European Assembly : Threats and Counter-Measures

Abstract

Investments in automatic assembly systems applications have stalled, and outsourcing of final assembly operations, to low-wage nations, has been a strong trend. In the meantime, several South East Asian countries have increased their level of automation and product knowledge. The need to modernise European assembly industry is therefore urgent. The robot systems market in Europe is expected to rise if certain conditions are met. The successful implementation of adequate automatic assembly solutions will only boost this rise, but only if it will provide modular, easily configured solutions. This article will illustrate details of these trends and their effects on European assembly. The article will also clarify emerging needs within assembly, such as miniaturisation, disassembly, and process-oriented assembly solutions. Obviously, these new requirements further enhance the urgency of a coordinated effort from European academia and industry. The authors will also provide a short summary of the ongoing research projects at the Royal Institute of Technology and the newly started European Commission funded Assembly Net Consortium, which gathers over 20 universities and 15 companies in a thematic network. Finally, a brief overview of a newly started research project with Ericsson Radio Systems is also detailed.