Potential Processes for Automation
Autor: Marcelo Chirai | Publicado: 2017-01-19T21:21:00-02:00
























Step 2:&nbsp;Identify Potential Processes for Automation

















At this point, we need to discuss the strengths and limitations of process automation with collaborative robots.

In
 fact, you probably already have a bunch of ideas as to what processes 
you would like to have automated I am afraid to say that most of the 
tasks you thought were good candidates
 for automation are probably not the best choices to begin with. We need
 to be realistic about what the technology can do today. Some 
applications are easier to automate than others and as a first 
integration you should
start small and simple.

Ideal
 tasks for a first collaborative robot are tasks that are highly 
predictable and repeatable. These are easiest to automate with a 
collaborative robot.

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Easy to automate



Harder to automate





Repetitive tasks in which the robot does not apply force


Pick and place

Dispensing




Complex logic or decision making tasks

Projects that require sensors


Vision

Force-torque sensor






Parts


Little part differentiation or changeovers between similar parts


Part presentation:


Ordered part, structured on a table, matrix or tray




Parts


High changeover rates for parts with divergent properties (size, shape)

Deformable parts


Part presentation:


Moving conveyors



Unstructured presentation (bins)






Interacting with fixed objects, 


such as boxes.



Integrating communications with other machines





Location controlled processes:


Always pick in the same place

Always place in the same place




Force controlled processes: 


Grinding, polishing, drilling, 


Precision assembly


Processes requiring specialized or human know-how


Welding 

Painting






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Tip:
 To create a quick simulation, perform the task and think about whether 
you could do the same task without seeing or feeling the part, its 
weight or the force applied by the part.
 In other words, could you do it blind? This will give you an indication
 of what kind of sensors you will need.





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What’s easy to automate ?

For a first automation project, the options below are recommended to enure an early success.


Repetitive tasks:
Robots
 are good at repetitive tasks and endurance applications. If you have an
 application that repeats the same motion all day, it is a good 
candidate for automation by robots.
 One place to look for these types of applications are places where you 
have repetitive stress injuries in your workers, or places that have 
been identified as high risk for these kinds of injuries.



Part presentation in pick and place:




Ordered parts:
 A part or a series of parts that are always in the very same position 
during the whole process
 are easy to automate. The robot will basically repeat again and again 
the same motion without asking any questions - or getting injured.




Similar parts: Parts with similar properties: dimension, weight range or physical appearance allow for easier
 transitions between production changeovers and will ensure that the robot can handle these parts without tool changes.




Dispensing:
The
 part is going to be placed somewhere that requires precision, so that 
the part will drop in the same spot each and every time. This is an easy
 dispensing process. Requiring
 more precision is tougher, but not impossible.



Matrices and trays:
 If you have a matrix of parts (i.e. 10 x 10 parts), or if they come in 
trays (for example,
 if you’re handling small parts), you can teach the robot how to pick 
each part in the matrix or tray by simply programming the initial 
position, ending position and the number of parts in each row and 
column. Fixed matrices or trays are the easiest processes
 to automate, but in the case of a tray, you can also program the robot 
to remove and bring a new tray to the spot where it will pick the parts 
from the tray.



Keep in mind that

Universal Robots&nbsp;offers
 wizards (an on-screen dialog) to automate these types of picking 
applications. Their wizard is embedded in the robot controller logic and
 can be engaged very quickly.

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What’s complex to automate ?

For
 a first automation project, we don’t recommend choosing the 
applications below. While they can be automated, the more complex your 
robotic cell, the more time, energy and money
 you will spend on it. It’s better to start small and increase the level
 of automation difficulty at the same time as you increase your 
automation experience.


Part presentation:



Unstructured part presentation:
If
 it’s hard to find a part with your hands, it will also surely be 
difficult for the robot. In fact, if the parts are presented in 
different positions and orientations each and
 every time, you will need a little bit more intelligence than just a 
robot arm. This means more programming, and possibly sensors.




Widely divergent parts:
 Parts that are unalike in dimension, weight range, physical geometry or
 that are
 deformable often require tool changes as well between production 
changeovers. While this certainly can be done, it will add a greater 
level of complexity to your automation project and is probably not a 
good place to start for a first robot integration project.




Conveyors:
 With a little more complexity, it is possible to automate conveyors 
too. However, you will need
 to figure out details such as: speed, relative position and other 
specifications related to time / movement / displacement. This is 
another case where you will need programming to make it work




Sensors: If you need to integrate any type of sensor, such as vision or force torque, the level of complexity
 rises. You will need to plan for more integration time and a higher cost to automate the cell overall.



Integration with machines:
You
 might need the robot to interact with a machine so they can communicate
 with each other. This is a relatively simple process, but can be 
difficult if you have never worked with
 automation. If you can skip this step, you are one step closer to 
simplicity. One trick is to have the robot use the machine interface 
that was built for humans, such as a manual door and a start button for 
example. Alternatively, a simple digital I/O wired
 between the machine and the robot can be used. 

Logic:
 If the process is complicated in terms of logic or if it involves 
decision making, this will add complexity
 to the robot program. If you are new to robotics, try building your 
programming skills with simpler tasks before attacking these types of 
problems.

Force control related tasks:
If
 you want the robot to grind, polish, drill, weld or paint; these 
processes can certainly be done by robots. But processes that require a 
specialized or human touch are much more
 complex. For the robot to go from A to B is easy. Having a robot follow
 a trajectory while applying a specific amount of force in a specific 
process is more difficult, both in terms of sensor integration and 
programming.


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In
 conclusion, collaborative robots are really good at pick-and-place, 
material handling, and material dispensing; but applications that 
require applying force and momentum are going
 to be more complex. Again starting simple and building up expertise is 
the approach we find has worked best. If you’d like to explore more on 
applications for collaborative robots, here are a series of videos that 
might prove useful:

Collaborative Robots Case Studies

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Get
 the PDF version for this step here.

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What's next?&nbsp;

Here are the upcoming chapters in our 5-step practical guide:


Week 3: Get the team on board with robots.

Week 4: Assess your potential applications.

Week 5: Get management on board with robots.&nbsp;


We hope you find this series useful in getting your first robotics cell in your factory.

Want to discuss your challenge?

Request a consultation with our robotics applications experts.

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