RobotIQ
Canvas Category Machinery : Industrial Robot : Robot Arm
Manufacturers struggle to put robots to work in their factory because it’s still too costly and too complicated. Robotiq’s tools and know-how simplify collaborative robot applications, so factories can start production faster. Robotiq works with a global network of connected robot experts supporting their local manufacturers.
Assembly Line
Increase Capacity with Automated Night Shifts
Sanding Cobot Delivers 40% Increase in Throughput at Andrew Pearce Bowls
Case Study | Napco Brands: 15% throughput increase using UR robots and Robotiq Palletizing Solutions
Labor shortages have forced manufacturers to adopt collaborative technology
Robotic screwdriving differs from more traditional applications, such as fixed or handheld screwdriving. Among other things, robots make it easy to do quick changeovers and run small, varying size batches of related assemblies. In addition, robots can drive screws from all directions without ergonomic concerns and with varying degrees of torque. They also have the ability to drive different sizes of screws using various feeders for each type of fastener. Manufacturers can achieve higher cycles per screwdriver spindle and faster cycle time per screw, while improving quality.
“[Automated] screwdriving used to be a task that was complex, costly and took up a large footprint on the assembly line,” explains Leclerc. “As such, it was reserved for use in vast plants with big automation budgets producing in high volumes. “There are screwdriving systems that can be bought off the shelf, shipped within a few business days, easily installed and adapted to production changes,” claims Leclerc. “It’s a completely new era.”
Meet the Robotiq Screwdriving Solution
Cobot tutorial - Hand-E adaptive grippers - How to program a pick and place
How Alliora Achieved Smart Scaling With Robotic Palletizing
A common question people have when getting started with automation is which is the best task to automate first. For Alliora, palletizing seemed like an obvious choice. “There are 2 reasons we chose to automate palletizing. Firstly, it is a very physical job. The boxes are between 5 kg and 12 kg. It is very repetitive, it is very heavy, and it is very physical. People don’t like doing the palletizing task. Secondly, sometimes we have a high level of orders. In this case, we can’t have any people on the line.”
Marlan Lets Cobot Perform Heavy Repetitive Sanding Work
One of the operations that are common when processing solid surface products is sanding. This is heavy, repetitive work that requires skilled personnel. Such personnel is becoming increasingly difficult to find. In addition, it is important that the quality is guaranteed. It became increasingly difficult for Marlan to organize this task properly. The company therefore went in search of a way to automate this process as much as possible.
After delivery, the cobot was deployed within two weeks. Heerema was able to program it within half an hour, without any programming experience. After the implementation and installation, two employees were trained and the cobot was fine-tuned to determine the correct pressure when sanding. This step was also the start of further optimizing other parts of the production. According to Heerema, some employees were immediately enthusiastic, but others were afraid of losing their jobs. “But that’s not what we’re about at all. We want to make it easier for employees and give them the opportunity to increase their output.” The employees are now fully accustomed to the cobot and see it as a kind of colleague.
The cobot at Marlan is currently used for sanding bathtubs. This is a large object that is difficult to sand manually. A major problem here is monitoring consistent quality. Heerema: “But with a cobot you can guarantee an even pressure which also ensures constant product quality.”