Executive Q&A
tasks and guaranteeing a standardised and controlled 24-hour operation. Meanwhile, automotive industry supplier Continental is using cobots to create smart production lines. Usually, the inflexible and time-sensitive nature of production leaves no time for faulty parts.
Cobots are used to load and unload parts from testing machines, allowing for rejected parts to be returned to the process by human operators whilst the production line remains operational.
Looking to the future, the application of cobots will only continue to expand. Cobots hold huge potential for industries including aerospace, medical, automation, consumer electronics, and retail and distribution (CPRD), especially as enhanced employee health-and- safety processes are implemented in the fight against COVID.
On the ‘business-as-usual’ front, we expect to see cobots used to test things like cockpit operations and motion profiling for robotic surgery, as well as provide quality inspection and performance testing.
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Will cobots replace human operators in the testing process? Fundamentally, cobots are designed to complement human skill-sets and vice versa. Rather than replace people, they encourage closer working. For example, it can be difficult to maintain pace and accuracy during testing as the numbers of test or use-case combinations increase. By automating certain functions using cobots, testing can maintain consistency whilst allowing human operators more time to analyse results.
How easy is it to implement cobots in test routines?
There are several steps to help organisations incorporate cobot-based testing: • Exploration: As the initial phase, it is important to understand the device-under-test conditions, and to study the user interface and test lifecycle. Alongside this, organisations need to assess the type of robots, sensors and end effector – the ‘hand’ of the robot – on offer.
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• Proof of concept: Companies should finalise their selection of the parts they require, namely the robot, stylus, gripper and sensors. They must also define any software requirements, and ensure that human operators are properly trained to use the equipment and understand any results – this underpins the collaborative element.
• First implementation: Companies must develop and execute a test case as well as testing for timing and verification effectiveness.
• Diffusion: At this stage, organisations should take time to re-assess their designs if needed, spending time on calibration and customisation. Once any changes have been made, production deployment can begin as well as scaleability analysis and value monitoring.
• Production: Finally comes the setup of the process and any fine-tuning, as well as monitoring analytics and producing an upgrade and maintenance strategy in case of unforeseen issues.
Are there any risks associated with cobot implementation?
There are certain pitfalls to consider. Full risk assessments are crucial – cobots may be inherently safer, but misplaced equipment can still pose a risk to both user and machine. Similarly, careful path planning is paramount – the acceleration, speed, force and angle of the robot all need to be exactly defined so that accurate movement achieves perfect results. Companies also need to determine the ROI and not get distracted by the idea of an exciting new technology for its own sake. There are various ways of doing this, such as calculating automation’s impact on testing by determining which operations are performed by the cobot and what proportion this is of the overall test-execution cycle. Another example is considering the savings on maintenance. Currently, maintaining a trained testing team with consistent output and quality can be challenging – dividing tasks between human operators and machines can have tangible benefits.
www.electronicsworld.com November/December 2020 09
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