Cobots hold the promise of improving efficiency and quality of
to increase human work, bring greater reliability, consistency and
precision for a variety of manufacturing and assembly operations. But are
Do these potential benefits apply to all users?
Collaborative robots (cobots) are only relatively recent
introduced and today represent the fastest growing area
of robotics. By eliminating the need for protective fencing,
cobots a space-saving installation next to people - an important
consideration in many locations where floor space is scarce. By simple
programming and simple system configuration make them easy to implement
and re-implement. And there is the potential to not only do the simple
and perform repetitive tasks to increase production efficiency,
but also the flexibility and adaptability to take on more specialist tasks
to catch.
Various industries such as packaging,
food and beverages, fast moving consumer goods and pharmaceuticals
all high demands on automation systems. For cobots this can be a
requirement for some very specific features. This raises the question
on: 'it is always possible to have the simplicity of programming and setting that
many cobots claim to offer, combine with the precision requirements that many
applications require?'
It was not uncommon for end users to discover that
the answer to the questions was 'no'. This may affect the applicability of the cobot
limit to a limited number of tasks, possibly also the possibilities for
limit reorganization and ultimately increase return on investment
to influence.
With the MELFA ASSISTA cobots, Mitsubishi Electric has
built on its experience in industrial robots to develop a cobot range
develop that the real world challenges of different applications and
sectors. It recognizes that ease of operation and programming as
should be taken for granted, but without sacrificing precision
to influence.
Mitsubishi Electric has a new manual transmission
learning strategy developed, whereby the cobot arm can easily be moved to the desired position
position is moved. Operators then press a single button on the
learning panel on the arm and the position is added to the robot program.
By combining this with an intuitive, touch-sensitive, graphical
programming tool - RT VisualBox - makes it easier to create advanced
to build applications without any programming knowledge.
However, what about the requirements of different
industries?
In food & beverage, for example, hygiene is a
important consideration. MELFA ASSISTA cobots are constructed with smooth,
curved surfaces that are easy to clean and prevent dirt accumulation
prevent, while a food-safe H1 grease is an option on all joints,
including the gear.
For delicate and precise tasks in the pharmaceutical industry
production MELFA Assista cobots offer a repeatability of ± 0.03 mm,
close to that of Mitsubishi Electric's industrial robots (± 0.02 mm). They
can be easily combined with vision technology, making them
are ideal for use in applications ranging from dosing,
mixing and counting to dispensing, inspecting and marking medicines.
This level of accuracy is important in many
assembly applications in various industrial sectors, but the mentioned
figure for most cobot designs is in the order of ±0.1 mm. The higher
accuracy of the MELFA ASSISTA robots has already proven useful in many
applications, including in the automotive sector.
Some end users have also reported that the
speed limitations of cobots, although an important safety feature, the
reduces the range of their usefulness. It makes it more difficult to
to redeploy technology in other parts of a factory to
to maximize return on investment. This is something Mitsubishi
Electric has tackled the issue with the MELFA ASSISTA, which features a high-power operating mode
speed for when he's not working next to people - meaning he
can be used as a standard industrial robot.
Both the initial installation and any subsequent
subsequent rearrangement of the cobot is supported by the inclusion of
a Digital Twin in the Mitsubishi Electric range. With RT VisualBox and RT
Toolbox3 software allows users to simulate and prove the cobot operation
meets expectations, without the live system being available. Even
When a cobot has been in operation for some time after SAT, the Digital Twin can be used to
operation, performance and precision of the MELFA Assista offline are further improved
tuned. And if the Digital Twin confirms the improvements that have been
made to the parameters and the program, the changes can be
uploaded and used in the real factory. All this can be done without long
downtime or any risk to production in the factory.
With all these features, the MELFA ASSISTA cobots from Mitsubishi Electric not only provides optimal assistance for the human staff, but also the highest possible return on investment.
e-mail : info@eng ineeringshop.nl
