AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS
KUKA robotic technology on an automotive production line .
After all , the robots will remain at peak performance for many years and just having taken the step to automate can often strengthen the customer-supplier relationship . For high product mixes , automation is not only able to deal with multiple product variants but brings with it greater levels of process and quality control .
“ High levels of flexibility can be built into both robotic or special purpose automation . The combination of robots , machine vision and a flexible part feeding system make it possible for different product variants to be handled easily with a minimum of downtime or operator intervention . Incorporating bar codes and / or 2D matrix codes makes it possible for the system to validate that the products being produced match the planned production schedule , eliminating incorrect product variants – essential in medical and healthcare applications ,” continued BARA .
“ Whilst there will always be some applications where operator intervention will be required , the flexibility of the latest multiaxis robot systems , combined with innovative gripper design concepts , mean that tasks which were once only possible with human dexterity can now be achieved through the use of automation ,” it concluded .
The introduction of collaborative robots opens new opportunities where the benefits of both the robot and human can combine to improve the manufacturing process . The highresolution cameras used in the latest machine vision systems , and the extensive library of image processing algorithms at the disposal of vision engineers , have made it possible for vision systems to perform inspection tasks which were once only possible with human vision . Automated inspection is a valuable addition to any manufacturing process , irrespective of the volume .
According to On-Robot , collaborative automation applications level the automation playing field for smaller manufacturers and are key to business resilience . They present manufacturers with new opportunities to build resilience and adaptability in productivity , competitiveness and workforce .
Robotics during the pandemic
“ It has now been a full year of facing the coronavirus pandemic and although we see some faint light at the end of the tunnel , we are still far from the ‘ old ’ normal ,” commented Milton Guerry , President of the International Federation of Robotics ( IFR ).
“ By now , we can clearly see that the pandemic has accelerated automation adoption . We particularly see a push towards robotisation in sectors beyond automotive , sectors that have so far been more ambivalent to the opportunities offered by automation technologies . Technological advances , e . g . in sensing and AI , spiced up with further progress in usability and ecosystems , are lowering the hurdles and will drive further deployment of robotics solutions , making robotics a mainstream technology ,” he added .
Mobile robots , he said , are ‘ conquering warehouses and e-commerce , and are also poised to revolutionise smart factory solutions ’. Early examples are already being deployed in the automotive industry ; other sectors are likely to follow .
“ The automotive industry will presumably be the driver for another critical trend ;
COVID has changed perceptions and priorities for customers , accelerating the adoption of robotic automation reducing energy consumption and optimising resource efficiencies in manufacturing processes . Combined with efforts to shorten supply chains and produce closer to consumption ( driven by insights gained in the past 12 months ), this has the potential to massively reduce the carbon footprint of the goods produced ,” added Guerry .
Robot manufacturers are also reporting that end-users are experiencing supply chain disruptions and workforce resource shortages that are leading to advancement in their automation strategies and , ultimately , more robots being used in new fields .
“ In 2020 , we saw two trends in particular that propelled growth in non-automotive
Hirebotics Cobot Welder . ( Photo : Business Wire )
orders for robotics technology ,” said John Bubnikovich , Chief Regional Officer – North America , KUKA Robotics . “ First , the automation competence level in general industry has grown , and that matured into greater demand for the technology . Second , consumer behaviour shifted significantly and the expectations created by this shift were tough to satisfy without automation .”
“ We have seen a substantial increase in activity in non-automotive sectors , as customers focus on making their production lines more flexible and better able to efficiently achieve high mix , lower volume production in response to constantly evolving customer demands ,” said Mark Joppru , Vice President – Consumer Segment & Service Robotics , U . S . ABB Robotics and Machine Automation . “ In food applications , for example , where robots were traditionally used to automate simpler processes like case loading , they are increasingly being commissioned for higher value processes , like directly preparing food , resulting in improvements to food safety and hygiene . While these trends have existed for several years , COVID has changed perceptions and priorities for customers , accelerating the adoption of robotic automation .”
When business disruptions cause labour disruptions , automation can keep lines productive , even with fewer employees . During the pandemic , for instance , many manufacturers split shifts to reduce the number of operators on the line to create safe distance between them .
“ Human-robot collaboration lets robots perform upstream and downstream tasks to replace absent or off-shift workers . Even after the pandemic , automation meets the increasing demand for ‘ low-touch ’ production , especially for food , beverage and medical products ,” said manufacturer , On-Robot .
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