Generic automation task description for flexible assembly systems

To face the increased requirements for mass customization and frequent technological changes, currently used assembly systems require a high level of flexibility and re-configurability. These requirements lead to increased time-to-manufacture and manufacturing costs, which goes against manufacturer's goals. To mitigate the impact of these challenges a holistic approach for planning and programming an assembly system is presented in this paper. The approach will minimize the implementation effort of flexible automation tasks suitable for industrial applications by utilizing a combination of an abstract process description, a virtual model of the assembly system, and a standardized control system (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.