Investigation of assistance systems in assembly in the context of digitalization: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Assistance systems play a crucial role in enhancing working conditions and efficiency in industrial assembly. In the context of Industry 4.0, it is important to determine the types of assistance systems that contribute to assembly goals as well as their economic benefits. First, the significance of the topic will be introduced, and the research questions will be presented. Second, the basic technical terms will be defined, and third, the research methodology of a structured literature review (SLR) will be delineated. The fourth section presents an overview of the ergonomic and information assistance systems used in operational practice and academic test set-ups. It further explains the reasons for using assistance systems in assembly and their economic benefits, particularly in terms of reducing assembly times and errors. In the fifth section, the research perspectives of the respective publications are evaluated and summarized in both a qualitative and quantitative way. The present mixed-methods study is not generalizable due to its limitations such as a small sample size, the geographical scope of the study, type of databanks, time of publication and language of the reviewed articles, and methods of data collection. It does, however, identify potential areas for future research and provide recommendations for further investigation.