Performance analysis of robotic kitting systems

Abstract Robotic kitting and presenting parts in the from of a kit to an assembly robot can provide significant flexibility, control, expandability, and productivity in both the part stores and final assembly operations. The problem of selecting the proper design of a robotic kitting configuration based on desired performance criteria is discussed. Several models of recommended robotic kitting configurations were developed and then analyzed using a robot cell simulator, SINDECS-R, and a robot motion time program, RTM. Each of these models was evaluated for a variety of typical operating conditions and compared based on performance in order to provide guidance for designers. The most favorable robotic kitting design as found in this analysis is the miniload on-board robot/automated storage-retrieval kitting system.