light-weight robots in manual assembly

In current years, human-robot cooperation -- additionally called human-robot collaboration, or HRC -- has taken center level at alternate gala's. The term applies to any state of affairs in which robots paintings immediately along people with out safety limitations on the producing ground. In such cases, the paintings zones of robots and workers overlap instead of being strictly separated. The low access fees and huge media interest in the generation created a wave of hype. but is the price definitely all that low, and are the new robots certainly safe? Or is it a case of companies having unrealistic expectancies?

  Meet your new robotic workmate: preliminary hurdles and sample programs

in the route of the examine "lightweight robots in guide meeting -- first-class to start in reality," Fraunhofer IAO researched cage-free robot use in Germany in business organizations and in guides. From a few 50 programs, 25 were in the long run selected for in addition investigation -- of those, 18 have been taken from private interviews and seven from publications. The decisive criterion for choice was that the utility became already operating on a production line or that the robots were already being utilized by several groups.

First and primary, the examine well-knownshows that the brand new technology works! This was showed with the aid of all the one-to-one interviews carried out. even supposing the generation itself isn't always being referred to as into query, however, there are still some uncertainties -- as an example, as regards new occupational safety requirements and tips. further, the cost of cage-unfastened operation is significantly higher than to begin with predicted. The examine also showed that people and robots are nevertheless basically operating along every other in a shape of coexistence, with actual collaborative programs surely non-existent in production facilities at the present time. To make sure that the purchase prices of a lightweight robot repay, it is also important to keep the new robot employee busy.

Who dares wins: make the leap!

How can companies gain inside the destiny from modern-day information and experience? After the mission, the interviewees all agreed that the lowest line is: "don't allow obstacles put you off -- exceptional to begin genuinely!" Fraunhofer IAO's Manfred Bender, who headed the examine, explains: "what is particularly crucial right here is to pick out an software in an effort to work. In different phrases, the application need to now not be too complicated and must have easy requirements in regard to substances provisioning. For secure assembly tactics, pointed or sharp elements have to also be excluded."