LAYOUT EVALUATION WITH THE INDUSTRY 4.0 APPROACH FOR A MANUFACTURING LABORATORY

Abstract

In this study, the Systematic Layout Planning methodology was adapted with an Industry 4.0 approach (SLP-Ind. 4.0) to optimize the design of a Production Design Area in a Manufacturing Laboratory. To validate the proposed SLP-Ind. 4.0, a "representative" product assembly process involving a ladder-shaped structure made of five Lego® bricks was evaluated. Four layout alternatives were evaluated, one considering the process manually and another three incorporating automated equipment such as a cobot (Collaborative Robot), a vision system, and at least one conveyor belt. Experiments and simulations of the process were obtained indicators through simulation such as cycle time, the line efficiency and production capacity. The results demonstrate that the optimal alternative improves the efficiency of the manufactured parts by 16.84 % compared to the manual process. In addition, the selected option has desirable characteristics such as modularity, flexibility, and adequate human-machine interaction. Therefore, with the use of SLP-Ind. 4.0 it is easier to obtain adaptable layouts to the variations of the production processes, ensuring a versatile manufacturing environment. (Received in January 2023, accepted in August 2023. This paper was with the authors 4 months for 2 revisions.).