Assembly of Automotive Seatbelts Assisted by Cobot and RoboDK
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Abstract
In the modern automotive sector, Industry 4.0 principles have been widely adopted to enhance flexibility, efficiency, and quality in production processes. Nonetheless, several automotive subprocesses still rely on operators for manual or repetitive tasks, which are highly susceptible to human error and may compromise product quality while increasing operating costs. This study addresses this challenge by implementing a collaborative robotic solution for manufacturing environments. Specifically, it proposes the integration of a cobot for the assembly of automotive seatbelts at the ZF plant in Tamaulipas, Mexico. RoboDK is used to simulate and evaluate a Universal Robots cobot intended to increase operational efficiency and reduce defect rates at the press station. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed simulation approach, enabling the functional analysis and validation of multiple configurations within the manufacturing cell while ensuring the safe integration of the collaborative robot (cobot). Furthermore, the proposed solution supports safe human-robot collaboration in compliance with the ISO/TS 15066 technical specification. Overall , the implemented system shows significant potential to improve efficiency and operational flexibility while reducing costs in the production process.
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