Advances in Robot Technology Supporting Low-Volume/High-Mix Small Part Assembly Operations

Published

January 25, 2022

Author(s)

Joseph A. Falco, Karl Van Wyk, Kenneth Kimble

Abstract

Recent advancements in robotic arms and end-effectors have the potential to accelerate the use of robotics for assembly. The force sensing and compliance capabilities used in collaborative robots to prevent injuries and enable them to work safely alongside human workers in manufacturing environments lend themselves to robotic assembly tasks. Additionally, robotic hands are emerging as a next generation end-effector technology with advanced force control and manipulation capabilities. These robotic components as well as improved calibration methods, artificial intelligence techniques, simplified programming inter- faces, and ease of reconfiguration are all contributing to new ways of tackling the small parts assembly field especially for low-volume, high-mix manufacturing operations. This chapter presents recent advancements in robotic assembly towards reducing integration complexity, increasing production rates, and improving the process quality of automated assembly operations.

Citation

Recent Advances in Industrial Robotics

Publisher Info

World Scientific Publishing Company (WSPC), Hackensack, NJ

Pub Type

Book Chapters

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

robot, force, control, compliance, grasping, manipulation, assembly, benchmarks, performance measures, manufacturing

Citation

Falco, J. , Van Wyk, K. and Kimble, K. (2022), Advances in Robot Technology Supporting Low-Volume/High-Mix Small Part Assembly Operations, Recent Advances in Industrial Robotics, World Scientific Publishing Company (WSPC), Hackensack, NJ, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=926435 (Accessed October 24, 2025)