Back then, the industrial revolution brought about significant changes in the manufacturing sector. It popularized the concept of adopting machines within the production line to boost output while decreasing costs.
Today the machines in question are called manufacturing robots. They are controlled using complex variants of artificial intelligence (AI). The concept of manufacturing with robots is changing the flow of processes in a production line.
Robots are designed to move parts and materials as well as execute various programmed processes. Robots are even employed to perform tasks otherwise considered hazardous or unsuitable for manual operators.
Robots are able to improve the quality of products because tasks are executed with the utmost level of precision and repeatability. This article examines why these machines are used for manufacturing and the various roles delegated to these machines.
Why Are Robots Used in Manufacturing?
Easy to Program
In order to teach and operate, you no longer have to learn a complex coding language. Modern robots can be guided using offline programming or by using a teach pendant.
The former lets the operator model a comprehensive cell and develop a series of moves for the task, whereas, with the latter, the operator basically guides the machine through a series of steps. These movements can be stored and repeated when needed.
Save On Money and Time
Robots have come a long way; today, they can be installed in a manufacturing plant in a concise time without consuming plenty of resources. The increased sales as a result of robotic technology have seen prices of manufactured goods drop, which is ideal for consumers.
Scalability
Typically, robots in manufacturing are used for high volumes, but they can be scaled down to accommodate medium and low manufacturing needs. Robots can even be scaled down to be used by manufacturing companies in their infancy.
The Roles Delegated to Robots in Industries Include:
Material Handling
Robots today are being used to handle a gradually increasing variety of products. Primarily manufacturing needs that require utmost composure or manufacturing products that are otherwise hazardous to manual operators.
Robots are never fatigued and therefore are not prone to mistakes, unlike manual operators. Consequently, they alleviate risk to manual operators. Also, more work is completed when it is robots that take charge of manufacturing operations.
Assembly Tasks
In manufacturing, having to assembly produced parts is a protracted and repetitive task that can easily be upset by a lapse in concentration, among other uncontrollable factors. By replacing operators with robots, streamlines the process and reduces the chance of errors happening.
This also frees up manual operators from assembling tasks. Their efforts and capacities can be focused on other jobs in the company that can’t be performed by robots, such as decision making and policy formulation.
Processing Tasks
Certain components have to undergo certain kinds of processing in a manufacturing setting, including fine-tuning, polishing and carving before they are packaged. Such tasks are delegated to robots because of their autonomy, and depending on the intricacy of the task
Welding Tasks
In manufacturing, robots are also needed for welding tasks. The process of joining parts together using pressure and heat is a procedure that requires the utmost precision and concentration.
It is for this reason that robots are the go-to option for welding tasks in a manufacturing environment. Depending on the task’s difficulty at hand, robots can execute tasks solely or with the help of manual operators.
Dispensing Tasks
Robots can be deployed for tasks whereby paint, sprays, or even adhesive is to be applied on a surface. Dispensing tasks are also highly repetitive, making them more suited to robots than manual operators because machines don’t suffer from fatigue.
Final Thought
To sum it all up, robots are widely used in manufacturing settings, as illustrated above. However, these machines are not similar; it depends on the kind of application they are being used for. Therefore, different robots are used for various manufacturing tasks.
