Robotic systems integration is the process of programming and equipping industrial robots to perform automated manufacturing tasks. This can improve production lines across various industries, including automotive, consumer goods, appliances, and eCommerce.
Robots can work in many different environments and can perform dangerous or impossible tasks for humans to complete, resulting in increased productivity and safety. This can reduce costs and help companies save time and money.
Safety
Robots are an excellent safety tool in many workplaces, reducing workers’ exposure to mechanical hazards. In addition, they can be used to improve worker situational awareness and create a more positive overall safety culture in the facility.
However, implementing a safety strategy with robotic systems requires knowledge of the specific standards that apply to a particular application and a comprehensive risk assessment. This is where a professional integrator can help.
Occupational robotics is an expanding area of focus within the safety profession that presents novel occupational safety and health challenges. These challenges include collaborative robots that work alongside workers, professional service robots, and mobile autonomous robots.
Efficiency
Robotic systems integration offers many advantages, whether it’s automating inspection lines, manufacturing, shipping, or material handling processes. In addition to ensuring safety and ergonomics in areas where employees are exposed to sharp products or prone to poor posture, these automation solutions can also increase efficiency and reduce labor costs.
Industrial robots increase productivity by allowing workers to complete repetitive tasks without interruption. They don’t require breaks or shift changes and can be deployed 24/7.
A robotic system integrator will help evaluate your facility’s current production and material handling processes, identifying areas where automation technology would be most beneficial. They will then develop an automation strategy and assist in implementing the solution.
Flexibility
Robotic systems integration is a powerful way to improve accuracy, repeatability, consistency, and speed-to-market. It analyzes and installs automation technology in your manufacturing, material handling, shipping, and inspection lines.
Introducing robotics into your processes can help you improve consistency, accuracy, and speed-to-market, decrease production costs, improve cycle times and quality, and drive down labor dependencies.
Collaborative robotics is a growing field where robots and humans work together on the line. These robots can do different jobs, from lifting and positioning to welding, to help with workforce shortages or manage variable volume production.
When integrating robotics, it is crucial to work with an experienced integrator who can help you plan your project and implement the right system for your business needs. The integrator will develop a proof of concept within their engineering lab, test the mechanical design and software, provide data sheets, and assist with training.
Reliability
Reliability is the probability that a device will operate without failure during a specified period and under specific conditions. Reliability is an essential characteristic of robotics systems because it allows them to perform their tasks without disruption. This is especially helpful in manufacturing environments where errors can have disastrous consequences.
Reliability can be assessed in different ways. One method is the average inter-item correlation, which indicates how well all of the items that make up a test correlate.
Another method is split-half reliability, which involves splitting the test into two parts and comparing the results of the two groups. This helps to ensure that the results of each group are similar and that the overall score is reliable.
Cost of programming robots
Robotics is generally a positive cash-flow expenditure, reducing bottlenecks and improving productivity in mass-manufacturing environments. But for more diverse processes, a robotic system can also be costly to implement and operate.
The cost of programming robots, for example, adds up over the life of a system to a significant proportion of its total integration costs, which is one reason why many mass manufacturers avoid robotics to reduce their manufacturing costs.
Nevertheless, by automating programming for many parts – or eliminating the need to program for all aspects – the cost of a robot can be dramatically reduced. This could help a broader range of high-mix operations finally see their robots become profitable and reduce costs in the long run.
