US-West Germany Cooperative Research On Automating Robotic Assembly Workplace Planning

该奖项支持教授理查德L。弗朗西斯和森瑟耶拉兰 佛罗里达大学合作研究工业 Horst W教授的工程学。哈马赫 德国联邦共和国凯泽斯滕大学数学系。 他们合作的目标是开发算法， 帮助实现机器人装配工作场所自动化的软件 规划 教授弗朗西斯和Yeralan将参与 工程方面的项目，包括一些计算机建模 和PC图形，与工业界的联系，机器人方面的专业知识和一些 理论分析 Hamacher教授将参与 机器人操作的组合数学建模， 相关算法的计算机实现。 在电子制造业中，许多种类的印刷电路板具有 零件由机器人插入，插入可以在任何地方进行。 顺序 同样，人们可以自由选择垃圾箱或喂食器的位置 来装零件 装配顺序和位置的选择 箱的数量会极大地影响总装配时间， 制造业生产力。 利用组合学和定位的思想 理论上，这些研究人员将开发算法来确定一个最佳的 装配顺序和最佳仓位置。 算法将会 用可在PC上操作的软件实现。 合作者将 还检查了设置时间占主导地位的相关问题， 涉及零件到箱子的分配的问题。 结果 预计将适用于各种制造环境 包括机器人。

This award supports Professors Richard L. Francis and Sencer Yeralan of the University of Florida for collaborative research in industrial engineering with Professor Horst W. Hamacher of the Department of Mathematics, University of Kaiserslautern, Federal Republic of Germany. The objective of their collaboration is to develop algorithms and software to help implement the automation of robotic assembly workplace planning. Professors Francis and Yeralan will be involved with the engineering aspects of the project, including some computer modeling and PC graphics, contacts with industry, expertise on robots and some theoretical analysis. Professor Hamacher will be involved with combinatorial mathematical modeling of the robotic operations and related computer implementation of algorithms. In electronic manufacturing, many kinds of printed circuit boards have parts to be inserted by a robot, and the insertions can be made in any sequence. Likewise, one is free to choose locations of bins or feeders to contain the parts. The choice of assembly sequence and the location of the bins can greatly affect the total assembly time and thus the manufacturing productivity. Using ideas in combinatorics and location theory, these investigators will develop algorithms to determine a best assembly sequence and best bin locations. The algorithms will be implemented with software operable on a PC. The collaborators will also examine related problems where set-up times are dominant, and problems involving the distribution of parts to bins. The results are expected to be applicable in a variety of manufacturing contexts involving robots.