CONTROL & AUTOMATION
CLOUD BASED SOLUTION
MITSUBISHI
INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS ACCESS AI VIA THE CLOUD
Mitsubishi Electric has developed a cloud-
based solution for pro-active maintenance
based on the AI platform within IBM
Watson, which enables the smart analysis
of operational data to predict and highlight
future maintenance requirements.
The theory is that sometimes service
schedule requirements for robots are
inadvertently missed which, despite the
extended duty-cycles and the general
reliability of modern robots, is not a healthy
situation for continuous plant operation. By
using an innovative predictive maintenance
method however, users are engaged
with their robots, receive operational and
maintenance data and thereby keep them
healthy via planned maintenance schedules,
reducing operational costs, increasing
asset productivity and improving process
efficiency.
PUTTING PREDICTIVE
MAINTENANCE ON THE DIGITAL
AGENDA
Today many companies are still caught
by surprise when machine failures occur.
They tend to fix problems during enforced
downtime, or implement preventative
maintenance based on set schedules or
numbers of operational hours. However,
using predictive maintenance techniques
production problems can be highlighted
long before they result in unplanned
downtime or impact on yield. Maintenance
personnel can take corrective action
before failure or before degraded machine
performance results in sub-standard
products being manufactured.
The additional benefit of predictive
maintenance is that by potentially avoiding
some fixed-schedule maintenance tasks
you don’t service equipment when it isn’t
required, rather on-demand, therefore
saving time and expenditure.
This latest solution from Mitsubishi Electric
offering predictive maintenance for robots
utilises the AI platform within IBM Watson
to assess actual maintenance requirements
and then suggest actions to take in an
efficient and timely manner. The platform
uses predictive maintenance models,
digital simulation and extrapolation of
trends to provide maintenance information
based on actual usage and wear
characteristics. This is particularly pertinent
to robots, where users don’t always
appreciate that periodic maintenance is a
mandatory requirement.
There are a number of moving parts
within SCARA and articulated arm robots,
depending on the type and model they
include servo motors, gears, ball-screws,
belts, bearings and seals. Items will
experience wear over time and require
eventual replacement while others will
need fresh lubrication and a service check
on belt tensions etc. Considerations such
as duty cycles, operating environment
and loading can all play a part in dictating
service requirements, so being able to
visualise components with a live status and
then receive considered advice tailored
to that particular machine will match
servicing closely to requirement.
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PECM Issue 37
Voice commands for industrial robots
The system also demonstrates how the
speed and efficiency of any necessary
maintenance activities taking place can
be enhanced using voice commands. An
augmented reality platform is used to
create a visual overlay which provides live
information in real-time interactive screen
graphics. Siri for example can then be
used to issue simple commands based on
the knowledge gleaned from the screen.
Increased visibility of live status information
is expected to provide opportunities for
significant reductions in downtime.
Augmented reality provides additional
support for maintenance
Using this, system maintenance activities
can also be optimised through the use
of smart glasses, where the operator
receives guidance on what tasks need
to be performed. The glasses can show
CAD drawings of the various robot parts,
superimposed over the robot itself. The
glasses can also show the maintenance
manual and individual instructions.
This type of next generation human /
machine interaction works well with the
latest safety solutions that can do-away with
the traditional interlocked cage in many
instances, relying on smart proximity sensors
and Mitsubishi Electric’s MELFA SafePlus
feature to manage robot movement safely in
the presence of humans.
www.gb3a.mitsubishielectric.com