FEATURE Robotics & Motion Control
Calculating the true cost of robotic palletising
By Nicolas Lauzier, Senior Product Manager, Robotiq F
reeing up operators from tedious, repetitive tasks allows them to focus on value-added functions, whilst reducing human
error – especially in higher-throughput facilities where production delays can’t be countenanced due to the impact on customer deadlines. With palletising, automation also delivers health and safety advantages. Operatives no longer handle heavy boxes for extended periods, risking injury to themselves and further operational issues if they are consequently absent from work.
Automating palletising is nothing new, but cobots are becoming increasingly popular in this fi eld, due to their fl exibility and ease of implementation. Modern cobot systems can quickly be installed and confi gured, and redeployed to cope with production changes, such as seasonal product manufacture.
Of course, any palletising system has a cost, and anyone considering robotic palletising must be clear about fi nances. One key point is the individual robot’s price tag will not necessarily be the total project cost. Unfortunately, some well- intentioned people often make the mistake of requesting a quote, seeing what budget they have, and using this information to decide their way forward. A better approach is to calculate a rough
return on investment (ROI) then decide whether the robot will pay for itself over time. Extra costs can be so high with some conventional solutions that some pundits recommend multiplying the robot’s cost by up to fi ve times to reach an accurate estimate.
This is where an integrated solution, with a price much closer to that of the kit itself, becomes more attractive. Irrespective of the solution, there are seven key areas to examine for accurate project costs. First, of course, is the robot’s base cost.
Typically, it is simple to get a quote for the robot alone; yet, traditional industrial or palletising robots tend to require more extras than cobots. Secondly, the robot may require accessories such as a cable management system, pallet and box sensors, external axes to extend its workspace, and an end eff ector for grasping boxes. With a palletising application solution, these are typically included. However, with other solutions, these must be factored in, including potential customisation, which further increases costs.
Other technologies may also be necessary: conveyors for moving boxes towards the robot; a pallet dispenser and tier sheet rack; and safety fencing or sensors. Even with cobots, the latter may be needed to allow safe, high-speed
palletising if human operatives are working nearby. And, software and control systems may be needed, unless a complete cobot application solution is specifi ed. Many traditional robots do not come with a controller and software “out of the box”; these must be purchased separately. Special palletising software will probably be needed to avoid hard-coding the palletising task by hand. Some robots require preventative maintenance – an ongoing cost that new users sometimes neglect to consider. However, not all robots are the same, and this is worth examining carefully – some, especially many of the newer cobots, are almost maintenance-free and do not require service agreements.
When it comes to design and integration costs, there is often a high upfront cost with conventional palletising robots, requiring specialist robot integration experience. This means using an external integrator, which will add to the cost. This is less likely with specialist cobot application solutions, which allow the purchaser to design the cell themselves using interactive confi guration software. Finally, time should be spent calculating the ROI of the palletising solution. For cobot solutions, payback time can be just a few months, depending on the application; with other solutions it could be longer. Taking time to accurately calculate all these costs will be fundamental to reaching the right decision in automating any palletising operation, and purchasing an appropriate, future-proof solution.
Palatising overview
CONTACT:
Robotiq
www.robotiq.com
24 March 2021 | Automation
automationmagazine.co.uk
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