Development of a collaborative robot use case for automotive assembly

Human-Robot Collaboration is a developing field of industrial automation that promises to combine human and robot strenghts. After having analyzed the types of HRC strategies possible, this thesis treats the development of a collaborative robot application for labor efficiency increase on an engine assembly line. In this workstation, balance shafts are manually installed in an engine block and the aim is to free up worker's time by implementing a suitable HRC system while keeping costs and intervention on the preexisting assembly line under control. Operation is analyzed and tasks are divided between cobot and human worker according to their strengths and pace needs of the line, then we moved to design a demonstration workstation. After having chosen a robot arm from KUKA, this thesis treats the development and testing of a concept of gripping system to move the two balance shafts with the required performance in terms of repeatability and absence of play. This concept was developed as proof of concept first on a Robotiq gripper, then refined on a Zimmer gripper close to what can be seen on a factory floor. Along with robot end-effector design, a suitable layout was chosen to assemble a relevant test platform and research the details pertaining to arm motion control in order to perform the required operation. After having calculated a time chart of the operation now collaborative, we moved on to simulate the actual factory floor with continuous moving line and applied our findings to this operation closer to reality. Last chapter is about the experimental validation of the demonstrator workstation developed and about the economics performance of this application to get an evaluation of payback time.