Development of multi-arm robots for automobile assembly

Numerous issues remain to be solved in improving the efficiency of the complex assembly processes existing in the automobile chassis and drive train system assembling plants due to their being labor intensive and their reliance on the dexterity of human operators. Equally important, factors such as labor shortages and reduced work hours are expected to become more of an issue in the coming years. It is extremely important, therefore, to address the qualitative and quantitative issues of labor in the design and manufacturing aspects of the assembly line, as well as the issue of the assembly operators themselves. To address these issues, we have developed and put into practical use a multi-arm type assembly robot capable of handling complex and both-hands assembly operations. In this paper, we present its development concept, performance, and examples of actual applications.