Assembly Automation: Volume 34 Issue 2

Sustainable manufacturing: a critical discipline for the twenty-first century

Robert Bogue

– This paper aims to provide an introduction to sustainable manufacturing concepts and practices.

4D printing – revolution or fad?

Eujin Pei

This feature article aims to review state-of-the-art developments in additive manufacture, in particular, 4D printing. It discusses what it is, what research has been carried out…

A new methodology to evaluate the performance of physics simulation engines in haptic virtual assembly

Germanico Gonzalez-Badillo, Hugo I. Medellin-Castillo, Theodore Lim, James M. Ritchie, Raymond C.W. Sung, Samir Garbaya

In this study, a new methodology to evaluate the performance of physics simulation engines (PSEs) when used in haptic virtual assembly applications is proposed. This methodology…

Micro-assembly precise coaxial alignment methodology based on surface roughness and reflectiveness matching

Yong-long Tang, Zhi-jing Zhang, Xin Ye, Xiao-feng Zhang

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel method of coaxial optical precision alignment based on surface roughness and reflectiveness matching.

Development of pallet pattern placement strategies in robotic palletisation

S.H. Masood, Hussain A. Khan

This paper presents an investigation on the development of different pattern placement strategies in robotic palletisation of box packages in the packaging industry with practical…

Single camera-based synchronisation within a concept of robotic assembly in motion

Robert Schmitt, Yu Cai

Automated robotic assembly on a moving workpiece, referred to as assembly in motion, demands that an assembly robot is synchronised in all degrees of freedom to the moving…

A knowledge reuse-based computer-aided fixture design framework

Xutang Zhang, Gaoliang Peng, Xin Hou, Ting Zhuang

Fixture design is a complicated task requiring both intensive knowledge and experience. This paper aims to present a computer-aided fixture design (CAFD) system framework based on…

A static analogy for 2D tolerance analysis

Antonio Armillotta

This paper aims to present a method for the tolerance analysis of mechanical assemblies that is suitable to nonlinear problems where explicit functional equations are difficult or…

Using the swept volume to verify maintenance space in virtual environment

Dong Zhou, Xu Jia, Chuan Lv, Le Kang

Maintainability, as an intrinsic property that shows how well a product can be maintained, should be strictly controlled in the design stage. Maintenance space is an important…

Numerical study on predicting and correcting assembly deformation of a large fuselage panel during digital assembly

Yunbo Bi, Weimiao Yan, Yinglin Ke

The deformation of a large fuselage panel is unavoidable due to its weak-stiffness and low-rigidity. Sometimes, the assembly accuracy of the panel is out of tolerance. The purpose…