Lean techniques application towards efficient collaborative robot integration: an experimental study

Abstract

Paper aims  Highlight the practical implications of coupling collaborative robots with lean manufacturing techniques and understand mutual contributions towards enhanced operational performance.

Originality  Usage of an experimental approach, focusing on lean techniques as a differentiating skill to implement efficiently collaborative robots in a production representative environment.

Research method  Experimental case study, based on the gradual implementation of a collaborative robot within a manual assembly process in order to design a collaborative process.

Main findings  Guidelines for transition from manual to collaborative process, incorporating incremental improvement loops – and related skills – enabling enhanced performance.

Implications for theory and practice  Identification of a set of lean techniques contributing positively to collaborative robots’ usage, incorporated in a step by step operator driven implementation process.

Keywords  Collaborative robot; Lean techniques; Process improvement; Integration method; Experimental approach