Traditional industrial robots have been utilized in the manufacturing industry for decades performing high speed operations while in cages. However, there are smart model of robots known as the collaborative robots that work closely with workers. These collaborative robots also known as cobots from Universal Robots are one of the fastest growing segments in the robotics technology
Designed to reinforce the competencies of human employees rather than replacing them, cobots are regarded as safe for humans to interact with, very easy to use and affordable to assimilate at the work place. This has made them become a game changer in all the industries including small and mid-size manufacturers who previously lagged in adopting automation in their production processes.
Manufacturing Applications that have adopted Cobot use
Screw driving
Since precision and consistency are the keys to a successful screw driving project, cobots are ideal for these tasks. Collaborative robot helps to increase the quality and consistency through lowering the risk of over-tightening and always having an appropriate tension. This manufacturing robot will continuously and consistently follow the exact processes and pre-described workflows with miniscule deviation.
It calls for superhuman competencies to repeat the same type of motion again and again for many hours with exactly the same precision and velocity. This is why the repeatability of 004in for collaborative robot is perfect for automating the quick precision handling.
In specific screw driving packages, the end joint on the UR3 cobot arm offers countless rotation. Combined with the cobots unique force control, it allows it to be positioned at once into a screwing task without the need for additional torque controlled screw driving devices which are very costly.
CNC Machine Tending
Cobots also help to improve the pace of CNC applications while lowering the injury risks associated with human operators operating in close proximity with the heavy CNC equipment. When the cobot arm comes into close contact with a person, its patented safety feature limits the forces of contact. The collaborative robot can also be programmed to function in decreased mode when a human comes very close to the robot’s working region and resume its full speed when the person leaves.
Injection Molding
Collaborative robots are being used across all areas of plastic and polymer manufacturing that includes injection molding tasks. They are able to run most programs autonomously thus allowing manufacturers to handle molding tasks even when the staff have gone home.
For additional connectivity and flexibility, Euromap 67 (which includes the cable connection to the injection molding device) is available for all UR robots. Euromap 67 has user friendly templates which ensure easy and rapid programming as well as communication signals between the cobots and injection-molding machine.
The common benefits associated with cobot use
The deployment of collaborative robot arm in new processes is rapid and smooth, providing manufactures with the agility to automate nearly any manual task, including those that have small batches or fast change overs. The cobot are also capable of re-use programs in the recurrent applications.
They also help in relieving workers from dull, repetitive work and minimize the risk of injuries. Cobots free up the human work force enabling them concentrate in more important tasks.
Universal Robots offers all the advantages of advanced robot automation, without any of the traditional costs associated with robotic programming, set-up, and shielding work cells thus lowering the overall production cost. The fastest payback registered is 34 days –this is one of the fastest in the robotics industry.
Collaborative robots improve the speed and precision as well as reliability and quality of the final products. Manufacturing robots can withstand harsh environmental impact and rapid changes in temperature. Cobots can also withstand consistent pressure at all times. By deploying collaborative robots, one is guaranteed of uniform product quality and less manufacturing expenses.
Lastly all the cobots from Universal Robots are certified IP-54 meaning they need protection when operating in corrosive liquid environments.
