Implementation of a Laboratory Case Study for Intuitive Collaboration Between Man and Machine in SME Assembly

Collaborative robotics, human-machine interaction (HMI), and human–robot collaboration (HRC) introduce a new concept of collaborative workspaces by allowing a mixed manufacturing environment where humans and machines can work hand-in-hand in a safe, ergonomic, and efficient way. The main issue is to ensure operators’ safety and ergonomics when they are collaborating hand-in-hand with high-performance collaborative robots. This chapter shows a case study of human–robot collaborative assembly applied to the production of a pneumatic cylinder in a learning factory laboratory. Starting from an existing situation, the transformation process between pure manual assembly and collaborative assembly is analysed, and the implementation of safe, ergonomic, and efficient solutions for the cell layout and workflow design are discussed. Finally, future improvements are proposed.

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