Integration of an ABB YuMi collaborative robot and a CNC doctor-blade coater into an event-driven cyber-physical manufacturing workcell

Abstract This work presents an event-driven cyber-physical manufacturing workcell that integrates an ABB YuMi collaborative robot with a computer numerical control (CNC) doctor-blade coater for laboratory-scale thin-film processing. Both subsystems retain their local motion-control routines, while Node-RED acts as the supervisory layer and coordinates process progression through high-level commands and reported execution states. Communication is implemented through a hybrid Ethernet/Wi-Fi architecture that links robotic handling, solution dispensing, coating, thermal transfer, and sample unloading within a common workflow. Five consecutive integrated executions were completed without reported interruption. A representative end-to-end YuMi–CNC supervisory handoff delay of approximately 12 ms was observed. A separate 320-exchange Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) ping–response characterization between YuMi and Node-RED gave a median of 6 ms, a mean of 25.87 ms, a 90th percentile of 19 ms, a 95th percentile of 113 ms, and a 99th percentile of 361 ms. The mean active process time per deposition was 91.705 ± 2.247 s ( n = 5); the programmed 180 s thermal-treatment dwell was handled as an overlapped, non-blocking stage and was therefore excluded from this metric. During the five runs, the independently monitored X-axis velocity ranged from 23.978 to 24.005 mm s⁻¹ for a programmed value of 24 mm s⁻¹. A sample-level Digital Process Record was generated for every substrate by associating prescribed conditions, monitored variables, environmental snapshots, and execution outcome with a unique sample identifier. The results provide an initial functional and temporal validation of integrating existing laboratory automation while preserving equipment-specific local control.