Exploring Application Areas of Collaborative Robots Through Simulation
Published on : Friday 08-04-2022
Hari Nidamarthy explores possibilities with various robot brands through simulation and virtual manufacturing without actually investing in the system.
Collaborative robots, as the name suggests, are designed to work in an environment where they can work alongside human operators where there is a possibility of interaction between the robot and the operator. They are also popularly called cobots.
Unlike traditional robotic applications, where the robots need to be isolated from the operators through either electrical or mechanical safety systems, cobots and human operators can work in the same work envelope. This sharing of space is possible because the collaborative robots can sense the objects in their proximity and control their actions. As a result, cobots are easy to set up, and the application is all up and running within a few hours compared to days in a traditional system. General application areas of collaborative robots include pick-and-place, palletizing, welding, inspection, etc.
As of today, all major robot manufacturers have their collaborative robots.
In this article, let us discuss some scenarios where we can use collaborative robots with the help of 3D simulation software. 3D simulation allows us to:
1. Model the proposed solution in the digital form and visualise the process in 3D.
2. Add the input parameters and constraints affecting the system.
3. Perform the simulation and collect the data from the components/models used in the system.
4. Analyse the data to propose a solution.
We will analyse these scenarios using Visual Components 3D Plant simulation software. Visual Components e-Catalog library contains over 1600 robots from various robot manufacturers and includes collaborative robots from all major robot manufacturers.
Case 1: Replace the humans to perform unergonomic operations (Figure 1).
The picture shows a screenshot from a simulation of the assembly of PCB boards.
i. The assembly takes place in three stages – human operators performing the assembly operations at each stage. Black arrows represent the flow of the assembly line.
ii. Yellow arrows represent the material required at each stage at that particular station.
iii. The first and final stage involves some unergonomic operations such as screw-driving. Blue arrows represent the stages that involve this operation.
A collaborative robot is an excellent choice for the above operation. It does not need a safety fence as a conventional robot and can work with the human operator and safely share the workspace.
Case 2: Picking the items by taking data from the ERP system (Figure 2).
The picture represents a plant where the assembly of induction stoves occurs.
i. Assembly of the represented by the black arrows. Human operators performing the assembly operations in four lines
ii. Yellow arrows represent the AMRs are picking the material from the ASRS systems and supplying them to various stations.
iii. Here the collaborative robot is picking the material from the ASRS system. Cobots can be programmed to fill the pallets such they deliver the material to the stations just in time.
Please find the complete simulation on APEXIZ’s LinkedIn page.
(https://www.linkedin.com/company/apexiz/?originalSubdomain=in)
Case 3: Collaborative robots in metrology (Figure 3).
The picture shows a metrology application where the collaborative robot inspects the parts. Robots can be programmed within minutes using offline programming software such as Delfoi T-Scan.
Even for the bigger parts, collaborative robots give better solutions as areas missed by the robot can be scanned by the operator in a single-step operation. Applications such as welding can be performed with the cobots using a similar concept of workspace sharing with the cobot and the human.
Case 4: Cobots on the mobile platforms (Figure 4).
The picture shows a semi-automatic palletizing solution.
i. Packets of various sizes are arriving from the upstream, represented by the black arrows.
ii. Yellow arrows represent the location of the pallet stations. There are two stations where a human is doing the palletizing, and in the other two stations, a cobot on a mobile platform is performing it.
iii. By placing the cobot on a mobile platform, we have better flexibility in moving the robot between various stations. This kind of operation would require a robot in an isolated cell in a traditional setup.
We chose very few examples from many possibilities with collaborative robots. We can also check many other possibilities with various robot brands through simulation and virtual manufacturing without actually investing in the system.
Hari Nidamarthy is the Founder and CEO of APEXIZ, based in Hyderabad. He has 15 years of experience in 3D plant simulation, virtual manufacturing, and robot offline programming. Before starting APEXIZ in 2016, Hari worked in Sweden for nine years in the Industrial Automation domain. Connect with Hari through LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nidamarthy/.
APEXIZ is an engineering company offering products and services in 3D plant simulation and offline programming. APEXIZ is the partner of Visual Components and Delfoi, both Finland-based companies and the authorized distributor of their products. APEXIZ has customers in China, South Africa, Israel, Singapore, and many European countries.
Get in touch with APEXIZ at: http://www.apexiz.com/contact-us/
