Improve automatic data acquisition, storage, traceability with user-friendly interfaces and human safety

Challenge

Improve automatic data acquisition, storage, traceability with user-friendly interfaces and human safety. Simple tools for the set-up of robotized human-centric cells for production lines in different manufacturing scenarios:

1. Pilot 1: Manufacturing of a healthcare component for diagnostic imaging
2. Pilot 2: Robot training for part sorting.
3. Pilot 3: Frame manufacturing AR assistance.

Use case

• Pilot 1: Manufacturing of a healthcare component for diagnostic imaging The pilot will deal with the set-up of a manufacturing cell for a transmission component of a diagnostic image machine. Due to the importance of the product the designed pilot will need to address quality monitoring and data integration in existing IT infrastructures to ensure medial certification processes. Moreover, due to the complexity of the assembly, collaboration of the robot with the operator in the same workspace is foreseen, sharing tasks in the same part assembly. Additional components for improving the acceptance of the robotic solution and flexible safety will be evaluated and deployed, along with VR training of the operator.

• Pilot 2: This use case relates to sorting contact pads, parts of electrical switches. For the autonomous assembly of those switches, the contacts must be stored and placed in a well-defined position. However, the specifications of such pads change quite frequently, and long time is spent by system integrators for teaching a new part. The objective of the SHOP4CF solution is to enable the robot training by means of a specialized glove, to place the parts in front of the camera and enable the automated CAD generation.

• Pilot 3: In this use case, a robotic arm is used to manufacture 3D printed parts out of aluminum wire deposited on an aluminum substrate. Prior to the task, a human worker must calibrate the robotic arm, by pointing the frame of where the manufacturing should take place on the substrate. Without real-time instructions, it is difficult for inexperienced workers to follow-up on the actions they need to perform for the robot calibration. Additionally, they need to be able to inspect the frame that was identified by the robotic arm after the calibration, as improper calibration could result in faulty manufacturing, even out of the bounds of the substrate. The objective of the SHOP4CF pilot is to assist the human worker in calibrating and inspecting the frame manufacturing by means of AR technology.

Health device gearbox assembly

SHOP4CF scope:

• Collaborative assembly or gearbox
• Some parts assembled by the robot – some parts assembled by the worker
• AR to indicate worker instructions / tasks
• Final quality checks of assembled part
• Communication with MES

Robot training for part shorting

SHOP4CF scope:

• Robot teaching using a specialized glove.
• Optimize the positioning during the robot teaching for the automated CAD model generation
• Part optimal sorting and positioning using Reinforcement Learning
• Provide/monitor information and data from the components (e.g. percentage of scanning of a part)

Frame manufacturing AR assistance

SHOP4CF scope:

• Use a projector to display task instructions to the worker and for the frame generation and inspection of the frame created.