Simplifying Robot System Design

While robotics can make manufacturing processes more productive and less labor-intensive, many companies find that installing these systems is complicated by the integration of ­existing systems and making them compatible. The proliferation of the connected factory through the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) drives manufacturers to digitize control, monitoring, management, and data. This trend lends itself to reduced labor requirements and downtime, improved efficiency and higher yields.

The components of a production line rarely come from one source. Controls, sensors, and data processing programs and their origins may all serve as hindrances to one simplified robotic design. Adding the complexity of converting existing equipment to connect to recent technologies like collaborative robots and IoT presents a real challenge. Breaking down the robotic system into parts can assist in simplifying the design process.

Robot Body – Base of the system that performs the important tasks in the manufacturing process.

Robotic Control - Includes a computer system controller to operate the robot arm, software to activate the controller, a teach pendant for process control and devices for communications.

Equipment – Remote I/O peripherals communicate with sensors, actuators and networks; PCs that allow interaction with the production line; and conveyors for product movement.

Distributed Control System – Used to connect distributed I/Os, drives and sensor units without limits imposed by wiring.

Specialized Knowledge – Some applications will require humans to work alongside robots to achieve a completely functional production process.

Another key consideration to developing the best robotic system is the space in which it will be housed. This was one challenge for Scandinavian Tobacco Group, the world’s largest maker of pipe tobacco. Employees were required to make repeated movements in product packaging and the clear solution was to deploy a robot for the task. They also saw opportunity for more competitive production with a new robot application, however, the space requirements for a traditional robot to be sectioned off seemed insurmountable.

“We ended up choosing Universal Robots because their robots are the only ones approved for operation without screening. This has simplified both the setup and the costs significantly,” says Henning Kristensen, line manager at Scandinavian Tobacco Company. The robot was deployed for packaging operations in handling tobacco tin lids, which were previously applied by hand.

While many factors contribute to optimizing a robotic system, the footprint of a cage is alleviated with a collaborative robot as the base element. Designing a robotic system from a collaborative robot up can accomplish cost-effective, flexible and highly accurate manufacturing solutions.

To get started on your Universal Robots system design, CAD drawings are available for download here.