This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 6th IFIP WG 5.5 International Precision Assembly Seminar, IPAS 2012, held in Chamonix, France, in February 2012. The 15 revised full papers were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions. The papers are organized into the following topical sections: micro processes and systems; handling and manipulation in assembly; tolerance management and error compensation methods; metrology and quality control; intelligent control of assembly systems; and process selection and modelling techniques.

This book constitutes the refereed post-proceedings of the 7th IFIP WG 5.5 International Precision Assembly Seminar, IPAS 2014, held in Chamonix, France, in February 2014. The 20 revised full papers were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions. The papers cover the following topics: micro-assembly processes and systems ranging from desktop factory automation and packaging of MEMS to self-assembly processes and platforms; handling and manipulation, including flexible gripper systems, fixturing and high precision actuators; tolerance management and error-compensation techniques applied at different scales of precision assembly; metrology and quality control; intelligent assembly control; process selection, modelling and planning.

The development of new-generation micro-manufacturing technologies and systems has revolutionised the way products are designed and manufactured today with a s- nificant impact in a number of key industrial sectors. Micro-manufacturing techno- gies are often described as disruptive, enabling and interdisciplinary leading to the creation of whole new classes of products that were previously not feasible to ma- facture. While key processes for volume manufacture of micro-parts such as mach- ing and moulding are becoming mature technologies, micro-assembly remains a key challenge for the cost-effective manufacture of complex micro-products. The ability to manufacture customizable micro-products that can be delivered in variable volumes within relatively short timescales is very much dependent on the level of development of the micro-assembly processes, positioning, alignment and measurement techniques, gripping and feeding approaches and devices. Micro-assembly has developed rapidly over the last few years and all the pred- tions are that it will remain a critical technology for high-value products in a number of key sectors such as healthcare, communications, defence and aerospace. The key challenge is to match the significant technological developments with a new gene- tion of micro-products that will establish firmly micro-assembly as a mature manuf- turing process. th The book includes the set of papers presented at the 5 International Precision - sembly Seminar IPAS 2010 held in Chamonix, France from the 14th to the 17th February 2010.

These contributions to the 3rd IPAS'2006 seminar are grouped in 6 sections. Part 1 reviews new techniques for handling and feeding micro parts. Micro-robotics and robot applications for micro assembly are discussed in Part 2. An overview of different design and planning applications for microassembly is provided in Part 3. Part 4 covers reconfigurable and modular micro assembly systems and control applications. The economic aspects of microassembly including new business models are discussed in Part 5 while Part 6 presents specific technical solutions and microassembly applications.

Micro-assembly is a key enabling technology for cost effective manufacture of new generations of complex micro products. It is also a critical technology for retaining mdustrial capabilities in high labour cost areas such as Europe since up to 80% of the production cost in some industries is attributed directly to assembly processes. With the continuous trend for product miniaturisation, the scientific and technologi cal developments in micro-assembly are expected to have a significant long-term economic, demographic and social impact. A distinctive feature of the process is that surface forces are often dominant over gravity forces, which determines a number of specific technical challenges. Critical areas which are currently being addressed include development of assembly systems with high positional accuracy, micro gripping methods that take into ac count the adhesive surface forces, high precision micro-feeding techniques and mi cro-joining processes. Micro-assembly has developed rapidly over the last few years and all the pre dictions are that it will remain a critical technology for high value products in a number of key sectors such as healthcare, communications, defence and aerospace. The key challenge is to match the significant technological developments with a new generation of micro products that will establish firmly micro-assembly as a core manufacturing process.

This open access book constitutes the refereed post-conference proceedings of the 9th IFIP WG 5.5 International Precision Assembly Seminar, IPAS 2020, held virtually in December 2020. The 16 revised full papers and 10 revised short papers presented together with 1 keynote paper were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions. The papers address topics such as assembly design and planning; assembly operations; assembly cells and systems; human centred assembly; and assistance methods in assembly.

This book constitutes the refereed post-conference proceedings of the 8th IFIP WG 5.5 International Precision Assembly Seminar, IPAS 2018, held in Chamonix, France, in January 2018. The 20 revised full papers were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions. The papers address topics such as machine vision and metrology for assembly operations, gripping and handling technologies, numerical methods and planning in assembly, digital technologies and Industry 4.0 applications, precision assembly methods, assembly systems and platforms and human cooperation, and machine learning. They are organized in the following topical sections: design and deployment of assembly systems; human robot cooperation and machine vision; assembly methods and models; digital technologies and industry 4.0 applications; and gripping and handling solutions in assembly.