Enhanced service modelling for flexible demand‐driven implementation of human–robot interaction in manufacturing

• Published in: IET collaborative intelligent manufacturing 2019-03, Vol.1 (1), p.20-27
• Main Authors: Delang, Kathleen, Todtermuschke, Marcel, Schmidt, Patrick Alexander, Bdiwi, Mohamad, Putz, Matthias
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Architecture; Automation; available process data; Case studies; complicated standards; Cost reduction; Employee benefits; Engineering; enhanced service; Flexibility; flexible demand‐driven implementation; HRI; human‐robot interaction; individual starting points; industrial robots; Manufacturing; manufacturing industries; Matching; medium‐sized enterprises; Modelling; multilayer concept; multiple promised benefits; Production lines; Productivity; Robots; service modelling approach; small‐to‐medium enterprises; SMEs; Software; Software development; System theory; Taxonomy; Workstations
• ISSN: 2516-8398; 2516-8398
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-cim.2018.0006

Even by providing benefits addressing the main megatrend in today's manufacturing industries human–robot interaction (HRI) still lacks reasonably applied use cases, especially in small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Most SMEs worry about complicated standards they have to consider when letting their employees work with a robot. Furthermore, they simply do not know where to start due to multiple promised benefits not precisely matching their requirements. Since they have individual starting points regarding their needs, available process data and documentation, it is expensive to obtain a customised evaluation of provided benefits. Thereby, the main challenge is to offer a consistent approach dealing with multiple requirements. The multi‐layer concept of service modelling provides a possibility to resolve this contradiction. It aims for an overall goal by achieving predefined subgoals with individually matching methods. Thus, each manufacturing company can choose the most suitable methodology to analyse its production line. Regarding HRI it is possible to select workstations with the best fitting solution according to individual requirements. The selection will be quantified based on analyses about provided values of HRI in manufacturing. This study presents the service modelling approach for the evaluation of workstations that are best suited for the implementation of HRI in SME.