The use of robots in manufacturing and other industrial settings continues to increase as technology advances. While in the past robots were isolated from human workers for safety reasons, a new type of robot called collaborative robots (also known as cobots) are designed to work side-by-side with humans. Collaborative robots offer many benefits for companies and workers when implemented effectively.
Safety
Safety is a paramount concern in any industrial setting, and this is especially true when it comes to robotics. Traditional industrial robots are powerful and fast, but they can also be dangerous. They must be kept in cages or cells to protect workers from potential accidents. These robots operate on pre-programmed paths and lack the ability to sense or respond to their environment, which can lead to collisions if a human inadvertently enters their workspace.
Collaborative robots, or cobots, represent a significant advancement in this area. They are designed with advanced sensors and software that allow them to operate safely around humans without the need for safety guarding. These sensors enable the cobots to detect when a person gets too close and automatically slow down or stop before a collision can occur. This makes the work environment much safer compared to working near large, caged robots.
In addition to their built-in safety features, cobots are typically designed to be smaller and lighter than traditional industrial robots. This reduces the risk of serious injury in the event of a collision. Some cobots are even designed with rounded edges and soft materials to further minimize the risk of injury.
Furthermore, cobots are often equipped with force-limited technology, which ensures that if a collision does occur, the force of the impact is within acceptable safety limits. They also have power and speed limitations to prevent them from causing harm.
Another safety feature of cobots is their programmable safety zones. These zones can be set up around the robot's workspace, and if a human enters these zones, the robot will slow down or stop completely.
Finally, many cobots come with an emergency stop button that allows workers to immediately halt the robot's operation if they perceive a risk.
In conclusion, while traditional industrial robots have their place in high-speed, high-volume production tasks, cobots are paving the way for safer and more flexible automation solutions. Their advanced safety features make them an excellent choice for tasks that require human-robot collaboration.
Efficiency
Cobots are extremely precise, consistent and they do not get tired like human workers. This allows them to take over repetitive, mundane tasks that humans are less efficient at performing over long periods. Companies have reported 20-30% increases in productivity from deploying cobots to assist human teams with repetitive tasks like assembly, pick and place, machine tending and quality inspections. The cobots handle the repetitive work efficiently so human workers have more time for higher value tasks requiring creativity, critical thinking and dexterity.
Ergonomics
The human body can get worn down by having to stand and perform repetitive motions for hours at a time. Collaborative robots eliminate the need for humans to do these repetitive, ergonomically taxing tasks. Cobots can also do jobs that involve lifting heavy materials, bending and reaching that increase the risks of strains and musculoskeletal disorders. Offloading the most physically demanding tasks to cobots reduces injuries and keeps human workers healthier and more productive.
Workforce Development
While there are fears that robots will replace human jobs, collaborative robots create opportunities for companies to train and upskill their workforce. Cobots automate repetitive, dangerous work while leaving the skilled work for humans. Workers can be developed to program, operate and maintain the robots, as well as take on higher value responsibilities. This increases worker satisfaction and retention. There is also less labour turnover since turnover costs are very high for many companies.
Accessibility
Cobots are cheaper and more flexible than traditional industrial robots. This allows small and medium enterprises to automate and benefit from robot technology that was previously only accessible to large corporations. The user-friendly cobots can be quickly programmed and adapted to new tasks by in-house staff without advanced robotics experience. Small batch manufacturing, lower volume production and mixed product assembly are now more economical to automate.
Continuous Improvement Culture
The data capture and analytics capabilities of collaborative robots allow companies to monitor productivity and identify areas for improvement more easily. Functions can be quickly modified, updated and optimized. Companies can leverage the data insights from cobots to regularly improve processes. This fosters a culture of continuous improvement, innovation and competitiveness.
The use of collaborative robots is growing exponentially as the technology advances and costs decrease. While the initial investment required is still a barrier for some smaller companies, cobots are proving to generate significant productivity and safety benefits across various industries including electronics, healthcare, automotive and consumer goods manufacturing. Companies need to look at both short term costs and the longer term benefits when considering introducing collaborative robots into their human workforces. With proper change management and workforce training, cobots and humans can work together seamlessly and leverage each other's unique capabilities. This creates more resilient and competitive manufacturing operations.
Xi'an Guosheng Laser Technology Co., Ltd. is a high-tech enterprise specializing in R&D, manufacturing, and sales of automatic laser cladding equipment, high-speed laser cladding equipment, laser quenching equipment, laser welding equipment, and 3D printing equipment. Our Collaborative Working Robot is cost-effective and sold domestically and abroad. If you're interested in our products, please contact us at bob@gshenglaser.com.
References:
Robotics Online. (2017). What are collaborative robots? https://www.robotics.org/blog-article.cfm/What-Are-Collaborative-Robots/94
International Federation of Robotics. (2020). Cobots continues to be fastest growing robotics sector. https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/cobots-continuous-to-be-fastest-growing-robotics-sector
Michalos, G., Makris, S., Papakostas, N., Mourtzis, D., & Chryssolouris, G. (2010). Automotive assembly technologies review: challenges and outlook for a flexible and adaptive approach. CIRP Journal of Manufacturing Science and Technology, 2(2), 81-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cirpj.2009.12.001
Du, J., Yu, Y., Chen, Y., & Jin, M. (2018). Collaborative manufacturing in intelligent micro manufacturing system. International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 97(1), 1157-1166. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-018-1987-8