Mapping Robotic Assembly Planning Documents: Towards Production Planning Automation

Automation of production planning for dexterous robotic processes requires the integration of information from multiple production documents. One of the widespread production documents used in industry is the computer-aided design (CAD) model. CAD models detail geometric topologies relevant to the assembly of rigid objects. However, deformable objects which are common in various industrial assemblies are not represented in CAD and their production definitions are detailed in multiple production documents. A prerequisite to automatic planning of robotic assembly suitable for industrial setups is mapping relevant production documents applied to real-world products in different industry sectors. This study aims at identifying production documents with meaningful information for robotic assembly planning of real-world products, A theoretical analysis was conducted to define robotic assembly planning features, followed by a field study in factories to map relevant production documents. A case study with a real-world electrical product is demonstrated. The datasheet, bill of materials, electric scheme, and job guide were pinpointed as meaningful production documents for robotic assembly planning. Combining production documents can identify production part characteristics and facilitates addressing their assembly requirements for automatic robotic assembly planning procedures suitable for industrial environments.