20 applications of collaborative industrial robots for manufacturing processes

In recent years, industrial automation has taken a big leap forward with the new Industry 4.0 technologies, and in particular with the use of industrial collaborative robots for manufacturing processes.

The manufacturing industry is at the forefront of automation technology, ahead of other sectors by being able to define its own capabilities, create pilot initiatives and achieve a high level of specialisation in data analytics.

With industrial collaborative robots, manufacturing companies have revolutionised the way in which activities are performed. With these autonomous systems entering the scene, human involvement has been significantly reduced. As a result, work is done faster, safer, in less time and, most importantly, with greater accuracy.

Although the use of industrial collaborative robots has changed the nature of employment, it has brought huge profit opportunities to the manufacturing industry. Collaborative robots are programmed to operate 24×7 in almost any situation to help manufacturing companies achieve higher productivity, higher throughput and greater revenue gains.

Let us now look at how the industrial cobots can benefit manufacturing companies with their tireless working capacities.

High-speed collaborative robots for picking, packing and palletising

Picking, packing and palletising are activities that must be carried out with great precision. Performing these tasks manually can be time-consuming, labour-intensive and lead to staff absences due to physical problems. It is unreasonable to expect humans to work at infinite energy levels, or in places with extreme temperature or very low light environments.

In addition, humans can make mistakes when performing these tasks. Errors affect the bottom line of manufacturing companies. For example, imagine there is an imperfection in the packaging of a product. The customer who receives it will obviously not like it. This can have a negative impact on customer satisfaction levels, which will ultimately reduce sales and profits.

If manufacturing companies decide to embrace the automation of picking, packing and palletising work with the use of collaborative robots, then things can change forever. Industrial collaborative robots are designed and programmed to work together and share the human workload, they have a very interesting role to play in a manufacturing enterprise by allowing parts and tools to rotate freely according to the requirements of assembly applications. They are intelligently designed to make the best use of the available workspace.

With the speed advantage, manufacturing companies can reach their production targets at a faster pace and become more competitive. In addition, there will be no margin for error with industrial collaborative robots. As a result, the time needed to complete manufacturing processes will be saved tremendously and that impacts the bottom line.

Some applications of industrial collaborative robots for packing are:

• Robots for forming and filling cardboard boxes and trays,
• Robots for palletising,
• 03.- Robots for depalletising,
• 04.- Robots for the preparation and grouping of products by layers,
• Robots for wrapping and protection of the product during logistics,
• 06.- Robots for product sorting,
• 07.- Robots for quality control, and
• 08.- Robot lane dividers or multilaners.

Collaborative robots for parts assembly and small parts handling

For some production processes, manufacturers have to assemble separate elements to form complete products. The whole process is not only time-consuming, but can also be quite tedious for operators. Moreover, as mentioned above, the likelihood of human error is high. Even the smallest mistake can cause huge losses to the company, ruining the final result and the reputation of the brand.

Instead of workers assembling the product, what happens if they are assigned to the assembly of the product? industrial collaborative robots to perform this task? With collaborative robots in the foreground, workers will be freed from performing these boring and monotonous tasks. In addition, the risks associated with working in a hostile environment and proximity to large equipment are also eliminated.

With proper guidance from personnel, industrial collaborative robots can meet the manufacturer's business requirements. With vision-enabled sensors and image processing capabilities, robots can detect when a person enters the work area. Upon arrival, these robots can slow down the work speed and continue to operate (at high speed) when workers leave.

• 09.- Robots for material handling for assembly,
• 10.- Robots for the transfer of parts,
• 11.- Robots for applications with high moments of inertia,
• 12.- Lightweight robots for work tables, and
• 13.- Robots for inspection assembly.

Collaborative mobile robot for cargo transport

Material handling is essential in any logistics and manufacturing project. Moving materials within a factory is a tedious process for operators that can lead to problems such as:

• Low productivity due to tiredness, fatigue and distractions,
• Poor accuracy in inventory tracking and management,
• Inability to operate at the same performance 24×7 in low light and extreme temperature environments,
• High number of errors resulting in damage to structures and the product itself during transport,
• Increased risk of accidents in the workplace, and
• Increased downtime and lost time due to injury or structural repair.

To ensure that production meets customer expectations, companies must automate repetitive tasks such as material handling.

One of the best ways to address this concern is to bring industrial collaborative robots into the factory hallways. A collaborative mobile robot can easily understand the work requirements and move materials to the desired location at faster speeds, passing through automatic doors, climbing lifts and in complete harmony and safety with the other workers circulating in the factory. 

Some applications of collaborative mobile robots for cargo transport are:

• 14.- Robots for the transport of external cargo,
• 15.- Robots for internal logistics,
• 16.- Robots for mobile pick and place handling, and
• 17.- Robots for high reach handling.

Industrial collaborative robots for welding

Manufacturing companies try to produce goods according to customer expectations, keeping their costs low in order to be more competitive.

One of the most cumbersome tasks in a manufacturing plant is welding. Humans can definitely perform these activities, but for how long? Not surprisingly, workers cannot be expected to work all day welding.

A large percentage of robotic applications in the manufacturing industry are welders. While it may be prohibitively expensive for some companies to have a robotic setup, the benefits that companies can enjoy will compensate for the investment.

With industrial collaborative welding robots, manufacturing companies will see:

• A higher production rate, 
• Without errors, which are otherwise seen in their human counterparts,
• Improved quality of work with high-level uniformity, and
• A reduction in waste.

Types of collaborative welding robot:

• 18.- Collaborative robot for the automation of welding work in aggressive environments,
• 19.- Robot for welding quality control, and
• 20.- Robot for TIG, MIG, spot, arc, ultrasonic or plasma welding.

Ready to automate? Do you want more information about the different applications of industrial collaborative robots that you can implement in your plant? Contact now with Technology for Industry and we will send you information to discover how to automate your production processes in a simple way and learn about the benefits of industrial collaborative robots: fast ROI, quick start-up, easy programming and flexible relocation.