Symbiotic relationship between robotics and Lean Manufacturing: a case study involving line balancing

PurposeThe present paper aims to demonstrate the potential of integration between industrial robotics and Lean Manufacturing (LM) approach to increase the efficiency of an assembly line.Design/methodology/approachBased on a case study performed in an Italian company, this paper reports a comparative...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inTQM journal Vol. 34; no. 5; pp. 1076 - 1095
Main Authors Sordan, Juliano Endrigo, Oprime, Pedro Carlos, Pimenta, Marcio Lopes, Lombardi, Franco, Chiabert, Paolo
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Bingley Emerald Publishing Limited 24.11.2022
Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Subjects
Artificial intelligence
Assembly lines
Automation
Balancing
Case studies
Collaboration
Comparative analysis
Costs
Digital technology
Factories
Idling
Industrial applications
Industrial robots
Lean manufacturing
Manufacturing engineering
Operations management
Production lines
Productivity
Robotics
Robots
Symbiosis
Total quality
Work stations
Industry 4.0
Lean manufacturing
U-shaped cell
Jidoka
Line balancing
Robotics
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Summary:PurposeThe present paper aims to demonstrate the potential of integration between industrial robotics and Lean Manufacturing (LM) approach to increase the efficiency of an assembly line.Design/methodology/approachBased on a case study performed in an Italian company, this paper reports a comparative analysis of the results produced on a line balancing study involving a semi-automated production line, aided by an industrial robot.FindingsThe results suggest the possibility of implementing industrial robotics in line balancing studies highlighting efficiency gains and idle reduction. Further, it also addresses some concepts directly related to industry 4.0, such as collaborative robotics, artificial intelligence, and lean automation.Practical implicationsLine balancing studies may include advanced robotics in order to extend traditional lean practices toward Digital LM.Originality/valueThis study adds contributions to the operational excellence literature, demonstrating the symbiosis between industrial robotics and LM practices.
ISSN:1754-2731
1754-274X
DOI:10.1108/TQM-03-2021-0073