Abstract: A method of robotic assembly, for manufacturing plastic components from parts mounted upon a plastic shell, using an integrated system of material handling and robots following a programmed series of operations. The robot cells carry out the following steps: (a) scanning the pallet and identifying that the pallet is locked in the docked position of the cell; (b) scanning an assembly area of the shell and communicating location and planarity data to the robot of the cell; (c) selecting a plastic part from a part supply device with the robot; (d) welding the part to the assembly surface of the plastic shell using the robot to perform a spin or fusion welding process. (e) determining the performance status of the foregoing cell steps and identifying the status as: good; scrap or rework. Good status results in conveyance of the loaded pallet for processing at any succeeding cell, but rework and scrap status result in conveyance of the loaded pallet to the unload station without processing at any succeeding cell.

Abstract: A method of assembling a part to a workpiece with a combination tool supported on a robot, where a mounting surface of the part is assembled on a target surface of the workpiece including the following steps. (a) Indexing to the assembly position. (b) Picking a part with the part gripper on the part delivery arm from a part supply station. (c) Indexing part delivery and workpiece preparation arms to the preparation position. (d) Operating the workpiece target surface scanning module and communicating workpiece target surface position data to the robot. (e) Moving the robot to set the tool operating axis and calculate tool offsets relative to the position and orientation of the scanned target surface. (f) Simultaneously: engaging the part mounting surface with the part surface preparation module; and engaging the workpiece target surface preparation module with the target surface. (g) Indexing to the assembly position.

Abstract: A method of assembling a part to a workpiece with a combination tool supported on a robot, where a mounting surface of the part is assembled on a target surface of the workpiece including the following steps. (a) Indexing to the assembly position. (b) Picking a part with the part gripper on the part delivery arm from a part supply station. (c) Indexing part delivery and workpiece preparation arms to the preparation position. (d) Operating the workpiece target surface scanning module and communicating workpiece target surface position data to the robot. (e) Moving the robot to set the tool operating axis and calculate tool offsets relative to the position and orientation of the scanned target surface. (f) Simultaneously: engaging the part mounting surface with the part surface preparation module; and engaging the workpiece target surface preparation module with the target surface. (g) Indexing to the assembly position.

Abstract: A method of robotic assembly, for manufacturing plastic components from parts mounted upon a plastic shell, using an integrated system of material handling and robots following a programmed series of operations. The robot cells carry out the following steps: (a) scanning the pallet and identifying that the pallet is locked in the docked position of the cell; (b) scanning an assembly area of the shell and communicating location and planarity data to the robot of the cell; (c) selecting a plastic part from a part supply device with the robot; (d) welding the part to the assembly surface of the plastic shell using the robot to perform a spin or fusion welding process. The spin welding process includes: engaging a mounting surface of the part with the assembly surface of the shell; rotating the part until the mounting and assembly surfaces are heated; and applying pressure to the part sufficient to fuse the mounting and assembly surfaces together.