Collaborative Robot Integration Strategies for Flexible Assembly Lines in Small-Medium Enterprises

Abstract

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are under pressure to embrace dynamic and affordable automation systems to stay afloat in the high-mix, low-volume production settings. Traditional industrial robots, however, are frequently costly to install, difficult to program, and limited to standard layouts, limiting their applicability in the assembly lines of SMEs. This paper proposes a planned integration plan for collaborative robots (cobots) to fit flexible assembly systems in SMEs. The approach will be based on the combination of task suitability analysis, ergonomic risk assessment, and return-on-investment (ROI) modeling, and phased deployment planning. A multi-criteria decision framework has been designed to determine the optimal human-robot task allocation with respect to cycle time, precision requirements, and safety constraints. The plan was confirmed through case-based simulation using a small-scale electronics assembly line with 12 workstations. The findings show that introducing cobots in 5 of 12 stations (41.7%) reduced the average cycle time by 23.4% and increased production throughput by 18.6%. Repetitive work with high labor intensity showed a 37% decrease in ergonomic risk scores, and the defect rate was reduced from 4.8% to 2.9%, resulting in a 39.6% increase in quality performance. The economic analysis showed a projected ROI period of 16-20 months and an estimated 28 increase in overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). The results establish that a gradual, data-driven cobot integration strategy makes operations more flexible, safe, and productive without requiring significant infrastructure changes. The suggested strategy provides SMEs with a scalable process for transitioning to human-robot collaborative assembly systems while remaining cost-effective and flexible in dynamic production settings.