User-Centred Human-Robot Collaborative Handling of Small Parts in a MIM Process

Collaborative technologies can help improve work conditions for operators with any profile, in demanding production tasks. This paper presents an intervention intermediate stage of a Metal Injection Molding (MIM) manufacturing process poor ergonomics, both physical and stress-related, due to sustained visual attention demands. A collaborative workstation was designed implemented, integrating robot machine-vision system bin-picking. The strategy the distribute tasks between worker robot, where undertook non-ergonomic task arranging small pieces close together on plate, forming pre-established pattern. Tests first implementation suggest that task-sharing manipulation MIM-produced references is viable. Careful design fingers key such parts, ambiguous piece configurations require fine tuning identification systems, error-free execution.