FEATURE Machine Building & Frameworks y
Robotic process automation: start small, scale big
Introducing robotic automation to an established workflow can appear complicated and expensive, but it needn’t be, says Oumayma Grad, Marketing Communications Manager at Yamaha Factory Automation
N Entry level
Manufacturing businesses can already begin to capture the benefi ts of robotic process automation in a simpler and less invasive way. Many production lines are staff ed by human workers, performing processes on workpieces supplied by a conveyor belt (Figure 1). Increasing the conveyor speed should feed the workpieces more quickly and enable increased productivity, but often this is not the case. Although workers are physically able to keep pace with faster transport, problems can occur as workpieces reach end-stops at higher speeds, and can become displaced or even fall onto the fl oor. Productivity can be reduced as a result of increasing conveyor speed. Robot technology can help overcome
this problem. Linear robots can replace conventional conveyors and are easier to program, with digitally-defi ned start and stop locations with no need for mechanical end stops. Acceleration and deceleration happen smoothly within pre-defi ned distances, allowing fast transit speeds. Several of these modules can operate independently on the same production line to replace a single, unvarying, fi xed-
12 October 2020 | Automation
owadays, industrial processes are more often than not relying on automation to meet productivity targets;
this ensures consistent product quality, and high throughput, effi ciency and productivity. A process can be fully automated, free of human intervention from end to end, or partially automated combining the strengths of human workers and machines.
Imagine humans and machines cooperating in the same space, and the fi rst image that springs to mind is a picture of an array of multi-articulated collaborative robots (“cobots”) programmed to handle repetitive or physically-demanding tasks, whereas their human co-workers provide the manual dexterity or creative input needed to aid the processes. However, introducing cobots to a factory demands signifi cant process reoptimisation and physical reorganisation of the workspace.
Figure 1: Linear robots can be introduced non- disruptively into established workflows
speed conveyor. This gives the fl exibility to optimise transport speed in multiple zones along the line to suit the requirements of each process and balance the workfl ow. Moreover, the fl exibility to move in
forward and reverse directions opens new opportunities to achieve even greater effi ciency. Yamaha has enabled several customers to take advantage of such benefi ts by integrating its LCMR200 robotic linear conveyor module (Figure 2) into production lines. This model is fast, effi cient and less demanding of workfl ow reorganisation than arranging multi-axis articulated cobots. This modular, linear robot can provide a convenient introduction to the potential for robot process automation, which can extend from simple replacement of a conveyor or indexing table to full end- to-end process automation in a guarded robot-assembly cell. When required to create a complete
robotic automated process fl ow for building small products such as loudspeakers or automotive modules containing several constituent parts, solution integrators often need to combine
robots of various types to perform all the individual assembly actions cost- eff ectively and in a space-effi cient footprint. To assist, Yamaha has a uniquely comprehensive selection of industrial robots in all commonly-used types from the modular LCMR200 and other single- axis robots to cartesian and SCARA robots. These give solution integrators all the options they need to create an effi cient workfl ow even when factory fl oor-space is tight, while also taking into account important considerations such as maintainability, programmability and ease of use.
Figure 2: Yamaha’s linear module replaces conventional conveyors for speed and smoothness
Scaling up, saving space There are many space-saving aspects of Yamaha’s robot lineup, such as the ceiling-mounted orbit-type YK-TW series of SCARA robots that permit underpass motion allowing the tip to pass beneath the main unit (Figure 3). Achieving a compact process footprint can be extremely important, for example to OEMs looking to re-shore or bring formerly-outsourced processes back in-house. Although global economic changes can mean re-shoring makes fi nancial sense, often the local factory has very little real estate available to host the returning processes. Where every square centimetre is valuable, orbit- type SCARA robots have shown they can operate within incredibly tight spaces. With 350mm arm length and 5kg payload capacity, installation width of just 492mm can be achieved. The main strengths of SCARA robots lie in quickly retrieving and moving workpieces, and in performing assembly processes such as driving screws and accurately dispensing adhesives, sealants or thermal-interface materials. Typical sizes of SCARA robots range from arm length of about 120mm with payload capacity of about 1kg, to 1200mm models capable of handling as much as 50kg. Yamaha’s YK-XG family introduces maintenance-free beltless drives that enable high-speed, high-precision movement in four axes. In addition, the moment of inertia is optimised to allow fast rotation of heavy objects, where
automationmagazine.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46