Automated Assembly Systems

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SINGAPORE--Engineers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) here have developed a robotic system that can autonomously assemble an IKEA chair. The machines feature off-the-shelf components, such as 3D cameras and robotic arms equipped with parallel grippers.

Medical devices pose a special challenge to designers of parts feeding equipment. Parts for such devices can be tiny, sharp, clingy, floppy, tangly; or some combination of those properties.

Disposable devices are essential components of every medical, dental and veterinary practice. Using disposables lowers costs, increases efficiency, and reduces the spread of infection. According to market research firm The Freedonia Group, sales of medical disposables in just the U.S. are expected to top $49.3 billion this year.

Cables, cord sets and wire harnesses are invariably assembled with at least some amount of manual labor, even when high volumes are needed. Sure, the process of cutting, stripping and terminating individual wires can be fully automatic.

Industry 4.0 is the hottest trend to hit the manufacturing world since the Toyota Production System started to transform assembly lines two decades ago. Although most of the talk about digital production systems and smart factories involves things such as augmented reality, collaborative robots or data analytics, conveyors play an equally important role.

Delta robots are becoming increasingly popular for many types of applications, because they're fast, have small footprints and feature large work envelopes.

Fixtures are essential to most assembly and machining processes. Their design is vital, as they have a direct effect on productivity, cost and quality. It is estimated that 40 percent of rejected parts stem from inappropriate fixturing.

Electric motors have been used in industry for more than 150 years. Siemens AG has been making them at its plant in Bad Neustadt, Germany, for 80 of those years.

From the outside, a robot appears to be an independent entity that can do many great things all on its own. But, in truth, it's the internal technology and end-of-arm tooling that enable the robot to effectively perform many types of assembly.

Sooner or later, most manufacturers need to consider investing in automatic screwdriving equipment. If an assembly calls for multiple screws of the same size, an autofeed screwdriver is an easy way to boost accuracy, productivity and quality.