Manufacturers are automating more than ever before. For many, the question is no longer whether to automate but to what extent and when. Machine purchases are at an all-time high because of growing offshore salaries, lower robot pricing, and improved performance.
Computerized machine tending is one solution to enhance your present automated manufacturing process. This guarantees that your automation is more effective. More crucially, it aids in the sustainability of your organization.
Robot tending refers specifically to the robot feeding raw materials into the machinery so it can conduct its operation. The robot may then remove the completed section and load it again. This operation is repeated as many times as necessary.
Pros of Robotic Machine Tending
When compared to human loading and unloading of certain processes or applications, robotic machine tending can significantly enhance uptime, precision, and repeatability. A robot can swap components more accurately and quickly than an operator, leading to enhanced machine utilization.
Machine tending can also enhance safety and reduce total mistakes, resulting in less downtime, less waste, and more throughput. The machine will need to stop regularly for routine maintenance, but it will have a greater overall uptime than manual labor since it can continue to increase throughput. As these robots assist in advancing your automation process, operating costs and space may be reduced.
Employees can be spared repetitive and dirty labor when a robot is utilized to tend machinery. This enables businesses to leverage their personnel to provide more value to their manufacturing line. If you can’t find workers to accomplish the essential tasks, machine tending robotics are prepared to walk in and finish the job!
Repeated Operations
When an individual is obliged to perform a task on a consistent basis for a lengthy period of time, they are more likely to get bored and/or distracted. In this scenario, the probability of error is fairly high. They are also at risk of being injured. Robots are not subject to such limits.
Machine tending, therefore, optimizes repeatability. Additionally, it duplicates the identical technique with pinpoint precision, which is impossible for a human to accomplish. Robots are also significantly more accurate due to their lower error margin.
The possibility of faults in the product is greatly reduced. As a result, there are reduced repairs and call-backs, resulting in improved revenue for the organization. Robots can also exchange components faster and more effectively than an actual operator.
Increase Safety in the Working Environment
Worker safety is improved by machine tending. Several duties put workers’ physical well-being in jeopardy. Pick-and-place projects, for instance, might appear to be simple. On the other hand, incorrect posture might lead to muscular-skeletal disorders, requiring a worker to go to ER.
Additionally, repetitive activities, especially over a long time, may cause muscle injury. Muscle pulls, and other bothersome conditions might obstruct and reduce productivity. Robotic tending, which is a much-required solution, addresses these concerns.
Removes the Problem of High Labor Turnover
When manufacturers demand specialized workers for specific tasks, there may be a high level of labor turnover. Many staff eventually find better positions and quit, leaving you with little choice but to start hunting again.
Machines will not submit resumes, and they will not be pursuing promotions or increases. They seek to fill up the gaps left by laborers. They also provide a long-term remedy. All they need is monthly maintenance to keep them running smoothly, and your turnover problem will be solved for good.
Adaptability
There’s a robotics answer for just about anything you can imagine in a manufacturing line. Collaborative robotics with machine assistance is designed and programmed to do a range of tasks. They’re also equipped with a set of flexible grippers.
Consequently, robots may be configured to perform a variety of factory-floor tasks. Additionally, grippers can be mounted above the machine to operate two machines at the same time. Robot tending is beneficial in a number of scenarios, including those listed below;
- Trimming and forging
- Welding
- Injection molds
- Compression molds
- Grinding
- Punching
- Milling and turning
In many organizations and manufacturing plants, skilled workers are in limited supply. Robotic tending is ideally suited to fill this gap. Collaborative robots that perform automated tending tasks can be configured to perform particular tasks without the assistance of humans.
This is among the talent deficit being solved in sectors, such as in material processing and manufacturing. Robotic tending takes over if experienced labor is unable to perform the work.