Assembly Automation
Assembly automation is the application of robotics, software, digitalized data, and plant design engineering to manufacturing processes in order to minimize manual labor requirements while maximizing efficiency, safety, and output. Advancements in industrial automation technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine vision, complex robotics and other controls are making automated assembly more flexible, efficient and rapid than ever before.
It's well known among manufacturing engineers that optimizing the assembly process prior to the start of production results in more efficient manufacturing plans, improves time-to-volume-production, and limits costly layout revisions. To take advantage of these benefits as early as possible in the product lifecycle, the design of automated assembly systems relies more and more on the digitalization of manufacturing processes. By leveraging this data, engineers can validate the effectiveness of automated assembly plans in virtual simulations before investing in physical equipment and manufacturing facilities.
Across all major industries, market pressures and structural costs are requiring manufacturers to build more flexibility into their production facilities. Individual plants need to increase the number of products they can build, while exceeding their current quality targets and optimizing their shop floor footprint. Manufacturers must rely on automated systems to gain the flexibility necessary for more complex manufacturing operations and to boost their production efficiency. Thanks to the engineering of increasingly sophisticated capabilities, modern robotics is perhaps the biggest driving force in optimizing assembly automation.
