WHAT ABOUT FINISHING WITH A COLLABORATIVE ROBOT?
Autor: Marcelo Chirai | Publicado: 2017-01-19T21:13:00-02:00
























Finishing&nbsp;applications

















With
 manufacturing&nbsp;processes becoming more and more automated, operations 
such as finishing&nbsp;are among those that are considered
 dangerous for human workers. With the introduction of robots that can 
work close to people without exposing them to hazards, it is now less 
risky and a lot faster to use a robot for your&nbsp;finishing&nbsp;application.&nbsp;

WHAT IS FINISHING?

Depending
 on your manufacturing process,&nbsp;finishing can use&nbsp;different methods. 
Some of the most popular applications are sanding, deburring and 
polishing. As your job is basically
 to finish a part, you probably have already mastered this method. But 
you still need to figure out how to do it with a robot! Here's where we 
can help.&nbsp;

WHAT ABOUT FINISHING WITH A COLLABORATIVE ROBOT?

A&nbsp;collaborative robot or cobot for short is a general term used to describe

power and force limited robots, robots that can be used without 
safety guarding or that have incorporated other safety features. This 
means the cobot can be put beside a machine or a person and set to 
perform a certain task without needing to be fenced
 off from its surrounding environment.

That
 being said, to introduce a cobot in a finishing application&nbsp;and program
 it to deburr or sand&nbsp;parts is not as simple as it sounds. You will need
 to choose a robot and tools that
 can accomplish the job and that can reach a level of performance 
comparable to a human worker. Here are some key&nbsp;factors to consider if 
you are looking at a&nbsp;finishing operation&nbsp;using a collaborative robot.&nbsp;



Robot Specs


Payload :
 The payload is the total weight the robot can carry. You need to weigh 
your end effector, the heaviest
 raw part or tool you want to carry, plus you need to account for any 
force that is needed in the finishing operation. This will determine 
your robot payload
Tip 1: Remember with power tools or other kinds of tools, you must consider their&nbsp;relatively
 high mass. The robot needs to include this in its payload. 
Tip 2: If you are applying&nbsp;force on a part, you need include this in the maximum rated payload
 as well.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;


Ease of programming:&nbsp;Finishing
 usually requires irregular&nbsp;paths that&nbsp;imply curves, acceleration, speed
 control
 and other complex programming methods. You may want to start with a 
simple application and build your experience on this one before&nbsp;going 
into a process that requires precision force and/or precision paths.


Gripper Specs




Force Feedback: Finishing requires force feedback. Using a

force torque&nbsp;sensor will allow you to have consistent force and 
pressure applied on the product along a given path. This means you can 
limit&nbsp;the force at a given point and/or set a force threshold&nbsp;that 
should not be breached on a given cartesian path..
Tip 1:&nbsp;Make sure the force torque sensor is not interfered with by external signal noise.

Tip 2:&nbsp;There are 2 ways to have force feedback: by placing the part on a fix force torque
 sensor or by monitoring the force applied&nbsp;by the robot directly at the robot wrist.


Required Workspace


Safety:&nbsp;The
 robot will work alongside humans. Some people will be aware of the 
danger this presents, others
 won't. Make sure to perform a risk assessment before building your 
automation project. Once you're ready to go live, make sure everyone is 
trained on safety rules around the robot and the risks involved with 
using a robot. Collaborative robots can increase
 the safety of your applications, but there may still be risks for your 
workers. 
Tip 1: Use
 ISO the standard to guide your risk assessment and don't forget to 
consult&nbsp;local regulations on this subject. To learn more, download this

eBook on risk assessments for collaborative robots. 
Tip 2:&nbsp;Remember, even if the robot itself is safe, if the tool or the part it carries is
 dangerous, then the robot cell itself may have risks for your workers. 

Machine Interface:&nbsp;Make sure to interface your robot with the machine you will be using: Conveyor belt, power
 tool, etc. 
Tip 1:&nbsp;This seems simple, but this is probably the most underappreciated part of the process.
 Make sure to reserve time and budget&nbsp;for this one.&nbsp;


There
 you have it, the basics of robot, gripper and workplace specifications 
for using a cobot in a finishing application. If you need more 
information on how to shop for a collaborative
 robot or what their key&nbsp;features might be, we have put together a 
complete 
eBook on this subject. &nbsp;

We have created a robot
cheat
 sheet to help you choose which specifications you need to look at depending of your application. Also we have created a
work
 sheet, which will help you to actualize your 
process data, so that you have this information all in one place when 
you go to talk with your local robot distributor.

&nbsp;

Want to discuss your challenge?

Request a consultation with our robotics applications experts.

&nbsp;