Robots can help collect
data to improve quality and reduce downtime
Data has become a central element in the
continuous drive to increase production quality and efficiency. A place
where this collection can take place is with the robots. But all too often we see
factory managers do not realize the potential of robots to provide useful information
collect, while helping to automate operations.
Why focus on robots?
Robots are being deployed more quickly as the benefits of
automation increases. Decreasing costs, improving performance and simplifying
programming makes robots more attractive. When production teams use these
using machines, it is quite easy to collect data
improve and add testing and inspection stations.
The most basic data collection comes from the
robot itself. It can track the production of parts and inventory consumption
and systems tell how many elements there are in a certain period
used. This information already comes with timestamps, so it is
easy to store information about when each part has been completed. This
property is especially important in regulated environments, where easy
access to historical data can be an important factor when
products must be recalled.
The auxiliary equipment used with robots can also
provide a wealth of data. Visual sensors, grippers and other
equipment all have the potential to provide some additional data
provide.
A structure for collecting success
of data
It is often quite simple to add inspection stations
add to robot work cells. Cameras used to monitor robot movements
guide, can also be used to investigate components. The
presence of key components and measurements are some of the most
common types of inspections. These visual inspections can often be
performed while parts are being moved or manipulated to achieve high
to maintain operating speeds.
In addition, sensors can easily be added to
other parameters to check. When these inspection stations are in work cells
are installed, quality controls can be increased by a
minimal impact on throughput. Additional monitoring can provide major improvements
It is also easier to recognize trends when there is more
parts are checked so that changes can be made
before defective parts are made.
These quality controls can also help in
solving problems with customers. For example, a company that has proof
that parts met requirements when they left the facility,
can easily resolve a dispute where the carrier has delivered goods
damaged.
These improvements come from the real-time
analyzing data points. But big benefits come when big
amounts of collected information are extracted. With data mining,
operators and maintenance technicians for long periods of time to many
look at different parameters.
When recurring problems occur with
production equipment, archive data can be examined so that
analysts can understand what happened before an error occurred. This
information can be used to prevent future failures. When in
the parameter errors can be noticed before a failure occurs,
maintenance must be performed before a failure causes an unplanned shutdown
causes, which improves the overall efficiency of the installation
improved.
Trends in the management of this data
Currently, much of this analysis will be based on the
knowledge of engineers, technicians and even equipment suppliers. But in
In the near future it is likely that deep learning systems will play a huge role
will analyze amounts of collected data. There may be some form of
Artificial intelligence is needed when companies want to develop equipment
analyze those in factories in many different global facilities
is used. Converting the data from many powerful machines into
useful data may be beyond the analytical scope of most
people. However, it may take some time for conservative manufacturing companies
rely on machine learning systems.
While that is a long-term problem, the question is
where all this data should be stored today is an important
decision. Often a storage hierarchy can be an effective solution.
Basic data can be stored in the robot controller. When
if the limited capacity is exceeded, older data may be
moved to the company's production execution system (MES). There
large amounts of data can be stored for business review. At
Exceeding local storage capacities is causing companies to turn to
generally to the cloud. These data centers store as much data as the company
want to pay. Cloud services are especially important for companies that store data
want to store from different facilities.
Although it may seem like adding robots and
inspection stations is a major investment, many experts explain that the
benefits of installing more quality inspections often outweigh
the cost. If a supplier sends defective parts to a large customer,
can that customer demand 100% inspection of those products until the
quality level is back to normal. The cost of a few cameras and sensors
are well below the cost of a recall and hastily adding
inspection measures in response to a customer problem.
Companies that have installed robots will have
You may be surprised at how effective it can be to add sensors
add and perform more inspections. Those who have not yet taken this step,
are often pleased to learn that there can be more benefits with
robotic systems that go beyond automation speed and
-accuracy which is often the main reason for many installations.
When robots are used in production processes together with the right sensors,
integrated, users have the ability to access much more data
collect, significantly improving their production processes.
