SAFETY MANAGEMENT WITHIN A ROBOTIC MANUFACTURING SYSTEM THROUGH LAYOUT DESIGN

Abstract

Nowadays manufacturing systems have been increasingly becoming more complex and flexible to respond to market changes. Previous studies treated Facility Layout Problem (FLP) as an optimization problem to achieve high performance. However, the optimization problem does not adequately cover all the issues regarding risk/safety analysis. Risk factors such as the dangers of falling objects, noise pollution and assuring the optimum maintenance tasks within a robotic manufacturing system tend to be neglected. Moreover, when managers face different facility layout scenarios, no safety risk assessment models are currently available to help them make the right decision. Therefore, this paper proposed a new methodology for solving the FLP within a robotic manufacturing system based on a risk assessment model, including factors identification and investigation, and safety zones determination by layout analysis. The proposed methodology helps designers to generate the production facility layouts that enable high performance in safe conditions, assure manual maintenance interventions and help site managers to evaluate different site layout scenarios much easier and more accurately. Finally, a case study is used to verify the proposed methodology. The developed case study highlights the layout design of a robotic line for depalletizing that takes into consideration the safety and productivity concerns specific to furniture plants. This case study interprets how to implement manufacturing safety management by means of facility layout improvement. The findings contribute to a safety efficient management on a manufacturing facility by properly equipment arrangement in the design stage and, in turn, guaranteeing the safety production.