Consolidation of product lifecycle information within human-robot collaboration for assembly of multi-variant products

Abstract

Human-robot collaboration is a key technology for realising and optimising the assembly of multi-variant products. However, the long-term and economic operation of collaborative systems requires eligible methods for the consolidation of lifecycle information and the transfer of operational and product data from the shop-floor into planning systems and vice versa. The paper introduces a systematic approach for information management and exchange in the field of collaborative assembly, based on a service-oriented architecture including process and product data exchange through AutomationML, virtual commissioning, and manufacturing execution. The methodology is evaluated in a laboratory use case and a reconfigurable demonstrator system is realized.