Collaborative robotics in wire harnesses spot taping process

Román-Ibáñez, Vicente; Pujol, Francisco A.; Ortega, Sebastián; Perpiñán, J.M. Sanz

doi:10.1016/j.compind.2020.103370

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…These work shoulder-to-shoulder with humans to perform a task or series of tasks [21]. Using a cobot will decrease the number of tasks that a worker will perform and improve the quality and productivity of a process [9]. Collaborative robots have sensors that detect a collision, stopping the cobot under activation and avoiding harming humans [21,22].…”

Section: Collaborative Robotsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the wire harness assembly process tasks found in the scientific literature that has been successfully automated through a cobot is the spot-taping task, as described by Gualtieri et al [4] and Ibáñez et al [9], wherein both technological developments were able to improve the productivity and ergonomics of this task. Later, Tunstel et al [10] and Yumbla et al [11] used a cobot to make two technological developments focused on the malefemale connection task in a wire harness assembly process, realizing task productivity and quality improvements.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cobot solutions by Gualtieri et al [4] and Ibáñez et al [9] were made specifically for a specific type of wire harness. When the wire harness type changes, the programming of their cobot solution also needs to change.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to Gualtieri et al [4], Ibáñez et al [9], and Capitanelli et al [15], it is very difficult to make robots work with flexible materials (e.g., cables and wires), even sometimes hard for humans too. This is one of the reasons why it is so difficult to automate many wire harness assembly process tasks, and why most of the automation solutions focus only on tasks where the wire harness does not need to move.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Wire Harness Assembly Process Supported by a Collaborative Robot: A Case Study Focus on Ergonomics

et al. 2022

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Products and assets are becoming increasingly “smart”, e.g., mechatronic, electronic, or cyber-physical. In the lack of fully reliable wireless solutions, extensive wiring and wire bundling into wire harnesses are needed. This has manufacturing implications, leading to increasingly complex wire harness assembly processes, where numerous components, connectors, and cables are assembled, connecting critical and non-critical electric and electronic systems in smart products and assets. Thus, wire harnesses demand is rapidly rising in most industries, requiring human or robotic work. Often, required work tasks are repetitive and physically demanding, while still needing people for quality reasons. An attractive solution would therefore be humans collaborating with robots. Unfortunately, there are very few scientific studies on automation solutions using collaborative robots (cobots) for wire harness assembly process tasks to increase process productivity and improve work ergonomics. Furthermore, wire harness assembly process tasks are presently carried out 90% manually in this industry, causing serious ergonomic problems for assembly workers who perform such tasks daily. The challenge is reducing the ergonomic risks currently present in many established wire harness assembly processes while improving production time and quality. This paper presents an early prototype and simulation to integrate a cobot into a wire harness assembly process, primarily for work ergonomic improvements. The use of a cobot is specifically proposed to reduce ergonomic risks for wire harness assembly workers. Two methodologies: RULA and JSI were used to evaluate the ergonomics of the task of cable tie collocation. The real-world case study results illustrate the validation of a cobot which significantly reduced non-ergonomic postures in the task of placing cable ties in the wire harnesses assembly process studied. An ergonomic analysis without the cobot (the actual process) was conducted, based on RULA and JSI methodologies, presenting the highest possible scores in both evaluations, which calls for urgent changes in the current wire harness assembly process task studied. Then, the same analysis was performed with the cobot, obtaining significant reductions in the ergonomic risks of the task at hand to acceptable values.

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Section: Collaborative Robotsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Wire Harness Assembly Process Supported by a Collaborative Robot: A Case Study Focus on Ergonomics

et al. 2022

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“…One of the most failed assessments in the assembly plant is the installation of high-voltage cables. These cables face ergonomic problems due to difficulties in the assembly vehicle line cyclic processes, where mechanical stress is being carried out above the established values [1][2][3], affecting pre-productive and productive build stages to the overall assembly plants [4]. Some solutions to wiring and cables are being studied to help with creative ideas to solve the main difficulties presented in the assembly process.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical assessment and characterization of automobile high-voltage cable coverings

Martínez-González,

Juárez-Sosa,

Mercado–Lemus

et al. 2024

Rev. Ci. Tec.

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In the automotive industry, arranging wire harnesses in assembly plants requires manual work. The stiffness of the high-voltage cable implies that personnel applies sufficient force on the cable to achieve a proper installation. Sometimes, the applied force is not strong enough; thus, the cable is not properly installed, or the personnel gets injured, raising ergonomic concerns that need attention. The challenges arise from the intrinsic cable characteristics such as diameter, copper type, cable strand quantity, first-layer insulator, cable insulator glue, and protective covering. The primary objective of this research is to examine how various factors, such as cable length and protective covering, impact the mechanical properties that influence the assembly of high-voltage cables. The methodology proposed consisted of characterizing the mechanical properties of the high-voltage cables in a cantilever beam test to measure deflection in response to an applied force. The measured properties were contrasted through a Finite Element Analysis of the high-voltage cable. The results validated the initial hypothesis, revealing two key findings. Firstly, the stiffness of cables varies with increasing length. Secondly, cables with tape exhibit greater stiffness than those with conduit and cables without covering, as detailed in the results section. In conclusion, extending cables without attachment points is recommended until the interfaces and environment permit. Furthermore, minimizing tape for cable protection while exploring alternative safeguards can enhance stiffness and facilitate an ergonomic installation assembly under favorable conditions. This study contributes valuable insights for optimizing high-voltage cable installation processes in assembly plants, addressing stiffness concerns through informed choices and design considerations.

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Collaborative Patterns for Workflows with Collaborative Robots

Samhaber

Leitner²

2022

Cooperative Information Systems

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Collaborative robotics in wire harnesses spot taping process

Cited by 10 publications

References 13 publications

Wire Harness Assembly Process Supported by a Collaborative Robot: A Case Study Focus on Ergonomics

Wire Harness Assembly Process Supported by a Collaborative Robot: A Case Study Focus on Ergonomics

Numerical assessment and characterization of automobile high-voltage cable coverings

Collaborative Patterns for Workflows with Collaborative Robots

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