Harnessing robotics to transform manufacturing in the face of challenges

 

Robotics insights

• There are many advantages of implementing robotic systems, including increased productivity, improved consistency and accuracy, enhanced quality assurance, faster production speeds, improved workplace safety and the creation of new career opportunities.
• Executing a turnkey robot project can be done from the initial application and engineering and design phases to installation, operator training and ongoing after-sales support. This will help them appreciate the meticulous planning and customization required for successful robotic integration.
• Gain insights into the essential factors to consider when integrating robotic solutions into manufacturing processes. This includes understanding production rates, environmental conditions, physical characteristics of robots and the importance of risk assessments and safety standards.

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Plant engineers are currently grappling with labor shortages, rising operational costs and relentless pressure to increase production rates. To address these challenges, many are turning to robotic solutions. According to the International Federation of Robotics, the global average of robot density in manufacturing industries have reached 126 robots per 10,000 employees — nearly double the number from five years ago.

By taking on hazardous tasks, ensuring consistent product quality and operating around the clock, robots are an attractive solution. But implementation is rarely “off the shelf” and requires careful planning and customization. From the initial assessment and design phase to installation, integration and ongoing support, each step of a turnkey robot project demands meticulous attention to technical requirements, environmental conditions and long-term scalability to successfully integrate robotics into its operations.

Key benefits of robotic solutions

Recently, Salas O’Brien worked with an international plastics manufacturer that wanted to modernize its facilities. With a simulation-led design, the team was able to help it use robotic solutions to enhance efficiency while seamlessly integrating with existing equipment.

The most common compelling reasons that prompt industrial manufacturing to turn to robotic solutions are:

Increased productivity. Robots significantly boost productivity by performing tasks more quickly and efficiently than human workers. Operating continuously without breaks, they help companies meet production targets and deadlines more consistently.

Consistency, repeatability and accuracy. Robots excel at performing repetitive tasks with precision. Unlike human workers, who may experience fatigue or variability in performance, robots deliver consistent accuracy every time.

Quality assurance. Robots can be programmed to detect defects and deviations in real time, ensuring that only products meeting stringent quality standards move forward in the production line. This proactive quality control helps reduce waste and rework and, ultimately, lowers costs.

Increased production speed. Robots can handle multiple tasks simultaneously and complete them more quickly than human workers. This enables companies to scale up operations and respond swiftly to market demands, giving them a competitive edge.

Improved workplace safety. Robots perform hazardous tasks that pose risks to human workers, such as handling heavy materials, working at extreme temperatures or dealing with toxic substances. This creates a safer workplace and reduces the likelihood of costly accidents and downtime.

Job creation and career building. Contrary to the misconception that robots take away jobs, they actually create new opportunities. As robots take on repetitive and hazardous tasks, human workers can transition to more skilled roles requiring problem-solving, oversight and maintenance of robotic systems, leading to the creation of high-value jobs and career growth in fields such as robotics engineering, programming and maintenance.

Typical applications for robotic implementation

Working with a major consumer brand, Salas O’Brien collaborated with the client to optimize its capital by enhancing efficiency. The design team employed simulation-led design to achieve this goal, crafting a blueprint that allowed the client to streamline its facilities from 52 to 26 while still meeting volume forecasts.

Robotic solutions have already transformed the manufacturing landscape in some sectors, such as assembly and testing in the automotive industry, but there are still a lot of wins to be had in helping plants achieve greater efficiency and address a shrinking workforce.

Some of the most common applications are:

Picking (primary packaging). High-speed pick-and-place robots can efficiently handle products to be case-packed. These robots load items such as blister pack cells or other packaging materials, manage flow-wrapper infeed flights and form matrices on outfeed conveyors. Using proprietary picking software integrated with vision systems, these robots can identify the location orientation and type of parts and assign tasks to the appropriate robot for precise handling.

Case packing (secondary packaging). Robots excel in case packing by efficiently grouping and packing products into cases for distribution. Lower- to mid-speed pick-and-place systems ensure consistent packing quality of cartons, bottles, jars, pouches and bags by optimizing space use within cases and placing tier sheets between layers to reduce damage during transportation and enhance overall packaging efficiency.

Palletizing (tertiary packaging). Palletizing robots automate the stacking of products onto pallets, preparing them for shipment. These robots can manage a wide range of products and packaging configurations. For example, they can handle a single infeed to one or two pallet build stations, multiple in-feeds to corresponding pallet build stations with a stationary robot or a single infeed to multiple pallet build stations with a robot on a linear track. This automation enhances safety and efficiency in the loading process, significantly reducing the risk of injury associated with manual palletizing.

Warehouse picking. In warehousing, robots are revolutionizing the picking process by swiftly and accurately retrieving items from storage and preparing them for shipment. These robots navigate through the warehouse, locate products and deliver them to packing stations significantly reducing the time and effort required for manual or robotic picking.

Co-packers. In environments where many operators are used to repackage products into multi-packs or promotional items, such as toothpaste co-packed with a toothbrush, robots can efficiently handle the repackaging process by swiftly combining products into the desired configurations. The flexibility of robotic systems also allows for quick adjustments to different product combinations, making them ideal for handling diverse and frequently changing packaging requirements.

Labeling, case/tray erecting. Robots also are used in labeling and case or tray erecting processes. They apply labels with precision and consistency, reducing errors and ensuring that all packages are marked correctly. Additionally, robots can erect cases or trays from flat blanks, preparing them for filling and packaging operations.

Kitting. In kitting applications, robots can pre-organize items for robotic case packing or assembly. This process is particularly useful in industries such as electronics, where multiple small parts need to be combined into a single package.

Machine tending. Robots are used increasingly for machine tending, where they load and unload parts from machinery. This application is common in computer numerical control machining, injection molding and other automated manufacturing processes. By automating these tasks, robots free human operators to focus on more complex and value-added activities.

Assembly. In assembly operations, robots perform highly repetitive tasks such as welding, screwing and fitting components together. They provide precision and repeatability, ensuring that each product is assembled to exact specifications. This automation enhances product quality and consistency while reducing assembly time and labor costs.

These typical applications demonstrate both the versatility and impact of robotic solutions in various sectors of manufacturing and where plant engineers can look for robotic solutions to resolve challenges in their own processes.

Steps performed during a turnkey robotics project

One recent client — a top cheese manufacturer — needed to rapidly cool 40-pound cheese blocks without using traditional cartons or cases. To address this, the Salas O’Brien team implemented four customized robotic cells to automate the entire process. The team meticulously planned and executed each step, from loading the cheese blocks into reusable trays to quickly cool them and then palletizing and restacking empty trays.

The turnkey method allowed engineering experts to execute this complex installation plan in phases without causing any disruptions to the client’s daily operations. As a result, the client’s manufacturing process has become more efficient, sustainable and significantly more cost-effective.

Typical steps in a turnkey robotics project are:

Pre-bid — application engineering. The initial phase involves thorough application assessment, starting with plant walk-throughs to identify potential areas for automation. During these inspections, engineers seek out bottlenecks that hinder production efficiency and look for highly repetitive activities that could benefit from robotic solutions. This comprehensive analysis forms the foundation for creating a customized automation plan tailored to the plant’s specific needs.

After order — engineering and design. Once the order is placed, the focus shifts to detailed engineering and design. This phase includes performing risk assessments and safety audits to ensure that the proposed robotic solutions not only enhance efficiency but also maintain a safe working environment. Engineers work closely with clients to design systems that seamlessly integrate with existing operations and address identified bottlenecks and repetitive tasks.

Installation — FAT. During the installation phase, the robots are programmed and a factory acceptance test (FAT) is conducted. This process ensures that the robots function as intended and meet all performance criteria. Operator system training is also a critical component of this phase, providing plant personnel with the necessary skills to operate and maintain the new robotic systems efficiently. This training helps to ensure a smooth transition and optimal use of technology.

After-sales support. Post-installation, robust support is essential to maintain the performance and longevity of robotic systems. This after-sales support includes warranty services, ongoing training and aftermarket assistance to address any issues that may arise. Continuous support ensures that the plant can fully leverage the benefits of automation and maintain high productivity levels over the long term.

Engineering considerations for robotics applications

The Salas O’Brien team worked with a chemical company to design a new chemical reactor and resin loading system using robotics and tied them in with existing equipment and utilities. This required careful environmental considerations such as space constraints, dusting control and temperature fluctuations.

Some of the most common considerations when implementing robotics into existing facilities include:

Production rates. To ensure efficiency, determine the maximum steady-state production rates, including any surge requirements. Consider plans for upgrading upstream equipment speeds. Assess the number of products and patterns for flow-wrapper infeed flights, blister packs, cartons, cases or trays. Evaluate part orientation from pick to place and the need for flap containment, partitions or layer sheets.

Ensure parts are presented to the robot consistently; if not, vision systems may be needed. Use picking software to optimize pick order, part orientation and load balancing for multiple robots handling homogeneous or different parts individually or in groupings.

Environmental considerations. The operating environment significantly impacts robotic design and function. Determine if high-pressure or high-alkaline washes are required, particularly in protein processing. Specify ingress protection (IP) requirements, such as IP67 for low-pressure spray or IP69K for high-pressure spray, in meat and poultry environments. If the robot cannot meet IP69K, an approved enclosure jacket may be necessary. Consider the use of NSF-H1 certified food-grade grease for raw food handling or if it is a plantwide standard.

Assess operational temperature ranges, whether hot (>113°F) or cold (<32°F) and humidity levels (>80% relative, noncondensing). For corrosive environments, determine which parts of the robot interface with corrosive products and whether an exterior coating or an approved jacket is needed.

Proposed robot’s physical characteristics. Determine the maximum payload, including end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) and any offset loading conditions. To select the appropriate model, assess the required reach for the application, including the robot’s inner and outer reach and the installation area’s clear height. Evaluate wrist capabilities to handle the application without unnecessary stress from load offset or unsuitable center of gravity.

Ensure the robot’s speed aligns with production rates, including surges. Redesign EOAT if needed to handle multiple parts, potentially lowering the overall pick rate. This might require a secondary device to pre-form an array or a larger payload robot, which typically reduces speed. Try modifying pack or pallet patterns to make the process more robot-friendly.

Special processes or standards to consider. If manual operations require part inspection, decide whether a 2D or a more expensive 3D vision system will replace the operator’s inspection. For industries needing 100% product serialization, such as pharmaceuticals, secondary vision systems must validate the correct product is picked, packed or palletized. Compliance with the Food and Drug Administration Food Safety Modernization Act is essential, focusing on sanitary and clean design, food-grade grease and wash-down capabilities.

Determine if part manipulation, such as stacking, staggering or inverting parts, is required for secondary operations. Address dunnage concerns by identifying all necessary materials, such as case partitions, layer sheets or pads, case flaps, poly liners, pallet types, slip sheets, tier sheets and top caps. These considerations ensure robotic systems are well-integrated, compliant with standards and capable of optimizing production processes.

Risk assessment when considering robots

A common misconception is that the original equipment manufacturer is responsible for all machine safety concerns, including risk assessment. In reality, the end user (manufacturer) is typically responsible for performing risk assessments and mitigation. This is logical because the manufacturer decides when, where and how to deploy and operate its equipment.

For example, if a manufacturer purchases a new palletizing robot for its food and beverage operation, it is the responsibility of the manufacturer to perform the risk assessment and mitigate identified hazards.

Risk assessments are essential because they help identify hazards that can seriously injure machine operators and other employees. Robots can pose significant dangers to human operators and mitigation helps reduce the likelihood and severity of machine-related injuries. Additionally, failure to perform a risk assessment can result in severe penalties in many countries.

Risk assessments should be conducted in several scenarios:

• When a robot or other industrial machine is introduced to the process.

• When processes are modified or machine usage changes.

• When new hazards are identified.

In these cases, a risk assessment determines the risk and appropriate mitigation measures.

Integrating robotics into manufacturing processes presents a powerful solution to many of the industry’s current challenges. From boosting productivity and ensuring quality to enhancing safety and creating new job opportunities, robots offer numerous benefits.

However, successful implementation requires careful planning, thorough risk assessments and ongoing support. By understanding the technical requirements, environmental considerations and special processes involved, plant engineers can effectively harness the power of robotics to optimize their operations and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving industry.

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