CA1057C - Using Onshape Models for Robotic Assembly of Mass-Customizable Products

Mass customization is a key trend in manufacturing, driven by the demands of consumers for choice, and by sustainability factors. Could a robotic assembly process be programmed dynamically to assemble a customizable product? CAE-Tech and The MTC set the goal to be able to assemble a product that has potentially-infinite configurations in a way that customer purchases could be assembled without additional input from engineers. A use-case was defined, a robotic cell was prepared to perform the assembly task, and an extension to Onshape was developed to generate the robot program based on parameter choices in Onshape models. This presentation will describe the process followed, the goals achieved, and the potential disruptive impact of this technology on mass-customizable manufacturing.