This paper presents an agent-based approach to online assembly task allocation and scheduling for flexible assembly systems. We propose an anytimescheduling algorithm to handle dynamic changes during planning. This algorithm is the center of an agent-based architecture in which agents for scheduling, collision avoidance, task execution, and task monitoring collaborate to overcome unexpected exe...

Gross-motion planning for assembly is common ly considered as a distinct, isolated step between task sequencing/scheduling and f ine-mot ion planning. In this paper we formula te the problem of gross-motion planning for assembly in a manner that integrates it with both the m a n ufacturing process and the f i ne mot ions involved an the f inal assembly stages. One distinct characteristic of gro...

In the traditional concept of product life cycle management, the activities of design, manufacturing, and assembly are performed in a sequential way. The drawback is that the considerations in design may contradict the considerations in manufacturing and assembly. The different designs of components can lead to different assembly sequences. Therefore, in some cases, a good design may result in ...

Compliant assemblies are widely used in automobiles and airplanes etc. In order to simplify the complex assembly sequence planning problem of compliant assemblies involving dimensional variation caused by deformation, a two-step assembly sequence planning method is proposed in this paper. Meanwhile, an example of a wingbox assembly is used to explain the principle of the method. In the first st...

This paper presents a new framework for worst-case toleranced assembly planning of planar mechanical systems. Unlike most assembly planners, which produce plans for nominal parts, our framework incorporates the inherent imprecision of the manufacturing process, which introduces uncertainties in the shape and size of the assembly parts. It accounts for the uncertainty of the relative part placem...

3D printing enables the fabrication of complex architectures by automating long sequences of additive steps. The increasing sophistication of printers, materials, and generative design promises to make geometric complexity a non-issue in manufacturing; however, this complexity can only be realized if a design can be translated into a physically executable sequence of printing operations. We inv...

This paper presents an integrated system for assembly planning and redesign, based on \Design for Assembly (DFA)" principles. DFA criteria are used in the generation of cost eeective assembly sequences for mechanical products, using a technique known as \Backward Assembly Planning". If the assembly cost can be further reduced by redesign, the system performs \Reverse Engineering", produces a de...

We describe the implementation and performance of Archimedes 2, an integrated mechanical assembly planning system. Archimedes 2 includes two planners, two assembly sequence animation facilities, and an associated robotic workcell. Both planners use fully 3 dimensional data. A rudimentary translator from high level assembly plans to control code for the robotic workcell has also been implemented...

General Translational Assembly Planning Achim Schweikard, Fabian Schwarzer Informatik Technische Universit at M unchen, 80290 M unchen [email protected] Abstract: An exact and practical method for translational motion planning with many degrees of freedom is derived. It is shown that certain D dimensional arrangements of hyperplanes can be searched in the following way: only...

The sequence of mating operations which can be carried out to assemble a group of parts is constrained by the geometric and mechanical properties of the parts, their assembled configuration, and the stability of the resulting subassemblies. An approach to representation and reasoning about these sequences is described here, and leads to several alternative explicit and implicit plan representat...