Wire Harness Assembly Process Supported by a Collaborative Robot: A Case Study Focus on Ergonomics

Products and assets are becoming increasingly “smart”, e.g., mechatronic, electronic, or cyber-physical. In the lack of fully reliable wireless solutions, extensive wiring wire bundling into harnesses needed. This has manufacturing implications, leading to complex harness assembly processes, where numerous components, connectors, cables assembled, connecting critical non-critical electric electronic systems in smart products assets. Thus, demand is rapidly rising most industries, requiring human robotic work. Often, required work tasks repetitive physically demanding, while still needing people for quality reasons. An attractive solution would therefore be humans collaborating with robots. Unfortunately, there very few scientific studies on automation solutions using collaborative robots (cobots) process increase productivity improve ergonomics. Furthermore, presently carried out 90% manually this industry, causing serious ergonomic problems workers who perform such daily. The challenge reducing risks currently present many established processes improving production time quality. paper presents an early prototype simulation integrate a cobot process, primarily improvements. use specifically proposed reduce workers. Two methodologies: RULA JSI were used evaluate ergonomics task cable tie collocation. real-world case study results illustrate validation which significantly reduced non-ergonomic postures placing ties studied. analysis without (the actual process) was conducted, based methodologies, presenting highest possible scores both evaluations, calls urgent changes current Then, same performed cobot, obtaining significant reductions at hand acceptable values.