Water Retaining Nylon Rolling Application in the Automotive Industry with Collaborative Robot (COBOT)

Abstract

This study focuses on the prototype design and preliminary experiments regarding the applicability of robots capable of collaborating with humans in the automotive sector. In standard factories, production is mostly carried out by humans. The use of robots is more suitable for tasks that require a certain standard. Performing operations with cooperative robots working alongside humans reduces costs and increases efficiency. A Cost/Benefit analysis was conducted in this study to assess the feasibility of using robots. The application will be carried out by a cobot. The surface beneath the upholstery on the side doors in the automobile body assembly line is covered with nylon to prevent liquid permeability. Currently, this process is performed by two operators for four doors. To validate the application in cases of quality issues, marking is done along the line with acetate and a pen during the rolling process. In the study, positioning for the doors on the conveyor line, moving at a speed of 3,2 m/min, was achieved using cameras mounted on two cobots equipped with grippers on the right and left sides. By applying a compressive force of 50N with the pressure roller at the gripper end, the adhesive on the nylon is ensured to bond with the sheet metal. The stability of the system was observed when comparing animation data with the application created in the experimental environment. As a result of all these processes, operational precision increased, and continuous robot-door synchronization was achieved. According to cost analyses, it is projected that the system will amortize itself within approximately 4 years.

Keywords

• Collaborative robot technology
• Human-robot interaction
• Smart factories

References

1. Aydin, E., Bolat, H. & Gullu, A. (2024). Water retaining nylon rolling application in the automotive industry with collaborative robot (COBOT). The Eurasia Proceedings of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (EPSTEM), 28, 97-104.