INDUSTRIAL

ROBOTICS
SIMULATION
BIW (Body in White)
- Body shell before paint
INTRODUCTION TO ASSEMBLY PROCESS PLANNING
Process Planning helps create and optimize build-to-order and lean production manufacturing systems.
Process Planning helps users to simulate, validate and effectively plan essential manufacturing capabilities
for all industrial resources before installing anything on shop floor.
INTRODUCTION TO ASSEMBLY PROCESS SIMULATION

In different industries Like Automotive, Aeronautical, Heavy Machinery Assembly, Ship Building, Construction
etc. process plays major role. Process planner can take advantage of simulation in digital environment, if
assembly process is possible (in defined Sequence) or not.

Automotive Aerospace Heavy Machinery

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MANUFACTURING/ASSEMBLY PROCESS SIMULATION

Assembly process simulation is the process of validating

the Assembly process sequence (defined by process
planner) in 3D environment with Product and Resource
Data.

Key Points covered in Assembly Process Simulation Study

• Assembly Process sequence Validation
• Static and Dynamic Clash Analysis
• Swept Volume Analysis
• Automatic Assembly trajectory detection
PROCESS SIMULATION
Simulation software like (Process Simulate / Delmia) are designed to
optimize manufacturing process(both BIW and Assembly) by
enabling users to define, simulate, and validate the manufacturing
process plan when it is most productive and cost–effective, in the
planning stage, long before equipment is installed or moved inside
the plant
These Software facilitates:

• Concurrent design and manufacturing,

• Assembly feasibility studies,

• Manufacturability studies, 3D process planning

• Authoring of assembly process specifications (etc)

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PROCESS SIMULATION
Process Simulation workflow

Prepare Data Process Creation Prepare Simulation

Simulation Review /Output/ Result Simulation Optimization

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THE KEY BENEFITS OF PROCESS SIMULATION

What makes industries use Assembly Process Simulation

• Creates an assembly sequence that facilitates assembly pre-planning

• Provides assembly process modelling and sequence analysis

• Enables users to perform assembly sequence analysis

• Product assembly simulation in resource context

• Provides for maintainability, supportability, and training

• Enables step-by-step process documentation

• Reduces Planning Time and Cost

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MANUFACTURING / ASSEMBLY FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS
Stages from Manufacturing/assemblies to Final Product (e.g. Door)
• BIW Manufacturing (Door Welding/ Gluing etc.)
• After BIW Sub Assembly (e.g. Door Glass, Trims, Locks etc.)
• Final assembly Line (e.g. Door Fitment in Car)

BIW Manufacturing After BIW Sub Assembly Final assembly Line

Door Welding Door Glass, Trims, Locks Fitment of door in Car Body
MANUFACTURING / ASSEMBLY FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS
Assembly planning is a complex process involving product design and production planning
In the manufacturing planning stage one aims to check feasibility (in terms of collision-free paths) of the
operations, improve cycle time, and overall process robustness. Assembly operations can be done by humans,
robots or other kinds of machines and include welding, sealing, gluing, fastening, and others.
Product design: Assembly feasibility depends upon the manufacturability of complex geometry of a part or no.
of parts that needed to be joined together. (Also the possibility of disassembly, in case of part replacement etc.)
Production Planning: Assembly feasibility involves the robotic programming and distribution of complete
joining process: distributed in different work cells keeping space constraints and cycle time and cost of
resources in Mind
(Body-in-White (BIW) consists of about 300 steel sheet metal parts, and the joining process by about 4000 spot
welding points.
ASSEMBLY FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS
Production Planning (Continued): Before actual manufacturing, the Virtual simulation analyses are done to
check the Production feasibility
That include the design tool feasibility and validation, welding or other joining feasibilities of different parts,
Planning layout Validation, Space allocation, Part flow, Robot selection and reachability, Welding Gun design
(Standard or special Guns). Virtual Simulation gives the Very Close to Real Manufacturing work cells information
(Graphical as well as Programming),
Now Graphical simulations are Vital Part of Complete Manufacturing System, because, we virtually realize the
outcomes of Planning and design and reduce the Time and cost of rework in today’s competitive world

2D Layout of Framing Line A Welding Station in Framing Line

MANUFACTURING SYSTEM (SIMULATION)
Basic Elements of manufacturing of Automotive Component for Simulation.
• Panel (Part) Data(List of Pieces of which final Product is made of)
• Operations (The sequence of actions performed to produce the Product, Path Planning)
• Resources (The facilities needed to perform operations on parts.
• Manufacturing(Mfg) Data (Represents the special relationships between the several Parts (e.g Spot Welds)

Mfg Data

Operations Resources

Part Data
MANUFACTURING SYSTEM (SIMULATION)
– Inputs/Procedures
• Joining Sequence (order of joining Parts)
• Cycle time Sheets (Crucial for Resource and Layout Planning)
• Joining Processes (depending upon the material and Sheet thickness)
– Spot Welding
– MIG/TIG Welding
– Riveting
– Clinching
– Gluing (Adhesive)
– Hamming
– Laser Welding (etc.)
– Design Tools (resources)
• Standard Resources (Robots, Welding Guns, Fences etc)
• Fixtures
– Geo Fixtures (Which decides the geometry of Panel)
– Respot/ Reclich/ Rerivet Fixtures (Spots for strength of Panel)
• Grippers
– Handing the Door Panel
–
Elements of Manufacturing (Simulation)
Panel(Part) Data: Set of Pieces the Product to be made
An Automobile is assembly of many manufactured components, further these components are made of small metal parts of
different materials and compositions, e.g. : Front Door (Shown in Below Image) So the information about each component is
required.

Operation : Actions performed in order to manufacture the Part

There is always a sequence for of joining components called (joining Process) to carry out these joining different robotic paths
are created called Operation e.g. The reinforcements are welded in the inner door panel before including the outer panel by set
of instructions or actions. On that bases the fixtures and the designed

Inner And Outer Door Panel Inner And Reinforcements

Elements of Manufacturing (Simulation)
Resources: Factory Faculties to perform the Operation to manufacture Products
To build the Panels, resources are required. Some are standard e.g. Robots, water and air supply components ,Standard
Welding Guns, PLCs etc., and Some are manufactured e.g. fixtures, grippers, customized stands and welding Guns, these
components are manufactured for the particular vehicles

Manufacturing Data: Represents the special relationships between the several Parts (e.g Spot Welds and PLPs)
Different type of panel joining methods are used e.g. Spot welding, Clinching, riveting, Gluing, the proper coordinate positions
are required on vehicles, e.g. for spot welding , coordinates of these spots are required on the panel from its self origin point
(Car Line) so that robot can remember it and go exactly on the location every time

Spot Location Resources

Collision & Interference Analysis
Definition: It is the collision between the two robots while performing joining process in common area of the
panel, Causing the accident and damage to the resources
So, To avoid the collisions between the robots some signals are to be used in accordance with PLC to avoid
entering the common area (interference area) together (Example in next slide)
Two robots can have multiple interference signals depending upon their operations with each other and other
robots in same work station (Example in next slide)

But, these Interference zones can increase the cycle time (time taken to finish the process) as robots has to
wait for there turn to go inside the panel and do there process, So to reduce this time
– Paths (Operation) of robots should be optimized so that while one robot is working in one area of the panel
another robot should work in separate section of panel so that they don’t go to the common area together
and avoid delay, But Still interference signals should be put for safety.
– Or the weld spots distribution should be shuffled between the different stations so that the common area
does not exist in one station.

Interference Zone
Collision & Interference Analysis
Example: During the welding of the doors due to different geometries and different joining processes, 2 or
more robots with different tools have to work in common area (zone), to avoid the collision between the robots
we put interference signals between them so that at a time one robot goes in side that area and other should
wait out side

Interference Signal

Interference Zone
Collision & Interference Analysis
Two robots can have multiple interference signals depending upon their operations with each other and other
robots in same work station

E.g. In Following Image A Geo spot Framing Station for body side welding in the main car body is shown, Around 6
robots are working in one station altogether, here, there can be multiple interference zones between robots for
common spotting areas or because of the movement of robot arms as they are placed very near to each other
Documentation
Input Documents
• Tentative Planning layout
Planning department Provides the a rough Layout for Manufacturing the Product which is based on the previous
projects of similar product manufacturing, mainly the distribution of MFg data according to the panel joining
sequence and cycle time, rough positioning of robots fixtures and other peripheral devises according to the
space available is provided
• OEM Standards Documents for Design and Programming
Every OEM has standard set of Instructions for designing fixtures and Robot and PLC Programing, Standards are
very Important to keep the Uniformity in understanding in each and every work cell or each and Every
Manufacturing Plant for Flaw analyses and system Update implementations. Standard Resources catalogs
• Panel Joining Sequence Sheets
After the design feasibility check the Joining sequence of Panels are fixed by Product development team and
this is very initial information for Planning the Manufacturing Process from Planning to the Robotic Simulation
• Safety Standard Manuals (Physical and Software based safety)
Safety documents are most important while designing the whole manufacturing Structure, Operator safety is
utmost important. In manufacturing there is always interaction between the Humans and Robots and other
machines, So in safety documents Operator safe related instructions are provide e.g. Safety distances, Physical
safety, software safety (robot controller based), Safety Interlock instructions for PLC and Workcells.
Documentation
Out Put Documents
• Final Layout
– For layout marking and Placement of resources on the Shop Floor (In Manufacturing Plant), i.e to build the work
cell exactly as it is in Simulation
• Resources List for procurement
– The resources or facilities which are need for Manufacturing work cells (e.g Robots, Standard Guns, Air and Water
Utilities, Fences and, HMI, Cable Channels, Fixtures, Grippers , Welding Guns, and other peripheral devices)
• BOM (Bill Of Materials), 2D and 3D Drawings of Fixtures for Manufacturing
– These documents become the input for CNC and Machining for manufacturing the fixtures and Grippers
• Robot Documents
– Robot Payload Documents: These Documents contain the payload calculations of different tools mounted on
different type of robots for various operations. Weight and Center of Gravity calculation of Tools (Guns and
Grippers etc.) is very Important for robots because these tools are very heavy and also for robots to calculate the
motion speed for safe, fast and jerk free motion through out the operation, other wise it can cause damage of
robots and can cause accidents.
– Actuator Tools (Guns, Grippers etc.) Information to be used for each robot, for onsite Robot Programmer
– Updated MFG distribution Sheets ( for Onsite Robot Programmer understanding and )
– Safety documents
• WorkStation Overview Documents
– For graphical overview of the workcell and resources in it.