Time and cost saving by using accurate simulation tool for planning manufacturing systems with robots

The goal of off-line programming of manufacturing systems with industrial robots is to generate the programs in advance and to execute them at the shop-floor with a minimum or required corrections. This goal is not sufficiently reached today. The paper reports on two projects: the ESPRIT CAR project and the Realistic Robot Simulation (RRS) project. Their results are big steps to reach the above mentioned goal which is impressively shown by the industrial applications of the project results.