Standardized assembly workstation embodiment for electromechanical products

The lack of information on assembly equipment represents one of the main obstacle for the integration of assembly concerns at an early stage of product design activity. The definition of standardized assembly equipment gives an answer to this problem and permits to reduce considerably the global lead time. This paper is related to the design of a new standardized assembly system developed in collaboration with Fabricom Automation. We first identified three main classes of assembly equipment and examined the main characteristics of current assembly operations. Based on this analysis, we proposed a concept (basic 'G' shape frame in which different functional units can be incorporated) for a systematic organization of assembly workstation and developed this concept for two categories of products (CLII and CLIII). The conceptual process and the detailed design step for CLII are discussed in this paper. The impact on product design activity of such a standardized system is also examined.