In PwC’s Digital Factories 2020: Shaping the Future of Manufacturing survey, only around 36 per cent of manufacturers said they planned to make use of modular or flexible production technologies, due to concerns they would need to “completely rethink” their manufacturing strategy. Here, Chris Johnson, managing director at specialist bearing supplier SMB Bearings, explains why these concerns are unnecessary if manufacturers opt for smaller, more flexible robots and why thin section bearings are key to making this possible.

The 36 per cent figure, according to PwC’s report, “may reflect the fact that these technologies often imply the need to completely re-think the manufacturing strategy or even the company business model is a risk many companies aren’t willing to take.”

While manufacturers are right to be cautious of any change to a production line invites risk if one type of modular technology they should definitely consider is more compact, versatile and flexible robots. Long gone of the days of the earliest large and monolithic Unimate 1900 series robots that lined General Motors’ production lines in the early-1960s. Today’s robots and cobots are designed to fit more easily and cost-effectively into smaller spaces on manufacturers’ production lines.

Let’s look at the advantages of smaller robots for manufacturers. One is workers’ safety. Whereas giant robots are typically caged-off from human workers, to perform tasks without risking injury to human workers, smaller robots and cobots , can operate in open or semi-protected environments.

These factors are driving a growth in smaller and speedier robots that can perform more complex and precise tasks — whether in surgical environments or warehouses. Vox magazine cites the example of Amazon’s Kiva robots, which follow human workers around the warehouse and support them in tasks.

There is also a rise in 2D and 3D vision systems. Robots equipped with 2D vision systems can detect simple colours or textures, which is useful in processes such as barcode detection. 3D vision systems, meanwhile, use multiple cameras to create multi-dimensional models of objects. The vision system combines with intelligent software, to process these images and identify the exact position of an item.

As a result, robots can determine the most logical order of items and pick them up with sub-millimetre accuracy. This is especially useful in bin picking applications, one of the most sought-after tasks for robots, which robots can now perform with levels of fluidity and accuracy akin to human workers.

Lastly, manufacturers are becoming more concerned about robot “real estate”, which that every square metre of factory floor space is used for production. Not only a robots becoming smaller to fit into these spaces, but their plug and play capabilities are also evolving. With popular examples, like Universal Robots’ UR+ program, compatible hardware and software are becoming more advanced becoming more advances to yield greater value and functionality for robots. As a result, and thanks to Industry 4.0 connectivity, industrial robots are becoming increasingly compatible with companies’ manufacturing execution systems (MESs), and can integrate more easily into smaller production spaces.

These advantages also mean that industrial robots are becoming more accessible to small-medium enterprise (SME) manufacturers.

Traditionally, SMEs have resisted buying robots for a variety of reasons. These include the once-hefty upfront costs and the size of the robots, deemed to costly and cumbersome to fit-in to SME’s existing production lines.

SMEs can, of course, benefit greatly from the improved Industry 4.0 and plug and play compatibilities of today’s industrial robots. But they also require robots with improved manoeuvrability and precision and this is where thin section bearings come into play. High-precision bearings are integral to robot applications, made from a variety of materials including hybrid chrome and steel, ceramic bearings and slewing bearings. Articulated robotic arms, for example, require robot bearings in the rotary joints.

Out of all of these types of bearing, thin section bearings are the most popular choice for robot applications among SMB Bearings’ customers. As the name implies, they are particularly thin and compact and have proven essential in allowing robots to perform tasks with increasing precision and accuracy. Thin section bearings in robots hold performance advantages for SMEs, as was demonstrated in the case of one SMB customer, Shadow Robot Company.

Shadow Robot Company is a SME that manufacturers dextrous robotic hands for academia and nimble work. However, the company wanted to branch-out into industrial applications, spearheaded by its Smart Grasping System. The highly-automated system is designed to be robust and reliable, and combines with AI to recognise different objects and select the appropriate grasp.

In order to guarantee accuracy in Smart Grasping System, Shadow Robot Company needed specific bearings with very tight tolerances. Dimensional accuracy was among the customers’ foremost needs, plus ease of installation.

In response, SMB Bearings recommended and supplied EZO brand thin-section ball bearings. These are supplied as either open, shielded or sealed in SAE52100 chrome steel or 440 grade stainless steel. Thin section bearings are favoured for their ability to withstand radial loads as well as moderate thrust loads in both directions, which also suits them to the arduous demands of industrial robot applications.

A crucial feature of the bearings is that each comes off the production line is of the same shape and size, every time. This repeatability is crucial to maintaining accuracy and consistent overall behaviour in the robot itself.

In the end, Shadow Robot Company reported that the bearings were very easy to install and cited their quality, tolerance and consistency. These advantages have not only supported repeated assembly of the Smart Grasping System, but have also been vital to the accuracy of the smart grasper’s movements.

The Smart Grasping System can pick up many types of objects, reducing the need for numerous hands in a factory, and the accuracy allowed by thin section bearings is crucial to this. As the example shows, specialty bearings will be crucial to helping smaller companies embrace smaller and more compact robots and, in doing so, get the most from their manufacturing “real estate”.

For more information about SMB Bearings and EZO bearings, visit smbbearings.com.