The machine layout problem in robot cells

Abstract

This paper addresses the machine layout problem in a flexible manufacturing cell served by a robot. The objective of the proposed approach is to obtain the optimum values of the locations and orientations of machines and the corresponding feasible configurations of the robot at each input/output location. Two optimization criteria have been considered, the travel time and the total joint displacement for all possible sequences of operations required by the robot at a given period of time. Non-linear optimization models are proposed which can be applied not only to a planar robot but also to an industrial one. The optimization problems were solved by a sequential quadratic programming algorithm.