Title: Methodology for manufacturing sustainability evaluation of human-robot collaborations

Authors: Uwe Götze; Melanie Schildt; Barbara Mikus

Addresses: Chemnitz University of Technology, Thüringer Weg 7, 09126 Chemnitz, Germany ' Chemnitz University of Technology, Thüringer Weg 7, 09126 Chemnitz, Germany ' HTWK Leipzig, Gustav-Freytag-Str. 42a, 04277 Leipzig, Germany

Abstract: The various challenges of a sustainable industrial production such as demographic change and resource scarcity induce the increasing need of a resource-efficient, eco-friendly, flexible and adaptive production with human-centred and ergonomic suitable working stations and conditions. The novel production approach of human-robot collaboration promises to contribute to meeting these requirements. Nevertheless, for designing and realising concrete applications, a significant evaluation comprising the economic, ecological and social dimensions of sustainability is needed. The paper presents a methodology for such evaluations of human-robot collaboration with respect to their contribution to sustainability. Additionally, the application of the methodology is illustrated by assessing a human-robot collaboration solution in a concrete industrial use case.

Keywords: evaluation; human-robot-collaboration; industrial production; key indicator method; life cycle costing; life cycle assessment; net present value method; resource efficiency; sustainability; utility value method.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSM.2020.107123

International Journal of Sustainable Manufacturing, 2020 Vol.4 No.2/3/4, pp.365 - 378

Received: 14 Feb 2019
Accepted: 27 Jun 2019
Published online: 04 May 2020 *

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