Integrating digital manufacturing and simulation tools in the assembly design process: A cooperating robots cell case

This paper addresses the challenges encountered in the process of integrating simulation tools in the process of designing cooperating robots-based assembly cells, particularly focusing on the issues related to the automotive Body in White (BIW) assembly lines. A short overview about cooperating robots is presented, emphasizing on the requirements posed by the increasing need for mass customization in the automotive industry. A novel simulation-based approach is introduced for supporting engineers in the process of designing cooperating robots cells. It is demonstrated in a realistic BIW assembly case. Alternative cell configurations are generated and evaluated in an integrated way. The outlook of the proposed approach against current practice is discussed.