Robots are ubiquitous in small-to-large-scale manufacturers. While collaborative robots (cobots) have significant potential in these settings due to their flexibility and ease of use, proper integration is critical to realize their full potential. Specifically, cobots need to be integrated in ways that utilize their strengths, improve manufacturing performance, and facilitate use in concert with human workers. Effective integration requires careful consideration and the knowledge of roboticists, manufacturing engineers, and business administrators. We propose an approach involving the stages of planning, analysis, development, and presentation, to inform manufacturers about cobot integration within their facilities prior to the integration process. We contextualize our approach in a case study with an SME collaborator and discuss insights learned.

翻译：机器人在中小型至大型制造商中已无处不在。协作机器人凭借其灵活性与易用性在这些场景中具有显著潜力，但充分实现其价值的关键在于合理整合。具体而言，协作机器人的整合方式需发挥其优势、提升制造性能，并促进与人类工人的协同工作。有效整合需要机械工程师、制造工程师及业务管理者的缜密考量与专业知识。我们提出一种涵盖规划、分析、开发及展示阶段的方法，旨在在整合实施前为制造商提供关于协作机器人整合的决策参考。我们通过与中小型企业合作者的案例研究对该方法进行情境化验证，并探讨了相关经验启示。