Robotics / Automation
Programming a Robot Doesn’t Have to be a Dark Art
As production goals change in a post-pandemic world, more manufacturers are using robots to deal with labor shortages and high-mix, low-volume (HMLV) orders. Easy-to-use tools for novice operators are enabling faster implementation on factory floors.
As production goals change in a post-pandemic world, more manufacturers are using robots to deal with labor shortages and high-mix, low-volume (HMLV) orders. Easy-to-use tools for novice operators are enabling faster implementation on factory floors.
A robotic system is ‘collaborative’ only if all elements – robot, tooling, workpiece, and work area – meet international safety standards. Depending on application, you may be able to turn a standard industrial robot into a cobot and comply.
“If it’s repetitive, we want to automate it,” says Ron Marconi, engineering and technology director at an Illinois manufacturer of automotive and consumer products components. Faced with losing business to Mexico, the company deployed two robotic cells to increase productivity. The investment paid for itself in less than a year.
Humanoid manipulators with an ever-higher flexibility of motion are here and will grow in demand in the future because the closer human beings and robots work together, the greater the relevance of five-fingered gripping hands. Here’s why.
You’ve covered every detail in upfront costs and factory floorspace, but what about technical support and service after production starts? Whether buying one robot or hundreds, having access to diverse support services to ensure peak robot performance is vital to maximizing your return on investment. Here’s why.
Conventional handling systems often cause contamination or surface damage. ZS-Handling’s system featuring the MicroLevi gripper avoids both problems by using negative pressure and a patented ultrasound bearing.
Gotta move heavy stuff fast? Yaskawa Motoman’s powerful PL500 robot efficiently enables a variety of palletizing applications, order picking and other logistical tasks for end-of-line or distribution automation. Payload: 1,102 pounds (500 kg).
KASTO’s plate handler significantly reduces the amount of manual labor involved in unpacking and storing heavy plates. The machine also provides processors of sheet metal an attractive way to automate storage of heavy sheet metal stacks.
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