For companies interested in HRC solutions, the first question that arises in practice is whether the use of collaborative robots is worthwhile and how quickly the investment will pay for itself," says Andreas Hoberg, Chief Sales Officer at Ingenics. In order to provide a qualified answer to this question, the consulting company has developed a detailed checklist for the systematic examination and evaluation of potential based on its experience in the automotive industry, among others.

This HRC checklist, which deals with questions from six key application areas - from safety to the type of material provision, the nature of the component and ergonomic aspects through to infrastructure and the working time model - provides good theoretical arguments. The bridge to practice is now to be built together with imk automotive from Chemnitz: "imk has developed a simulation tool with which HRC use cases can be simulated in 3D - including detailed ergonomics and process time evaluations," explains Thomas Kleinbeck, Senior Expert at Ingenics, adding: "It is ideal for potential users that we can bring together both topics - first selection, then simulation of the use cases - and present them at an early stage of the decision-making process." Conversely, imk customers should benefit from the fact that the IT experts from Chemnitz can also offer the well-founded data-based determination of potential use cases via the partnership with Ingenics.

Dr. Jens Trepte, Managing Director of imk, adds: "Our planning method, which we have named 'Editor of Human Work' - ema for short - executes work instructions on its own initiative, reacts with normal motor movements thanks to a knowledge-based 3D software solution, as if it were a virtual skilled worker, so that human work can be planned, simulated and evaluated with human-motor validity and with the greatest possible efficiency. Together with Ingenics, we provide completely manufacturer-neutral advice, determine the best possible solution on the basis of an anthropometrically perfect human model and time management and receive all the data for coordination with the social partners.

For profitability forecasts, imk primarily relies on the MTM method for analyzing work processes as well as on planning and time target data. MTM is the abbreviation for Methods Time Measurement. All movements performed by humans are traced back to certain basic movements for which the time required is known. The smallest movement elements are recorded in MTM-1, which divides the work process into movement elements such as 'reaching', 'grasping', 'bringing', 'joining', 'releasing', supplemented by movement elements such as 'walking', 'bending/bending' or 'visual control'. For these basic movement elements, times determined empirically with the help of slow-motion recordings are stored in tables, usually depending on other parameters such as the distance covered by the movement. Dr. Trepte explains: "I get the entire ergonomics assessment generated automatically and can predict at a very early stage whether the planner will end up with a deep red, i.e. ergonomically nonsensical, a yellow or a green, ergonomically safe workstation." Incidentally, the combined process is not only interesting for new planning, but also when it comes to modernizing existing workstations.

Both Ingenics and imk assume that all robot manufacturers will soon be keen to make their data available to systems that use simulations to remove obstacles to decision-making. "We are already able to integrate new robot data into our libraries in just four hours," explains Dr. Trepte - and announces the release of additional features in the area of collision avoidance in the near future, which will finally ensure that legally unassailable safety assessments can be carried out.