Efficient method for optimization of force controlled robotic assembly parameters

Ford Motor Company has recently implemented several industrial applications of a new robot technology called "Force Control" in its production robotic assembly processes. Increased robot controller computing speed have enabled force controlled assembly robots to achieve adequate contact stability with relatively low damping, enabling robots to now exceed human capability in terms of cycle time performance for assembly operations. It is not known a priori what the correct robot parameter settings should be to produce optimal robot performance, so an efficient method to converge on a parameter set sufficient for use in a production must be found. This paper will detail an efficient optimization method that can be used in conjunction with force controlled robotic assembly, and discuss the future R&D direction and potential for this technology.