Il y a un robot pour ça !

Lorsque vous pensez aux robots industriels, la première chose qui vous vient probablement à l'esprit est un robot de soudage sur une chaîne de montage automobile, mais les robots industriels hautes performances sont spécialement conçus pour bien plus encore. De l'industrie aérospatiale au laboratoire clinique, et tout le reste, l'automatisation robotique peut faire passer les processus de production en usine, l'automatisation ciblée sur les tâches et d'autres applications à un niveau supérieur. Voici quelques utilisations intéressantes et impressionnantes qui pourraient vous inciter à mettre en œuvre l'automatisation robotique dans un proche avenir.

Ablation au laser

Application/Industrie
Automobile, Aéronautique

Modèle de robot
Généralement, un robot à bras long avec une charge utile inférieure (par exemple, Yaskawa AR3120). Un ou plusieurs robots peuvent être utilisés, selon la taille de la pièce et le temps de cycle souhaité.

Description
Dans les applications où une surface a un revêtement (comme la peinture, la graisse, le vernis, etc.) qui doit être enlevé, des produits chimiques sont généralement utilisés. Malheureusement, cela crée beaucoup de déchets, qui sont généralement considérés comme des matières dangereuses. L'impact environnemental qui en découle, et donc la réglementation, rend difficile l'utilisation de solvants chimiques pour ce procédé. De plus, le nombre d'heures de travail manuel nécessaires pour essuyer ou gratter le revêtement pour laisser un substrat propre prend du temps.

Entrez dans l'ablation au laser, qui brûle cette couche de revêtement pour laisser un substrat propre et pur. Un filtre ou un autre dispositif de confinement recueille alors facilement le revêtement carbonisé. Comme les processus laser thermiques nécessitent une cellule de travail étanche à la lumière, un robot est nécessaire pour une sécurité adéquate. Le robot peut également être programmé pour suivre la courbure de surface compliquée, plutôt que l'utilisation d'autres automatisations dures.

Impression jet d'encre à surface complexe

Application/Industrie
Aéronautique, potentiel pour les autres

Modèle Robot
Bras long pour l'aérospatiale, plus petit selon l'échelle.

Description
Dans le passé, lors de l'application de graphismes sur un avion ou une autre grande surface, il était difficile de créer avec précision des détails lorsque l'on travaillait avec des surfaces courbes et complexes. Cependant, un projet de 2017 du Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) a fait de cette tâche compliquée une réalité, en utilisant une tête d'impression à jet d'encre spécialisée fixée au bras d'un robot. Ce processus complexe utilise l'impression numérique pour des performances supérieures et remplace la tâche traditionnelle à forte intensité de main-d'œuvre consistant à peindre des graphiques ou à appliquer des décalcomanies dans des orientations variées sur de grandes surfaces. Comme l'ablation au laser, le robot est conçu pour manœuvrer facilement, s'adapter parfaitement aux changements d'angles de surface et maintenir une répétabilité et une qualité d'impression constantes.

Depuis la création de cette technologie, des entreprises comme le fabricant néerlandais de robots, XYREC, en coopération avec SwRI, Airbus et Marabu, ont démontré avec succès cette application révolutionnaire sur les avions, prétendant réduire le temps dans l'atelier de peinture de 16 à 5 jours. Potentially compatible with any surface substrate, this technology could also be used to apply one-off or custom graphics to smaller surfaces, like textiles and billboards, or even complex graphics to wider surface areas.

Additive Manufacturing

Application/Industry
Prototyping, Custom Parts

Robot Model
Varies – usually a highly repeatable, 6-axis robot with six degrees of freedom (i.e., Yaskawa AR1440).

Description
Thanks to the adoption of motion control technology, robotics and power conversion, 3D printing has reached a level of finesse and precision in recent years that is good enough to create usable parts without any (or much) finishing. Ideal for attaching unique tooling that enables a wide area 3D printer, the use of industrial robots in additive manufacturing is helping to create a diverse mix of products, including machine tooling fixtures.

Once limited to plastics, today’s technology can accommodate substances such as ceramics, composites, metals, hybrid materials and more. Most recently, advancements in slicer software within offline robot programming software has made it possible to print metal pieces using filler metal techniques such as MIG, TIG, or laser welding. These parts can then be used directly or machined as needed, saving a great deal of waste from other milling or machine techniques on a block of metal.

High-Precision Milling

Application/Industry
Machining, Custom Components

Robot Model
Versatile and powerful handling robot with a mid-range payload. (i.e., Yaskawa GP-series robots).

Description
Traditionally an arduous manual task, milling is the process of grinding or cutting superfluous material away from a mold to form a specific structure. In an effort to increase worker safety, accelerate production rates, enhance product quality and better adhere to industry standards, companies in diverse industries are implementing the use of automated milling systems, with easy-to-program robots equipped with flexible tooling. This is often used in conjunction with 3D printing for part finishing.

Pallet Assembly

Application/Industry
Pallet Production

Robot Model
6-axis palletizing robot, ranging in payload from 50 kg to 800 kg.

Description
Difficult and dangerous, the task of manually building pallets is hard work. This, combined with the growing trend for stronger custom-designed pallets, has prompted competitive-minded manufacturers to implement robotic pallet assembly systems that provide the flexibility and consistency needed to build custom, stringer and block pallets from the same system. Likewise, freeing workers from the dull, dirty and dangerous work of pallet production allows decision makers to redeploy skilled workers to higher-value jobs within the company, maximizing return on investment.

Meat Processing

Application/Industry
Meat Packing, Poultry Production, etc.

Robot Model
Fast and powerful handling robot with a medium range payload.

Description
While safer and more sanitary than in the past, meat packing and poultry production plants still present distinct hazards that can impact the physical health of manual workers. To reduce human error and protect employees, meat and poultry processing companies are seeking out robotic technology to drive safety, optimizing efficiency in the process. Furthermore, improvements in vision technology and end-of-arm tooling over the last decade have enabled robots to easily facilitate a variety meat processing tasks, optimizing production.

Speciman Processing

Application/Industry
Clinical Laboratory

Robot Model
Varies on application (i.e, Yaskawa MotoMini for bulk oader, or a high-performance 6-axis robot with a lower payload for centrifuge).

Description
From skilled technician shortages to rigorous accreditation requirements – along with rising specimen volumes combined with inefficient workflows – clinical laboratories are facing many challenges today. Chief among these is the pressure to expand services in creative ways, providing a more value-based care approach while yielding cost savings. In an effort to move forward into the future of Clinical Laboratory 2.0, high throughput clinical diagnostic labs are turning to robotic automation solutions to complete pre- and post-analytic specimen sorting and processing tasks.

Ribbon Tying

Application/Industry
Food and Beverage, Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Products, Tacking and Logistics, Industrial Packaging

Robot Model
Compact and agile material handling robot with a lower payload.

Description
Manual bow tying can be a tedious task, potentially causing physical harm to workers. Due to increased demand for customized packaging, ribbon tying is growing in popularity. First used in 2014 for Esther Price Fine Chocolates Candy Co., this difficult to automate application required the combined use of 3D simulation software for precise programming and a high-performance robot for greater maneuverability and consistency. Likewise, having the proper end-of-arm tooling and a controlled environment for this application was critical to achieving optimal choreographed repetition.

Entertaining / Food Assembling

Application/Industry
Entertainment, Casual Dining, Theme Park, etc.

Robot Model
Varies on application.

Description
Not only do industrial robots help provide consistency for certain tasks in day-to-day operations, but also, they allow restaurant and other business owners to provide a unique experience to patrons. From being used for carnival rides to making egg sandwiches and dispensing ice cream, industrial robots are growing in use throughout the entertainment world. When outfitted with the proper end-of-arm tooling and equipped with the correct safety features, robots can accomplish a wide variety of out-of-the-box tasks such as bartending and more.

Conclusion

While the list for these unique applications could go on, the fact that industrial robots are able to add value to businesses in nearly every industry is impressive to say the least. The truth is, certain applications are extremely unsafe for humans to try, making those tasks perfect for robotic automation. Other applications that are dull or dirty are well-suited for robots, as they can fill a need where a human may not want to do the work. If you can dream it, most likely, our team of experts can make it a reality. And, if you are on the fence about whether a particular task could be automated, chances are, there’s a robot for that!