The robot reliability design and improvement method and the advanced Toyota production system

Purpose – To demonstrate the theory and effectiveness of reliability‐improvement countermeasures for line equipment, specifically industrial robots for automotive production engineering. Design/methodology/approach – Suggests an efficient method of life‐cycle maintenance. The defects of industrial robots are analysed using Weibull analysis. Findings – From the analysis, a strategy of countermeasures is framed for component screening, reliability design and lifetime estimation. Originality/value – This method has been implemented worldwide in Toyota's factories, and has produced a better operating life cycle for industrial robots.