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.
Delivering payloads ranging from 9 to 31 pounds and reach up to 4.25 feet, the TM5, TM12, and TM14 cobots from Techman Robot can “see” and automatically reposition objects using a smart user interface.
Designed for Universal Robots’ UR3e cobot arm, the Q-Span Workstation from New Scale Robotics comes with everything necessary to automate small-part measurement inspection. You can improve gage R&R and boost capacity without adding headcount.
Even though they have two arms, Kawasaki Robotics’ duAro cobots fit into a single-person space while providing enough room for an employee to safely work alongside. Two models provide 8.8- and 13-pound payloads.
Material Handling Industry News
