ROBOT & COBOT

In recent years, the field of industrial robot programming in Italy and Europe has gained increasing importance, with the massive use of anthropomorphic robots at the heart of new and innovative technologies supporting work activities within a company. With the introduction of these “helpers,” a company becomes a smart factory and embarks on an important journey of digital production innovation.

Automation and robotics have various applications within the industrial world. They are used in both rigid and flexible automation systems. The main sectors where robots are employed include:

Food & Beverage
Automotive
Medical and Pharmaceutical
Chemical
Aerospace
Electronics
Biotechnology
Nautical

Robotic systems are used to produce furniture, in 3D modeling, in the production of sports equipment, and also for laboratory analysis.

Implementing robotic automation processes within a company offers multiple advantages. First and foremost in terms of productivity, as workers can dedicate themselves to more complex and impactful activities, leaving the heavier and riskier tasks to the machines.

The advantages of robotic automation:

Robots are mostly placed in environments that are dangerous for humans, such as where there is a risk of contact with harmful materials or chemicals. Furthermore, robotic automation allows for the minimization of errors.

Traditional industrial robots are large, fast, and robust, capable of effortlessly handling welding machines and automotive assembly. Cobots are none of these things, but they instead enable an entirely new range of collaborative production practices.

While many people imagine fast-moving automotive assembly robots or science fiction scenarios, there are countless forms of robots, most of which are used in commercial and industrial applications. Because traditional industrial robots are large and powerful, workers must generally be kept separate from them. A new generation of collaborative robots (cobots) is designed to work directly with humans.

Cobots are a form of robot, but with enough distinctions to justify their own category. They allow manufacturers to perform the same tasks as robots, yet they require a smaller investment and offer greater flexibility in terms of setup and range of operations.

ADVANTAGES AND CHALLENGES OF ROBOTS

Because robots are so powerful and fast, they usually lack integrated devices to protect operators. Therefore, they are typically fenced in a work cell or caged area to keep people out. This work cell is generally protected with special safety sensors and associated controls to stop the robot whenever the cell is opened or when workers are detected where they shouldn't be. This requires significant space, design effort, and testing. It also means that robots are largely dedicated to the single task for which they were installed.

Robots were designed as heavy-lifting work equipment, with less emphasis on a user-friendly setup. A robot may require extensive knowledge of robotics to program its actions and correctly integrate its work with the environment and upstream/downstream systems, which must also be automated. Not only are robots expensive to acquire, but they are also expensive to design.

ADVANTAGES AND CHALLENGES OF COBOT

Cobots, on the other hand, were designed specifically to work with humans. They cannot lift as much as larger robots, but their movement capabilities are designed to be safe around people, so fences and safety sensors are not necessary. Since they are generally smaller than robots, they can be much easier to install and can easily fit into any existing workspace. Often, they are mounted on mobile stations so they can be moved from one task to another.

As a newer and mission-specific generation of automation, cobots were designed from the ground up for easy setup. They can be taught using scripts or visual flow-chart-based software, but they can also be taught by physically moving the articulated arm into the required positions. This means anyone can set them up. It also means they are easily reconfigurable for many tasks, so a cobot can be moved and repurposed for new tasks without significant conversion effort. This flexibility and ease of use mean they can be put into service sooner and used more comprehensively, leading to a faster return on investment (ROI).

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse