Quality sat down with Stefan Friedrich of New Scale Robotics to explain why quality is often one of the later steps to automate. Adopting a robot or cobot can be intimidating but it doesn’t need to be. Here he describes what quality professionals need to know. Hint: it’s not programming.
In a domain where microns and millimeters matter, efficient quality inspection and metrology processes can make the difference between consistent, successful production runs and labor-intensive failures.
This white paper explores how the automation of operations such as quality inspection and metrology – previously reserved for larger companies with hefty budgets – has changed dramatically with the advent of collaborative robots.
Collaborative robots helped manufacturers keep production lines running during the pandemic. They're accessible to small- and medium- sized businesses. And their simplicity just may help to shrink the skills gap.
Collaborative robots, or cobots, help humans and robots work together safely. Small, medium and large companies are increasingly choosing these human-friendly versions over traditional industrial robots, which are complex to use and are typically relegated to safety cages.
The days when only large companies could adopt automation are long past. Collaborative robots (cobots), lightweight industrial robot arms (LIRAs) and affordable peripherals such as vision systems and grippers have created a new paradigm by making low cost, easy to use automation solutions available to small-to-medium sized companies for the first time.
The future of quality inspection is one that will see quality professionals working side-by-side with collaborative robots fitted with easily-swapped vision systems.
Over the past decade manufacturers have increasingly turned to flexible, customizable automation platforms to meet the demands of high mix/low volume orders and ensure their long-term survival in a competitive manufacturing environment.
In this application case study, we look at how a manufacturer of precision optical manufacturing and metrology equipment uses collaborative robots and a new robotic gripper/caliper to provide a solution that helps its customers optimize quality control measurements in the quality assurance area of their factory.
Robots in manufacturing is not a new idea. But today an increasing number of collaborative robots are joining the ranks, working alongside their human coworkers.
At IMTS 2018, like at any industrial trade show, the predominant theme was Industry 4.0. Although Industry 4.0 still has not scaled up to cover a significant percentage of manufacturing setups, its vision of near-total automation—and the promise of resulting cost savings—has clearly captured the industry’s imagination.