Abstract: A method and system for optimizing the placement of a robot in a workplace so as to minimize cycle time is defined. A modified simulated annealing method (SA) is applied to the problem of robot placement in CAD systems, in the context of welding tasks. The objective function for optimization is cycle time, which can be obtained from available robotic CAD software. The research domains are simplified, and the SA method is applied to yield an optimal or near-optimal solution to each problem. To obtain the optimal placement of the robot, the research domain is first simplified by determining an acceptable base location domain, then obstacle shadows, which are subtracted from the previous domain to give the free acceptable base location domain. A modified SA method is applied to this domain, using task feasibility tests before simulating the cycle time, in order to save CPU time.

Abstract: A method and system for optimizing the assembly workcell layout in the context of industrial robotic CAD/CAM/CAE software products. The criterion to be minimized is the cycle time for completing a given sequence of operations, which is achieved by determining the relative positions of peripheral machines on the workcell floor. The method is constructive: each machine is placed one at a time in the robot neighborhood, by means of a modified simulated annealing method. This method yields several possible and optimal positions for a machine and several layouts are thus obtained at the end of execution.