Stella & Rose's Books

Contents

• Introduction
• WHY USE ROBOTS?
• Robot versus hard automation
• Robot availability, purchase and viability
• Assessing the robot market
• WHICH CONFIGURATION?
• Specialized robots
• Robot capability
• Which programming method?
• Important elements in robot specifications
• CALCULATION OF CYCLE TIMES
• Methods for calculating cycle time
• Parts trees
• Assessing workload
• GRIPPERS
• Sophisticated gripper versus simple gripper
• Compliance
• Types of grippers
• Gripper design
• Sensory control of grippers
• Gripper classifications
• Multiple robots
• Multiple arm robots
• Multiple grippers
• THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS
• Assembly techniques
• PRODUCT AND PROCESS DESIGN FOR ASSEMBLY
• Product compatibility
• Method of construction
• Fifteen design rules
• WORKSTATIONS
• The system
• Assembly line balancing
• Balancing a robot line
• Implementation of workstations
• MATERIAL FEEDERS
• Automatic feeders
• Feeding delicate items
• Component manufacture at site of usage
• Feeding consumable materials
• Conveyors
• Automated guided vehicles
• Prepackaged material control
• SENSING AND VISION
• Sensors
• Selecting a suitable sensor
• Automatic inspection
• MAN-MACHINE MIX
• Interaction between man and machine
• Programming
• Man-robot systems
• SAFETY
• Humans at risk from injury by robots
• Safety procedures and devices
• Procedural checks
• EVALUATION OF A ROBOT SYSTEM
• Methods of financial appraisal
• Strategic and tactical justification
• Productivity ratios
• Robot versus manual cost per hour
• Resource graphs
• Cost groups
• The proposal
• ECONOMICS OF ALTERNATIVE SYSTEMS
• Assessing costs
• Equilateral triangle
• Direct calculation
• Benefits and toyal expected savings
• Systems for a range of quantities
• Flexible and fixed aspects of automated assembly
• ECONOMICS OF ROBOTS AND GRIPPERS
• The workstation
• The gripper design
• THE FUTURE
• The short-term outlook
• The long-term outlook
• References and bibliography
• Appendix: Assembly robots Available in the USA and the UK
• Index