Reliability improvement of industrial robots by optimizing operation plans based on deterioration evaluation

This paper proposes a novel method for improving reliability of manufacturing facilities by optimizing operating conditions so as to reduce deterioration of critical components and to extend the life of facilities. The method is applied to an industrial robot. For deterioration evaluation, a life cycle simulation system has been developed. It evaluates wear of joint gears, which has critical effects on the accuracy of industrial robots. Optimization of operating conditions, defined in terms of layout of the robot and in motion pattern, is performed by means of a hybrid GA, which consists of genetic algorithm and simulated annealing. The effectiveness of the method has been verified by applying the method to assembly robots.