AdvancedManufacturing.org
Stability improves “Laser sources today are more stable,” VanderWert
said. “The machines are more stable.” Robotic laser systems also will be affected by Internet
of Things (IoT) technology that helps machines communi- cate with each other and helps operators monitor things via smartphones and tablets.
“We’ll see the need for technicians that have a higher
skill level. Automation cuts back the need for training in manual tasks. Those folks are going to need to get more sophisticated,” Hromadka said. “I don’t think there will be a cutback on the amount of training.”
Software gets better “Software has been the biggest improvement with re-
spect to laser applications,” ABB’s Hixon said. “Robotic offline programming software has improved the quality of programming that was previously relied on by point-to-point programming,” he said. At the same time, he said, “motion algorithms have improved over the years to fine-tune speeds and accelerations while minimiz- ing positional error.” More improvements are expected in coming years. “A big advancement on the horizon is the robot learn-
ing by doing,” Hixon said. “Integration into self-calibration techniques and self-learning to optimize performance are areas where robots will continue to improve.” Hixon also said training is important but should be done
by a “technology champion” at the customer. “So rather than a whole staff of trained employees, the
newer robotic technology is easier to learn through hands- on experience. But a clear technology leader still needs to be part of the equation.”
Better inspection tools coming Moore of Universal Robots also said laser systems have
gotten more affordable. “Now, even small shops could conceivably afford a laser
Cost performance is the “biggest driver in laser applications,” according to a FANUC executive.
“We’re very early in that. In new machines, you can col- lect a lot of data most customers don’t know what to do with,” VanderWert said. IoT will probably help with preven- tative maintenance “so there’s no real hiccup in product coming off the laser.”
Lasers now simpler to use Trumpf’s Hromadka said “the single biggest improve-
ment” is how “lasers are simpler to use, maintenance-free and less complex.” Both the laser and robots “are be- ing driven by the same thing in industry for 24/7 uptime. They’re driven by the same industrial motivations.” Operators “will probably need more training because of the sophistication of these systems,” he said.
welding system,” he said. “The ability to channel a laser down a flexible fiber-optic rather than a system of mirrors means it is easy to mount a small laser system on nearly any robot. Laser scanners and marking tools, particularly inspection tools, have thus seen an increase in demand, which has prompted further innovation.” Vision systems will improve as processors get better.
“This will lead to even better inspection tools and optics,” Moore said. “Galvo scanners will continue to improve, shrinking in size.” IoT presents the industry potential gains and challeng- es, he said. “Our own robot has a system of passwords to protect its
operations and only allows operator-selected inputs from outside systems,” Moore said. “Far too many IoT systems have few or zero protections from hacking, script injections or remote monitoring from unintended persons.”
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Photo courtesy FANUC
March 2017
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