Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.31803/tg-20230425171431

The Impact of Collaborative Robot on Production Line Efficiency and Sustainability

Aljaz Javernik orcid.org/0009-0007-4570-0536 ; University of Maribor, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Robert Ojstersek orcid.org/0000-0001-6244-3737 ; University of Maribor, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Borut Buchmeister orcid.org/0000-0003-3549-9596 ; University of Maribor, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia

Abstract

The global production tends towards more sustainable manufacturing, which forces manufacturers to constantly change and adapt. In our case, we are considering the FESTO CP LAB 400 production line, primarily designed for the training of personnel in the field of automation, which is essential for maintaining competitiveness in today's world. The production line consists of seven fully automated workstations and one manual assembly workstation, which represents the bottleneck of the production system. The paper presents a comparative study of the lines (human assembly vs. collaborative robot assembly) with an emphasis on economic and environmental aspects. The input parameters of the production line were obtained based on real-world measurements, while the assembly time of the collaborative robot was determined through simulation studies. The results of the study are presented graphically and numerically and confirm the contribution of the introduction of a collaborative robot to the assembly workstation in both financial and environmental terms.

Keywords

cobot; collaborative robot; manufacturing efficiency; production line; simulation modelling; sustainability

Hrčak ID:

301545

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/301545

Publication date:

15.6.2023.

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