FEATURE Robotics
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Adversity accelerates adoption
Steve Sands, Head of Product Management at Festo GB, shares his view of how the Covid pandemic has influenced our attitudes to robotics
A
s the pandemic continues to aff ect countries around the world, it is easy to see its impacts on our work and
personal lives – but not all of these are negative. In the fi eld of automation, for instance, there has been a substantial rise in interest and opportunities for automation and robotics. In part, this is because Covid has accelerated many emerging trends, which have carried over into manufacturing and logistics. For instance, more of us are embracing online shopping, ordering customised goods that are delivered to us within days. This can only be achieved cost- eff ectively through highly-automated and fl exible production processes, coupled with equally highly-automated intralogistics fulfi lment centres deploying hundreds, if not thousands, of automated pick-and-place systems. This level of automation is already achieving record levels of despatches.
Rapid robot response New applications have also emerged during lockdown. Our attempts to control the virus and fi nd a long-term cure require massive quantities of rapid and reliable laboratory tests. Preparing laboratory samples is a precise and repetitive task. Initially it was undertaken manually and involved large numbers of people working under hazardous and PPE- restricted conditions. As the global situation unfolded, it became clear that the task required automation to meet the scale of the medical crisis we faced.
18 July/August 2022 | Automation Festo’s Handling Guide Online (HGO) design and documentation package
Consequently, demand for rapid delivery of handling systems reached levels not experienced before. The common success factor in delivering such solutions lies in the ability to combine axes easily, and select the appropriate motors and motion controllers for the task to provide the required speed, force and precision.
Fortunately, due to the experience of the Festo Core Engineering team, a modular design platform and standardised mounting interfaces, we can produce urgent design concepts for customised multi-axis handling solutions in a matter of hours. Festo has supplied cartesian-based robots for many Covid- related applications. The scale can vary from a complete system, no larger than a sheet of A4 size paper, to other industry applications with gantries spanning over 30m2
.
Software solutions Software to make cartesian and gantry system design fast and error-free has enabled swift turnaround times. A design and selection package called Handling Guide Online (HGO) allows us to input the application requirements in the customers’ language, such as the stroke lengths, mass to be moved, etc. The HGO then looks for all possible solutions based on feed forces, inertia and the mechanical bearing specifi cations and then prioritises them. Price may be the most critical factor, but so too can power requirements or safety factors for bearing overload.
The models created within the HGO contain not only the simulations but also the mechanical design and bill of materials. The 3D CAD drawing is created in numerous formats simultaneously, and includes documentation for electrical wiring and programming I/O allocations. And, in the true spirit of Industry 4.0, all this data seamlessly transfers into the preferred documentation software such as EPLAN. Kinematic models can be picked up within higher-level simulation packages, enabling the simulation of complete stations. The operating (PLC) program can be pre-written and virtually commissioned: all before any metal is cut or assembled.
Lasting support Pre-pandemic application support consultations between designers and suppliers were conducted face to face. Today, many customers have found that, with increased access to easy-to-use, free software, they can specify many handling and automation systems on their own. Where additional support is required, remote consultation has become the norm and is frequently provided faster than a site visit. These faster, online ways of working are setting the trend for accelerated robot design and delivery in the future.
CONTACT:
Festo
www.festo.com
automationmagazine.co.uk
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