Consumer goods sector: Handling capabilities as enabler of mass customization in the consumer goods sector

The Philips factory operates assembly lines consisting of several robotic cells, each with one or several dedicated functions, that collectively shape the assembly process. 

The fully automated shaver assembly lines at Philips in Drachten are state of the art from an automation perspective, run fast and have high efficiencies. Although the assembly line consists of flexible robots in modular assembly line concept, all solutions to overcome process stability challenges drastically reduces the flexibility of the line. For instance, the sequence of production steps cannot vary and the geometrical differences between the parts assembled can only be minor. As a result, the current production lines are developed to produce 1 to 3 different but very similar variants of the same type of product. 

The initially proposed use cases are the pop-up trimmer and the drive train. Both products present a wide variation in part geometry and assembly sequence. Some parts are easier to handle while others are both complex to grasp and require complex handling for placement. 

HARTU’s technologies could help going towards the current trends of mass customisation, where the standard ad-hoc programming of manipulation tasks it is impractical.