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F. Ranz, W. Sihn, T. Komenda:
"Collaborative Robotics as a Success Factor in Electronics Manufacturing";
Vortrag: COMA '19, Stellenbosch; 30.01.2019 - 01.02.2019; in: "Proceedings of the International Conference on Competitive Manufacturing - Knowledge Valorisation in the Age of Digitalization", D. Dimitrov, D. Hagedorn-Hansen et al. (Hrg.); (2019), ISBN: 978-0-7972-1779-9; S. 278 - 284.

Semiconductor electronics is a highly globalized, competitive, high-volume and low-cost manufacturing sector that has experienced continuous outsourcing to specialized Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) and offshoring during the last decades. While large portions of the value stream have been automated, EMS struggle to rationalize production of smaller batches in the 5 to 7 digits range due to the immense complexity and invest that comes with equipment for automated PCB assembly, testing and packaging. Thus, these processes are often still carried out manually - implicating high labor cost per piece as well as monotonous, tedious work for operators. This paper outlines the core results of an industry-oriented research project determining the potential of collaborative lightweight robotics for surface-mounted device (SMD) manufacturing. The authors show that collaborative robots are an automation technology meeting the requirements with regard to economics, flexibility and ergonomics. The paper presents not only an analytical approach but also the validation of its results by implementing a pilot application. Coping with the idea of collaboration, technologies available for SMD handling and manipulation had to be adapted to be considered safe for direct human-robot interaction and, at the same time, achieve process velocities that meet the desired customer takt. The authors expound generic fields of applications for humanrobot collaboration in SMD manufacturing that could be identified and set out an approach for and the results of the profitability analysis. With regard to the pilot implementation, an exemplary collaborative work system layout is presented. To prove conformity with relevant ISO norms and specifications, effective forces for collisions between human and robot have been evaluated experimentally.

Human-Robot-Collaboration, SMD handling, safety, system design