Investigation of Robotic Assembly of an Electric Motor Utilizing Single Arm and Dual Arm Robot Configurations

Abstract

An electric motor was assembled utilizing: (a) human labor only, (b) human labor combined with the assistance of a single robot arm, and (c) coordination between two robot arms. Assembly times were obtained for both human labor assembly of the motor and single-arm assembly of the motor; however, an unexpected equipment malfunction prevented the completion of the dual-arm assembly project. The data collected during the course of the study was analyzed to provide a basis for comparison between each method of assembly, as well as a comparison of each method with regard to its use in an actual manufacturing environment. Robotic applications in the manufacturing industry and the limitations of robotic equipment due to technological constraints were described. Hardware developments, which allow greater flexibility in robotics projects were illustrated, and their use in future projects is encouraged.