A modeling approach to aid in designing robotized manufacturing cells

Abstract

Abstract This article describes an approach for modeling the work cycle of robotized manufacturing cells. The approach incorporates the logic of GERT networks and the computational techniques of recursion models, but extends these fundamental concepts to provide a resource‐based model of cell operations. Since the approach gives approximate estimates of performance, accuracy is evaluated in comparison with simulation results. A comprehensive, but hypothetical, example is given to describe use of the model as an aid in cell design. Typical applications involve “what if” studies to evaluate end‐of‐arm effectors, cell layout, a limited supply of tooling, equipment capabilities (e.g., speeds), and sequence of operations in cells employing one or more robots.