What should be the first step if you want to integrate a robot into your own production?

Frank Woortmann : Checking the mechanical, kinematic requirements (force, range of motion, accuracy) and the time requirements (jobs/hour) is important for comparison with the planned real robot model. Robots often bring flexibility and high quality to production, as the handling of parts can be easily adapted via programming. Despite the many advantages, it is just as essential to involve the employees in order to avoid fears and mistrust. The advantages of the robot can be used to achieve the department's goals. Maintenance and smooth operation cannot be achieved without humans anyway. If the employee interacts with the robot, the dangerous movement of the robot must also be safeguarded. Energy efficiency should also be taken into account when selecting the technology. A new approach can be a pure DC energy supply for the robot, which can save 10 to 20 percent of energy consumption by reducing conversion losses and regenerative braking.

What are the three most common mistakes in robot integration?

The required repetition/positioning accuracy is often insufficient. Furthermore, the cycle times are not adhered to and lead to lower productivity, meaning that the ROI cannot be achieved. The use of robots from several manufacturers also requires special know-how for each robot system. This is because robots from different manufacturers are often combined into one system, which usually results in underestimated integration costs and also requires compliance with the Machinery Directive.

What are the technical requirements for robot integration?

When integrating into a machine park, direct communication with the neighboring machines and clearly named positions/transfer areas should be defined.

Standardized bus interfaces must also be defined so that different robots can be used. This makes control from the control system easier and also creates competition, as robots from different manufacturers can then be integrated smoothly. A comprehensive safety assessment should also be carried out, as increased safety requirements can have an impact on productivity. For example, if there are people in the danger zone, this results in safe, slow robot speeds.

The integration of robots leads to a redesign of processes. How can robots from different manufacturers be configured and programmed?

Each robot manufacturer has its own interface for programming and operation, which means that each system is programmed differently. However, there are initial standardization efforts. The Profinet SRCI (Standardized Robot Comand Interface) of the Profibus user organization defines the same interfaces and command levels for all robot manufacturers. Low-code approaches are also available so that even less experienced users can implement robot applications.

What are the differences in the integration of cobots, articulated arm robots and mobile robots?

Cobots are generally lighter robots that assist humans in assembly processes and component handling. They often exert less force and are switched off on contact to reduce the risk to humans. In addition, cobots typically move more slowly than articulated arm robots. The articulated arm robots are available from small to large dimensions and can be used flexibly. They are suitable for the fast, highly precise and fully automated execution of joining processes in a separate safety area. The mobile robots, also known as AMRs, are offered as cobots on driverless transport systems through to agricultural equipment or even as domestic helpers and are largely free to move. The first two types are often permanently connected to a control system via bus systems, while mobile robots always have a WiFi or, in the future, a 5G connection. Furthermore, mobile robots can never be positioned precisely and are mostly used in logistics applications. Integration into PLCs is standard for cobots/articulated arm robots. With mobile robots, the orders often come from fleet management systems, which is why wireless network planning is also required.

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