ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION
The new Universal Robots ’ UR20 cobot made its debut at IMTS 2022 in September .
sustainable use of resources is proving robotics and automation to be key technologies ,” said Dr . Susanne Bieller , General Secretary of the International Federation of Robotics . “ Intelligent automation reduces production costs . This helps battery technology to achieve a breakthrough in e-mobility , for example , or fuel cell production for hydrogen power as an alternative to fossil energy . At the same time , highly efficient production technology reduces CO₂-emissions .”
Clean energy , industrial innovation and sustainable agriculture are just three examples which show how the use of robots contribute to achieve these UN sustainable development goals . For example , robots are used in the production lines of companies making solar panels / reflectors and new field robots eliminate the use of chemical agents .
Collaborative robots in action
OMRON ’ s LD mobile robot fleet navigating autonomously through the production facility © OMRON .
to work in close proximity to one another ,” commented FANUC .
There is a clear trend towards flexibility in user interfaces ; interfaces that allow simple icon-driven programming and the manual guidance of robots , while not limiting the robot to more complicated applications by programming in a proprietary language .
This versatility is helping manufacturers to understand the full power of robot programming if required for more complex integration .
Although simple robot programming helps manufacturers to compensate for skills shortages , it remains necessary to train workers in robot programming and thus help maximise the return on automation investments . Robot manufacturers should actively contribute to education and training in the field of robot programming .
“ The tedious task of loading and unloading parts into machines has long been a bread-andbutter application for cobots , gaining significant traction in the industry . More than half of all U . S . manufacturing tasks are automatable , a fact that businesses start to realize as they simply cannot fill open positions ,” said Universal Robots . The company launched its new UR20 cobot at the IMTA show in the USA this September . It also offered free cobot training sessions at the exhibition .
Education and skills
The push to automate is changing the way that humans and machines work together . The IFR has researched how robotics training shapes current and future workforce education , enhancing skills development for employees .
“ Automating dull , dirty and dangerous tasks is changing the job profiles of factory workers for the better ,” it said . “ Academies run by robot manufacturers play a key role in making this transition possible . Employers send thousands of workers to robotics training every year .
“ During the pandemic , the trend for collaborative robots , also known as cobots , continued to grow . As such , cobots are now opening up new fields of application working alongside humans in a safe environment . Demand is also increasing because cobots can be installed directly in the current production system , with less space than conventional robots . Equipped with intelligent features such as vision and force sensors , the flexibility of cobots means they can perform tasks like palletising , parts handling , assembly , bin picking and arc welding . Manufacturers adopting cobots , particularly those featuring vision and inspection systems , are not only seeing an increase in quality and efficiency , but a reduction in the requirement for personnel
Sustainable Development Goals relevant for robotics .