Robotics in Manufacturing in Supply Chain Analytics

This document explores the concepts and theories of robotics in manufacturing and its applications in supply chain analytics. It discusses the latest research findings, challenges, and benefits of implementing robotics in manufacturing processes. It also categorizes the models and techniques used in different fields.

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Robotics in Manufacturing in Supply Chain Analytics
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ROBOTICS IN MANUFACTURING IN SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYTICS 2
Introduction (definitions and concepts of robotics in manufacturing)
Robotics in various supply chain sectors refers to the interdisciplinary industry of science
together with engineering that consists of mechanical production, information, engineering of
electronic, computer science, alongside other engineering approaches. Robotics deals with the
process of designing operations, improving operations, and improving the manufacturing process
(Leenes & Lucivero, 2015). Besides, robotics in manufacturing comprise of the use of computer
schemes for their management, sensory reaction, along with the dispensation of data about
manufacturing operations of an organization. However, robots refer to the automated and
programmable designed to perform different duties when controlled by computer applications.
Additionally, industrial robot is the system of the robot that is used for operations that deals with
the manufacturing of different goods within an organization. There are various applications of
robots in the supply chain management of an organization (Hu, 2016). Some of the application
consists of painting, welding, assembly, pick together with a place for printed circuit boards,
operations of labeling and packing, and palletizing. Other applications of robotics in
manufacturing comprise of inspection of the product along with testing of products. The use of
robots ensures that every operation of production is accomplished with high endurance, speed,
alongside precision. Robots can assist in the process of handling materials that are either delicate
or toxic (Dian & Colic, 2016). Therefore, the primary target of this research paperwork is to
examine the robotics in manufacturing in line with supply chain analytics. This study also
focuses on illustrating significant concepts and theories of robotics in manufacturing, the latest
survey on robotics in manufacturing, and categorizing the models or techniques used for the
robotics in the manufacturing sector.

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It is apparent that robots that are used in manufacturing help in shaping the operations
and face of manufacturing organizations. Robotics is designed in a manner that they can move
materials and perform a range of planned activities in manufacturing with little human input
through control via remotes (Bai, Song, Xiao, Ngo, & Ou, 2015). Industrial robots can
significantly enhance the quality of products. The applications of robotics in manufacturing are
achieved with precision and superior repeatability on each employment opportunity. There are
various reasons why there is a need for business operators to continue with the use of robotics in
manufacturing processes. One of the rights is that robots used in operations that deal with
manufacturing create efficiencies from the process of handling raw material to finished packing
of products. Robots can also be programmed to operate within twenty-four hours a day in every
week in lights-out situations for continuous production in manufacturing (Robotics Editorial
Office, 2015). Besides, equipment of robotic is highly flexible and can be customized to operate
even more complex duties. Therefore, robotics makes manufacturers of different organizations to
embrace the process of automation to stay competitive. The use of robotics can help in
improving operations of the company to be highly cost-effective while reducing that amount of
time spends in reducing specific tasks.
Concepts of robotics in manufacturing
Technologies of robotics are utilized in the supply chain to develop different tools. Such
tools are used as the substitute for human together with replicate actions of a human. Besides,
robots in the manufacturing process of different organizations can be used in various situations
and for a range of purposes (Zheng, 2017). However, in the present manufacturing sector, many
robotics are used in dangerous business settings or where the human cannot survive such as in

ROBOTICS IN MANUFACTURING IN SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYTICS 4
space. Robots in the supply chain can employ any form, although others are developed to look
like human in emergence. The creation of robots to resemble human is said to aid in the process
of acceptance of the robot in particular explicative acts that are usually done by individuals. Most
robots in supply chain try to repeat individual styles of walking, speaking, and cognition, and
fundamentally something that a man can perform in manufacturing operations (Oh, & Jeong,
2019). Additionally, the most commonly utilized robot configurations for manufacturing and
industrial automation comprise of articulated robots, gantry robots, as well as SCARA robots.
Due to the shift in the paradigm of manufacturing from mass production towards mass
customization, processes that deal with reconfigurable automation technologies that include
robots are needed in operations by various organizations. However, existing industrial robot
solutions are notoriously tough to program (Wang, 2018). The difficulties lead to high
changeover durations when different manufacturers introduce advance products. Many robots are
created to perform various works that are risky to individuals some of the risky works that they
perform include detonating bombs in operations and investigating underground mines to get raw
materials for manufacturing. Presently, some robots have been programmed to faithfully and
diligently conduct particular actions constantly without disparity along with the lofty degree of
precision (Rainsberger, 2018). Such events are decided by the routine of programming that
specifies the acceleration, direction, and gap of the series of harmonized motions.
2. Major concepts and theories of robotics in manufacturing
The ideas of developing equipment that can function separately date back to standard eras
within the supply chain analysis. However, survey into the operations as well as prospect
applications of robots did not progress considerably until the late twentieth century. All through

ROBOTICS IN MANUFACTURING IN SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYTICS 5
ancient times, it has been often implicit by different manufacturers that robots will at one
moment be capable of mimicking man traits alongside managing errands in the fashion that is
like humanity itself (Byner, Matthias, & Ding, 2019). Presently, robotics remains to be the
rapidly growing field as advancement in technological usage is progressing. Other elements that
make the use of robotics to be continually used in manufacturing is because of the increased
cases of research, designing, and creating advanced robots that serve several practical purposes.
Furthermore, since ancient periods man has imagined automated mechanisms or intelligent tools
to take over several operations or sections of their duties in manufacturing sectors. The
imagination had been for the establishment of machines to help in making the timeless quest to
make life simple, more comfortable, and attain great manufacturing goals possible (Bhavana,
2017). The principles of cybernetics were formulated to form the basis of practical robotics. In
supply chain in the current society, robotics for manufacturing is widespread to be used in
performing operations more cheaply, more accurate, and more reliable than humans. Besides,
robotics in manufacturing is currently employed in activities to improve the process of packing
and assembling of materials used in operations.
Robotic theory in manufacturing is all about the manner a manager of an organization
design the robot. It is also about the way management can control the robot and how the robot is
capable of performing the duties assigned to it by the company. There are several types or
robotics in manufacturing processes of different organizations (Fang, 2016). Various robots are
utilized in diverse settings and for various applications, even though being very different in
purpose and structure they all communicate basic comparisons when it get to their
establishments. One of the similarities in robotics being used in various manufacturing processes
is that they have some mechanic structure, the form, frame, or designed shape to attain the

ROBOTICS IN MANUFACTURING IN SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYTICS 6
specific function (Brethé, 2017) . The motorized feature of robots is typically the developer of the
answer to implementing the allocated duty as well as dealing with the physics of the business
setting around it within an organization.
3. Latest research findings related to robotics in manufacturing
The current robotics that is used in manufacturing processes has undergone
advancements in their developments. For instance, robots have electric components that power as
well as manage the machinery (Gao, Tatematsu, Ohya, & Wang, 2015). The ability to be used
appears in the type of electricity that has to move within the wire as it originates from the battery
which is primary circuit of electrical. Currently, electrical aspects of robots have been stated to
be used to measure different factors that can affect manufacturing processes such as heat, energy
status, and sound. Moreover, all robots are currently reported to contain some level of computer
programming code (Bogue, 2016). The code remains to be the programs that show how a robot
decides when or how to perform different operations. Therefore, in present society, robotics in
supply chain management is often viewed from three perspectives that comprise of perception,
manipulation, and cognition in activities.
The current findings have reported that there are several challenges that robotics in
manufacturing face. Some of these challenges comprise of power and energy, new materials and
fabrication schemes, robot swarms, and navigation and exploration (Hu, 2016). Other challenges
faced by the use of robots in manufacturing process consist of social interaction, medical
robotics, brain-computer interfaces, robot ethics and security, and Artificial Integration that can
reason. Most of the challenges that surround technologies like artificial intelligence, power
sources, and perception can reduce or increase input of robotics in manufacturing process within

ROBOTICS IN MANUFACTURING IN SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYTICS 7
an organization. Presently, it has been reported that collaborative robots also referred to as
cobots re-sweeping across the manufacturing sectors. Instead of cobots taking over laborers
completely, they work along with human to improve efficiency as well as decrease risks in
manufacturing industries (Dian & Colic, 2018). Therefore, Automation Corporation is booming,
and robotics manufacturers are focusing on pushing forward with pioneering advancements.
Through the use of robotics in operations, it is clear that manufacturers that adopt the
techniques of robots have a tremendous opportunity to advance their manufacturing activities.
However, the primary barrier to implementation is often the lack of understanding around how to
effectively introduce technologies into the manufacturing operations (Gültekin & Üstün, 2019).
Arguably, the manufacturing landscape in most organizations is created upon traditional
organizations that adopt conservative techniques to manufacturing processes as opposed to
modernization. However, it has recently been established that there is still resistance from
manufacturers in other places such as the UK when it comes to the idea of adopting latest
together with the most significant innovations in the use of robotics (Bogue, 2016). Such
organizations that oppose the use of advancement in the use of robotics in present societies tend
to have a decline in their operations. They also fall behind other countries when it comes to ideas
of adopting fourth technologies that deal with industrial revolutions such as the use of robotics in
manufacturing activities.
4. Categorize the models or techniques used for the robotics in manufacturing in different
fields
In general, operations, when individuals hear the phrase “robot”, they immediately think
of a piece of machinery that appears and act like a man. In the society of plant activities, robots

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bring productivity as well as an assembly to the minds of operators (Alimisis & Zoulias, 2015).
However, even in the specific definition of machinery, operators often refer to the kinds of
robots about their uses such as handling robots, palletizing roots and packaging robots among
other aspects. The models of robots used in manufacturing can be narrowed down to different
types. These models comprise of Cartesian, SCARA, Cylindrical, 6-Axis, together with Delta.
Every industrial robot type in manufacturing has particular elements that make them
appropriately suited for diverse applications in the manufacturing process of different
organizations. The main differentiators of the models used in robotics in manufacturing are their
size, speed, together with the workspace (Gaddy, 2018). However, understanding of every
operating aspect of the all five types of models of robots in manufacturing in different fields can
aid designers of various machines to serve the appropriate robot for their process.
Cartesian model of the robot
It is the most commonly used model of the robot for the majority of industrial
applications. Different plant operators in various organizations often default to this type of
technique because they are simple to apply and program. The linear movement of elements of the
Cartesian model offers robot with the cube-shaped workspace that fits appropriate with pick
alongside place applications (Wang, Wang, C& Tomizuka, 2015). These models of robots are
also a popular choice because they are highly customized in manufacturing activities. However,
the model allows customers to determine the stroke lengths, precision, and speed of the robots
because most of the parts arrive separately and are later assembled by the builders of machines.
The model is used in different fields by allowing different operators to choose the design that is

ROBOTICS IN MANUFACTURING IN SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYTICS 9
flexible in their configuration that enables operators to attain particular application wants of
organizations.
Cylindrical model of robotics
It is the simplest model and similar to Cartesian in their axis of motion. Most Cylindrical
models of robots are made of two different elements that are moving. These elements consist of
rotary along with linear actuators. Since this technique of robot have the cylindrical work
envelop, designers of machines might choose them for their economy of space (Bai, Song, Xiao,
Ngo, & Ou, 2015). The robot can be placed in the center of place of work, and because of its
rotating aspect, it can operate anywhere around it. Simple use of this model in other fields is vital
where there is a need to pick up material before rotating them in an orderly manner. These
models are easy and straightforward to install making other fields that use them to attain
effective solutions within the minimal assembly.
SCARA model of robotics in manufacturing
The model of SCARA robots provides a more complete solution than the other two
models such as Cartesian or Cylindrical. They are all contained in a single robot SCARA model
of robots prepared with x, y, z alongside rotating movement in a single parcel that appears ready-
to-go distant from the tip of tooling of arm (Fang, 2016). The work envelope is the same as the
cylindrical model of robotics, but it has more degreed of motions in the radius or arch-shaped
space. Besides, applications are similar to different fields that use Cylindrical together with the
model of Cartesian, although SCARA robots in manufacturing can move quicker than the other
two. The process comprises of setting up or programming of motion together with sequences for

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the industrial robots (Brethé, 2017) . The process is classically trained by connecting the
controller of robot to the desktops or network.
6-Axis
It is one of the models of robotics in manufacturing operations that boost operations.
Though it can occasionally be almost the size of the toy, they can be typically enormous and
used for substantial assembly of duties that include putting seats into the car on the assembly
line. These robots operate just like a human arm, and they are above to pick up different
materials and move them from one plane o the next (Wang, 2018). The example of operation of
this model is the idea of pick an item from the top of the table and placing it in a different place
such as a cupboard. Such operations of 6-Axis are unique as such operations cannot be simple.
Besides, this model can move quickly and come in complete solutions in manufacturing
activities like SCARAs even though process involved in their programming is complicated.

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