From CAD models to assembly planning

The use of robots for assembly tasks has not had the expected diffusion. As a matter of fact, assembling robots are today used only in specific environments like for example electronic board assembly or car mass-production. The main reason of this limited use is the robots high cost and the only apparent flexibility. Complete flexibility requires either evolution of the off-line programming systems which is still complex and machine dependent, and the realisation of efficient and reliable task level planning systems, directly related to both design and programming phases.