Determining optimal robot work cell in manufacturing automation system

Configuration work of manufacturing systems is a very tedious process that relies on how a system is determined and the experience of the person involved. The process will be more complicated when it involves work cell contains automation component such as industrial robots. Configuring an optimal robot work cell has become active research in recent years where most of the work aims to provide a quality configuration system. This paper exhibits the work on delivering probable optimal layouts of robot work cell with its mathematical models. The primary purpose of this work was to provide a rapid configuration process which is the optimal layout, Lopt of robot work cell would be determined based on the developed mathematical models. The probable optimal layouts
are constructed under the columns configuration from the variant-shaped configuration. Workspace area, 𝐴𝑊 and manufacturing throughput time, 𝑀𝑇𝑇 equation of the probable optimal layouts have been developed and discussed in this paper where it is capable of determining the optimal robot work cell with minimal workspace area, 𝐴𝑊 and manufacturing throughput time, 𝑀𝑇𝑇. The model provides a potential probable solution to the current requirements before configuration work. This work provides a basis for future investigation in developing a computer-based configuration system.