Toward Sustainable Manufacturing Workstations: A Human–Robot Collaborative Assembly Use Case from the Lift Industry

Abstract

Background: In the pursuit of sustainable manufacturing logistics, the integration of human–robot collaboration (HRC) into shop floors with legacy systems remains a significant challenge due to dynamic environments that complicate task and action planning. To address this challenge, this study investigates a sustainable HRC workstation implemented within a real-world electrical panel assembly use case in the lift manufacturing sector. Methods: The article examines the role of an AI-enabled dynamic task and action planning tool that coordinates human and robotic resources. The proposed solution integrates collaborative robotics using a multi-criteria scheduling algorithm alongside real-time replanning capabilities. Furthermore, the study proposes an evaluation framework based on the triple bottom line (TBL) approach to assess the developed solution. Results: The findings suggest that executing assembly tasks through this collaborative method supports sustainable operations scheduling for all resources. Conclusions: Ultimately, the proposed HRC solution demonstrates the potential to simultaneously enhance environmental, financial and social performance within manufacturing logistics and operations.