The A to Z guide of robot technology for beginners: E and H
11 September 2018
Uncertainty about the suitability of robotic automation for manufacturing processes is preventing many UK manufacturers from introducing robots to their factory floors. Much of this is based on misconceptions around the complexity, cost and capabilities of today’s industrial robots. To help tackle these misconceptions and show why robots are the ideal solution for the many challenges facing UK manufacturing, ABB have put together an A to Z guide on robot technology.
Working through the alphabet, we will prove why making the switch to robots now can put your business on the road to improved competitiveness through enhanced productivity and efficiency.
In this entry, we’ll be taking you from E through to H, covering Experience, Flexibility, Growth and Health & Safety.
E is for experience
Many UK companies believe they lack the experience needed to implement robotic automation. Even though robots have proven themselves time and time again in a variety of processes across industry, many companies still believe robots are only suited to mass production processes, are too expensive and are highly complex to install, operate and maintain.
While this may have been true 20 years ago, ongoing developments in robot technology, especially at the controller and software level, mean that today’s robots are actually very easy to set up and configure.
Take our handheld FlexPendant controller for example. Essentially a complete self-contained computer, the FlexPendant enables operators to quickly and easily perform many of the tasks involved in operating a robot system, including running and adjusting programs and refining the movement of the robot using the ‘jogging’ technique shown in the picture.
Consisting of both hardware and software, the FlexPendant is part of our IRC5 robot controller, which is effectively the brain behind our robots.
Another great example of how we’ve made robot operation simple is our RobotStudio offline programming software, which can be quickly learned and mastered. This software allows entire installations to be created and simulated on an office PC, eliminating the time, cost and disruption of setting up and testing a physical unit on the factory floor. Built on the ABB VirtualController, an exact copy of the real software that runs your robots in production, RobotStudio allows very realistic simulations to be performed, using real robot programs and configuration files identical to those used on the shop floor.
FlexPendant
F is for flexibility
Today’s robots are truly flexible in every sense. They can move through six axes, can be fitted with a range of different tools and can switch between different pre-programmed configurations to enable them to move from one task to another.
Other developments have further added to their capabilities. Integrated vision technology, for example, enables robots to recognise products by their size, shape and colour so that they can spot potential obstacles or irregularities and adapt their performance if necessary to achieve higher levels of accuracy and precision. Programming can be performed using offline programming tools with vision commands to set up and refine the vision system. Once the program is finished it is then relayed to the robot’s controller.
The simplicity of reprogramming means that robots can be programmed to perform a number of tasks depending on the product they are presented with. Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs) present a menu of recipe-driven programs and by simply selecting a new program, a robot can perform a new process in a matter of minutes.
Together, all of this makes robots as suited to production of even one-off products as they are to mass production processes.
G is for growth
Businesses that embrace robots can expect business to grow as their productivity, quality, flexibility and resource utilisation improves. A good example is Boomf, a personalised marshmallow manufacturer in Reading, which benefited from an impressive 600 percent growth after installing an ABB robot. The SME was struggling to keep up with orders due to delays at the cutting stage, with its previous manual based cutting process taking up to five minutes. Not only that, but the product was frequently sticking to the blade, causing quality issues and resulting in significant wastage as products had to be rejected.
Since installing its robot-based solution, which features a lubricated blade to stop product from sticking, the process now takes under 20 seconds, with next to no wasted product.
Take a look at the full story here.
Boomf is just one of the many UK-based companies that have benefitted from introducing robots to their operations.
For more examples, download our application book, which features a range of applications from different industrial sectors, from automotive through to metal forming and sculpture.
Read our case study booklet here.
H is for health and safety
Despite widespread fears about the impact of robots on the workplace, many of the jobs being taken over by robots are those that pose a risk of injury to human workers. This is supported by statistics from the Health & Safety Executive, which show 507,000 reported cases of musculoskeletal disorder caused by repetitious tasks and heavy lifting in 2017. This figure becomes especially significant when converted into time, with 8.9 million days lost through work related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD).
Added to this are other common injuries associated with the handling and operation of machinery, such as hand arm vibration (HAV) and vibration white finger (VWF), which can be incurred through the continuous use of vibrating tools such as drills and grinders.
With the UK currently struggling to boost its productivity, the opportunity to use robots to quite literally share the load and reduce the risk of work-related injuries could have a significant positive impact on production efficiency.
Although the thought of increasing robotic automation often raises concerns surrounding job loss, workers can be assigned to other areas of the business where they add value. In actual fact there is evidence to suggest that installing robots can lead to an increase in employment in the long term. This will be discussed in more detail in our next instalment.
Are you ready to make your switch to robots?
Are you interested in finding out more about whether robots could deliver benefits in your operations? Why not sign up to one of our regular Switch to Robots seminars? Starting with the first question – ‘How do you know if you need a robot?’, the seminars provide a step-by-step guide to creating an automation strategy and introducing robots.
SIGN UP HERE
If you need more education before you’re entirely sure, then no problem. Our next instalment will cover benefits such as job creation and increased competitiveness as well as how to integrate robots.
If you missed the first instalment of our A-Z guide click here.
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