PAINT & POWDER / ROBOTS & AUTOMATION
Want a robot but don ’ t know where to start ?
Industrial or collaborative ? This is the question everyone is asking . We all want to get the most out of our production , however the demarcation line between the two options is not as clear as you might think . It all depends on the setting in which the machine operates , how operators need to interact with the robot and its main functions .
Barry Weller , Solutions Marketing Manager – OEM at Mitsubishi Electric , looks at how to identify what type of robot best suits your application and how to integrate it .
The first question that companies interested in automating their processes should ask is : what do we want to achieve ? The answer to this will determine the role and type of robot needed . Consequently , conducting a comprehensive risk assessment will shed light on the safety requirements .
For example , if speeding up operations is the main objective behind deploying a robotic solution , conventional industrial robots , such as Mitsubishi Electric ’ s MELFA RV articulated arm and RH series SCARA robots , are quite likely to be the most suitable option . As the application will dictate , these robots move at high speed which means they are suitable for applications where workspace is to be shared with human operators only by adopting additional safety provisions . The options to integrate them are to construct physical safety perimeter guards or implement systems that allow automated speed control when humans approach the robot working area .
Conversely , if the main goal is assisting employees in their activities , for example by passing or holding parts , the application would be considered collaborative . As a result , any conventional physical separation between humans and robots would obstruct the application . In this case , the ISO / TS 15066:2016 standard supports the development of suitable safety measures , as highlighted by the risk assessment . An example of a robot designed for collaborative applications is Mitsubishi Electric ’ s MELFA RV series Assista articulated arm robot .
The guidelines indicate different types of collaborative applications which include safety-rated monitored stop , speed and separation monitoring , hand guiding as well as power and force limiting .
This is where the grey area between the two types of robot starts to appear . With the increase in safety options now available , industrial robots can also achieve many of the requirements needed in a collaborative application .
Industrial or collaborative robot ?
Designed to work alongside humans collaborative robots or ‘ cobots ’, can provide a safe solution . However , there are some obvious caveats .
The term collaborative , as specified by ISO / TS 15066:2016 , actually refers to systems or applications where automatically operated robots share the same workspace with humans . This means that robots for collaborative applications , just like any other type of robot , still require a risk assessment .
There are different industrial operations whose risk assessment would support the use of cobots , for example , if the robot is required to work alongside the human as part of the assembly process to pass objects to operators . Here the risk of a collision between the two is high and so this application would fall into the category of power and force limiting . Features such as safe torque range to detect the impact and prevent injury are needed .
There are situations where the use of robots would require additional safety measures . For example ,
Designed to work alongside humans , collaborative robots or ‘ cobots ’, can provide a safe solution . if potentially harmful chemicals , sharp edges or extremely hot items need to be handled , the robot would need to be enclosed by physical safety perimeter guards to protect human operators . Because of this , the use of a conventional robot is likely to be the right choice for these applications .
In other situations humans may need to infrequently enter a robot ’ s workspace to briefly interact with the application or there could be a limited area of interaction . These systems will run as fast as possible under normal operation and only slow down when there is a risk of collision . Again this would suggest that a conventional industrial robot would be right for this application due to its ability to operate at high speeds in normal safe operating conditions .
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40 JUNE 2021 read online : www . surfaceworld . com