The benefits of robotic automation for mass production processes are well recognised and understood. Visit any modern automotive plant and you are likely to see rows of robots engaged in a broad range of activities, each playing their own specific role in production.
With the manufacturing sector still very much at the centre of the Government’s plans for economic recovery, the challenge now is to find ways to convince the UK’s SMEs to make the switch to robots. Accounting for almost 60 percent of the UK’s manufacturing base, SMEs represent a significant opportunity for robot manufacturers, who need to prove that today’s robotic technology can meet their needs.
Where producers of low volume or bespoke processes are concerned, uncertainty about the suitability of robots appears to be high. A recent survey by ABB of 221 manufacturing SMEs in the UK showed that almost two-thirds weren’t using robots. Of these, 27 percent identified themselves as operating low volume or bespoke processes which they did not deem as appropriate.
In most cases, the arguments tend to focus on the perceived operational and financial difficulties in adapting a robot to alternate between multiple tasks.
However, this is not to say that using robots in ‘difficult to automate’ processes can’t be done. There are an increasing number of examples of companies that are integrating robots into low volume processes across a range of applications, from producing medical devices through to welding and parts handling.
Technology brings new possibilities
Much of what can now be achieved is due to advances in technology, particularly when it comes to a robot’s ‘senses’. Developments in vision, force sensing and motion control have opened up new capabilities, enabling robots to recognise similarities and differences in the products handled and to respond accordingly.
Advances in offline programming also mean that operators can get a full understanding of what a robot will do without having to disrupt operations. ABB’s RobotStudio software allows users to program and fully simulate a robotic production process on a PC. Using the software, an installation can be fully tested before being uploaded into the robot’s controller.
Depending on the process being handled, reported benefits range from improvements in product quality and cycle times through to reductions in wastage.
Making the change
A common misconception is that introducing robots means the end of manual labour. Instead, consideration should be given to how many additional low volume processes could be handled by combining the two.
A robot should not be seen as a replacement but rather a way of making a manual worker more effective. In this regard, a robot becomes a tool which a person can either operate to achieve bespoke products or else frees up that person to perform other tasks.
One such process that lends itself well to human-robot collaboration is welding. Robotic welding not only helps to protect expensive materials from becoming scrap due to bad welds, but can be programmed to perform across similar parts. An example is agricultural machinery manufacturer Shelbourne Reynolds, which successfully created an automation strategy to feature a specially adapted version of ABB’s FlexArc cell. This features a robot, positioner and the welding equipment needed in one integrated package, and is supervised by a member of staff.
With ABB’s help, a study was conducted with estimated time savings made for various welding processes in order to identify those best suited for robots. As a result, the use of the cell has expanded beyond the original purpose of producing hedge cutting attachments to also include the production of grain strippers and subassemblies for combine harvester heads.
The result has been a significant reduction in welding times, with products now being welded in one-third of the time. Not only that, but complex welds, such as those involving welding around pipes and tubes, are now performed to a much higher aesthetic standard.
A knock-on benefit has also been the ability for the company to redeploy its manual welding team to other processes, such as those which are too large for the cell to handle. One example is the manufacture of the stripper header used on larger combine harvester vehicles, which, at 42ft in length, can be produced more economically by manual welders.
As a small manufacturing operation with limited production space, this has enabled Shelbourne Reynolds to achieve maximum flexibility in its operations and to make best use of the facilities available.
Applying the switch
In short, there is no reason why even ‘difficult to automate’ processes requiring flexibility cannot be resolved using robotic technology.
Making the switch to a robot requires thorough planning. However, when successfully implemented, a robot can significantly optimise production and help open up new opportunities, leading to a stronger and more adaptable UK manufacturing industry.
For more information, call 01908 350300 or email robotics@gb.abb.com.
