A Modular Software Framework for Cost Effective Deployment of Robots in Manufacturing SMEs
摘要
Reconfiguration and programming of robots requires skilled resources and hence, it is only cost effective when a programmed robotic solution can be used for mass production. This has been a significant bottleneck for the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to deploy robots in their small batch production. This paper presents a modular software framework where components can be reconfigured to quickly recreate a new solution. The approach was developed and tested in 26 different experiments across a multitude of manufacturing SMEs distributed across Europe. The results show that such a modular framework can pave the way for increasing the deployment of robots in manufacturing SMEs. The developed framework is based on open-source platform FIWARE, which allows the quick deployment of digital solutions in industry.