For many, Industry 4.0, augmented reality and virtual reality are a long way away. Flanders Make helps to make these accessible for people and the industry. It has opened up possibilities and given ideas about what can be done with them and how they can be used for their development.”

Karl MastVice President Process EngineeringAtlas Copco

Through the MAKE LAB we didn’t just see the new technologies, but got to really feel them and use them. By helping to build it up and get a working demonstration that can be used for those in the future to get a good feel of things, the threshold for that new technology is reduced.

Thomas VerlodtSenior Project Engineer OperationsNiko

““

Bi-directional operator information systems

Achilles DesignCNH industy PicanolVan De WieleCloostermansDanaNikoBarcoDaikinAtlas CopcoVitaloS.A.B.C.A.Reynaers Aluminium

BekaertJanssenJohnson&JohnsonMariasteenSupport SquareFRSABBU-SentricVHATennecoProcter & GambleZFe-BO Enterprises

CUSTOMER REFERENCES

www.flandersmake.beinfo.productions@flandersmake.beT +32 11 790 590

FlexibleAssemblySystems

Manufacturing companies can accelerate the digital transformation of their assembly lines thanks to close collaboration with Flanders Make. Achieve: • Dedicated mass customization• Flexible and cost-competitive production systems• Enhanced operator well-being

Thanks to:• Digital technologies such as Augmented and Virtual Reality• AGVs and novel robot technologies• Operator augmenting support systems

CoreLab ProductionS introduces

WANT TO KNOW MORE OR EXPLORE POSSIBILITIES?CONTACT THE PRODUCTIONS LAB:

• MAARTEN WITTERS - CORE LAB MANAGER MAARTEN.WITTERS@FLANDERSMAKE.BE

• MARK ANTONISSEN - BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER MARK.ANTONISSEN@FLANDERSMAKE.BE

TESTIMONIALS

KEYWORDSDigitalisation, (digital) work instruction generation, operator assistance

DIGITALISATION CHALLENGES• Fast time-to-market requires fast generation of work instructions• Small series and product variants show the need to provide cor-

rect work instructions• Zero-defect production targets require inline quality control and

error handling• High variability increases the cognitive load on the operator Mass customisation poses challenges on engineering departments: work instructions need to be created fast, for many variants and easily understandable for all operators. Digital work instructions offer the possibility to tailor the information to the experience of the operators and the novelty of the product. The operator receives the right instruction at the right time and human errors are therefore reduced. In-line quality control captures operator feedback or trig-

gers additional quality systems. Each process step is logged, guaranteeing full traceability of the product through your factory. WHAT WE OFFER• Capture the needs of your application and evaluate the dif-

ferent means for providing your operators with instructions (Tablets, Projection systems, Smart glasses, VR, AR)

• Set up co-creation sessions to experience the technologies• Automatic generation of digital work instructions based on

CAD files

 INFRASTRUCTURE• Robot lab • Digital instruction systems to reduce the cognitive load• Mobile assembly lab for co-creation at the customer site

Smart &connected

assembly cells

Robotprogramming &

control

Robotics Human-machineinterface

Ergonomics &cognitive load

Human-robot collaboration

Joining & materials lab

Operatorinformation

support

AGVs

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Flexible assembly - ultimate goal way of working

Architecture for flexible assembly systems

KEYWORDSConcept design assembly systems, flexible assembly systems, human-robot collaboration, low cost solution, low operator load.

ARCHITECTURAL CHALLENGES• Smaller series and fast time-to-market

require a more flexible usable assembly systems

• Production cost for small series must be equal or less compared to mass produc-tion cost

• Minimize the physical load on the op-erator through safe and effective hu-man-robot collaboration

• Reduce the cognitive load on the op-erator through digital support of the operator

  Flanders Make has the skills and knowl-edge to assist in setting up an assembly line that is flexibly usable, with low produc-tion costs.

Digitized and personalized instructions can support the operator in handling the high variety in the assembly line and reducing the high cognitive load on the operator.To be able to go to the market fast, the assembly line setup can be verified and op-timized by VR simulations based on CAD designs. WHAT WE OFFER• Assistance to specify the line• Indication of ROI in feasibility phase• Optimal design of a flexible assembly

line• Advice and support for easy program-

ming of robots in the line• Gripper design for the high variety of

products

 INFRASTRUCTURE• Operator support Lab (robots, Cobots,

Digital instruction systems to reduce the cognitive load)

• Mobile assembly lab for co-creation at the customer site if needed

• VR room to simulate assembly line setups (4 viewers to co-work)

Prototyping of advanced

robot applications

KEYWORDSIntuitive robot programming, human-robot interactions

CHALLENGESFast and intuitive robot programmingComplex assembly tasks requiring several skills (pick and place, contour following, force-based insertions, etc.)User-friendly interaction with the robot application (through speech, web apps, vision, virtual reality, digital work instructions, etc.)  Nowadays, it is possible to perform complex tasks with robots. However, these robots often lack flexibility. When a change in production occurs, software often has to be almost entirely rewritten and reconfigured. This generates significant costs and prevents small businesses from investing in these technologies.

JOINING & MATERIALS LAB

Fully equipped lab for the preparation and assembly of parts under real-life production conditions:

• Select the right adhesive for your specific applica-tion

• Evaluate surface preparation and treatment techniques

• Implement your adhesive bonding process using robots or cobots

• Validate process parameters in every step of the bonding process in a controlled environment (T: 10 – 40°C; RH: 10-85%)

• Assess your final products through pressure, bending, vibration, conditioning and durability tests

Research Infrastructure

Productivity = f (1/cost)

Flex

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AUTOMATEDASSEMBLY

HYBRIDASSEMBLY Re

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MANUALASSEMBLY

Operator 4.0 inFlexible Assembly Systems

Ada

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Sm

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Ass

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Pre-competitive research projects or

bilateral collaborations

TEST

EXPAND

EXPLORE• Process & Business

understanding• Site visit

• Validation of assumptions

• Feasibility study

• Scale up tofactory floor

MAKE LAB

What: mobile laboratory for flexi-ble assembly and human-centered production

• Experience new technologies • Co-create and identify oppor-

tunities• Feasibility studies and training

http://makelab.flandersmake.be/

We are improving and facilitating the programming and reprogramming of robots and cobots using intuitive graphical interfaces, speech, vision and path-planning software. WHAT WE OFFER• Feasibility studies• Generation of complex robot skills and parametrization with a per-

sonalized user • Experimentation in our living labs INFRASTRUCTURE• Robot lab with several robots, cobots and applications (ABB, Kuka,

UR, Yaskawa, ...)• Software for path-planning, vision, speech, …• Mobile assembly lab for co-creation at the customer site if needed• VR to teach a “gluing” application

Quotation – Proof of Concept

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