Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

From Manual Operation to Collaborative Robot Assembly: An Integrated Model of Productivity and Ergonomic Performance

Ya-Jun Zhang, Li Liu, Ningjian Huang, Robert Radwin, Jingshan Li*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review

Abstract

Manufacturing systems involve machines and people. Both productivity and ergonomic performance are of significant importance in manufacturing. However, there is no integrated model to analyze them simultaneously. To bridge this gap, a unified model is introduced to evaluate the productivity and ergonomic performance of both manual operations and collaborative robot assembly systems. Specifically, flow time is used to represent productivity measurement and strain index characterizes ergonomic performance. Models and solutions of both performance measures in manual operations and collaborative assembly processes are introduced. Then a unified model to integrate both metrics, throughput rate per unit of work effort time, is proposed. Finally, a cylinder head assembly example is introduced to illustrate the applicability of the model. © 2021 IEEE.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)895-902
JournalIEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
Volume6
Issue number2
Online published18 Jan 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2021
Externally publishedYes

Funding

This letter was recommended for publication by Associate Editor Q. Chang and J. Yi upon evaluation of the reviewers’ comments. This work was supported in part by NSF under Grant 1928245.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
    SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

Research Keywords

  • Collaborative robot assembly
  • ergonomics
  • flow time
  • productivity
  • strain index

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'From Manual Operation to Collaborative Robot Assembly: An Integrated Model of Productivity and Ergonomic Performance'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this