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The use of assistive technologies, such as digital instructions (DIs) and collaborative robots (cobots), can improve the productivity of assembly system. However, their implementation remains arbitrary. In this study, a decision support system based on tactical-level variables (i.e. throughput, operator and equipment cost, operation time and type) was proposed with the aim of suggesting when the introduction of assistive technologies becomes profitable. Four different assembly system configurations (i.e. manual assembly, manual assembly with the implementation of DIs, manual assembly with the implementation of cobots and manual assembly with the implementation of both DIs and cobots) were modelled by means of four different cost models and analysed in depth with a parametric analysis carried out by varying the tactical-level variables. The results suggested that, when the throughput is low, the introduction of cobots should be considered only in cases of high operation times, while the introduction of DIs and/or cobots is the best alternative when the throughput is high. Finally, the validity of the approach is proved by comparing the results suggested by the decision support system with those obtained from a case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmented Reality (AR) applications have seen a rise in industry in the last few years, due to technological advancements in many of its fundamental areas, such as display and sensing technologies. AR has been used as a driver for supporting human operators in fully manual and semi-automated systems, proving its usefulness in areas such as operation and reconfiguration instructions, safety and resource status awareness. This paper presents an AR application that integrates a set of support features based on the latest advances in AR. The application covers all the aforementioned areas of interest, by including digital instructions, malfunction alerts and resource state visualization in one unified framework. An Asset Administration Shell (AAS) framework has been developed for integration and data exchange between the application and the overall industrial network. The developed application has been validated in an industrial-components-manufacturing case study. Nevertheless, its modularity allows for the adaption in other varying industrial sectors as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manual “easy jobs” need to be efficient, standardised and quality assured to remain competitive against automated production. Digitalised work instructions offer an opportunity to support standardisation and quality assurance for manual work tasks in industry. Inspired by axiomatic design this study aims at selecting design of lean methods and equipment for digital assembly instructions and standardised work. Literature regarding standardised work and green lean production system is applied in a case study. Interviews, observations and green lean equipment design methods are used to conclude system requirements of a digital work instruction-system designed for assembly of modular buildings at Husmuttern AB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]