1999 IEEE International Symposium on Assembly and Task Planning

The broad theme of this symposium was the movement towards flexible and agile assembly manufacturing. Topics discussed include: design for assembly and disassembly; assembly representation; assembly modelling; high volume; assembly impact on factory operations; and assembly cost evaluation.

Assembly and task planning addresses issues ranging from the research of efficient assembly sequences to the detailed robot instructions that carry out the assembly sequences or other manufacturing tasks. Assembly and task planning plays a key role in the whole life of manufactured products, from their very beginning, inside the assembly lines, to their end in the dismantling process. Between, partial assembly and disassembly process are also to be found in maintenance operations. This field has thus a very broad spectrum, with significant impact on the development of advanced manufacturing as well as concurrent engineering. Following the success of two pervious editions, the broad theme of this symposium is continued: "Towards Flexible and Agile Assembly and Manufacturing."