally to other small parts industries.
Basic industrywide considerations reviewed for each robotization effort included:
- Choosing the proper application for robotization
- Obtaining management support and labor input to insure the success of the project
- Deciding on the economic and production goals for the robotiC installation
- Comparing necessary technical attributes of various commercially available robots to ascertain the best candidate to perform the manufacturing operation under consideration
- Planning and engineering the robotic workcell for a particular manufacturing operation
- Examining both the pros and cons of implementing such a workcell
- Doing a detailed cost analysis for multiple shift operations of such a cell,to determine the time frame for corporate return-on-investment
From this starting point, and dependent upon the particular industry and specific operation under review, several or all of the previously mentioned considerations were weighted and examined in depth before a particular robot was chosen, or before a proposed workcell configuration was finalized.
There was, however, a serious drawback to this plan of action. Discounting prevalent industrywide considerations, (i.e. robot accuracy, repeatability, payload capacity etc.), production specialists indicated through interviews that there were no definitive guidelines available as to what criteria had to be met when designing and implementing a robotic workcell. Each industry had its own particular needs and basically went by past experience, or a particular manufacturer's suggestion when choosing a robot to meet its needs. This situation was remedied by constructing a planning or justification form to be utilized by technical representatives when reviewing a particular firm's needs. This form considered both economic and engineering criteria, thus eliminating guesswork and drastically cutting robot selection time.
Recommended Citation
Valese, Frank J., "Robotization for assembling small parts" (1987). Theses. 3331.
https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/theses/3331
