A N D R O B O T I C S
c o n t e n t s
Pick, Pack, Palletise, And more...
5 6 An Automatic Attraction: BARA Foreword:
An intorduction from Mike Wilson, chairman, the British Automation and Robot Association
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Global automation trends, BARA’s Automating Manufacturing Fund and cautiously increasing investment from food and drink manufacturers
8 Cell mate:
Creating an automated arc welding cell at agricultural equipment manufacturer Shelbourne Reynolds
10 When is a robot not a robot? 12 cost effectively:
A case study with automotive manufacturer ALPHR Technology
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13 Our Lifetime, Your Lifetime: Mitsubishi Electric robot 14 redefines performance standards and is food safe: Fanuc’s support services
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A technology showcase
16 Robots helps US firm 18 Universal stay competitive: 19 Robot round up: We sell more than robots:
The technology range on offer from Kuka Robotics
12 Editorial
This report was compiled for BARA by: Jane Gray, Editor j.gray@sayonemedia.com
Design
Martin Mitchell, Art Editor martin@opticjuice.co.uk
Sales
Matt Chilton, Project Director m.chilton@sayonemedia.com
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Cartesian robots are often overlooked when the potential for automating processes With such a great range of products and services is assessed says Festo Omron robot assembles spigotswhy not call us to join the perfect team..
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A case study with RSS Manufacturing & Phylrich UK investment statistics
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CNC |
Th
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E DI T O R IA L
I NT R OD U CT I ON T h e c am paig n t o e s t abl i s h bet t er un d er s t an d in g o f au t o m at i o n tec h n o l o g i es among UK m an u fac t u r ers h as b u il t i n s t r e n g t h over t h e l as t t wo ye ar s in parallel w i t h a r e n e wed fo c u s o n t h e ir s e c t o r as a driver of growth.
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ritain lags behind most of Europe and the US in its adoption of automation and technology advocates say this makes the its competitive profile precarious in a world where leadership in strategic automation is becoming more influential in the fight for market share and supply contracts. Excluding the automation-heavy automotive sector which has injected lots of technology since the recession, the UK has a ratio of just 27 robots per 10,000 employees compared to 137 in Germany. And it’s not just developed industrial nations we should compare ourselves to. As fast growing economies like China and Thailand look to move up the manufacturing value chain, they are investing rapidly in automation – and quality education for the engineers operating it. This amounts to a threat on the UK’s position as a leading global location for high value manufacturing – and a crescendo of automation publications, workshops and case studies seeks to halt the erosion. It challenges deepseated preconceptions about the cost, flexibility and labour implications of automation. And sales of automation technologies in the UK are rising in response, all be it from a low base (p19). Furthermore, it’s not just production managers and engineers showing more curiosity about what automation might mean for them. Excitement, and controversy, over recent advances in robotics and autonomous systems have pushed automation squarely into a technology-hungry public domain. This year the Work Foundation focused on automation as the subject for its annual debate. Although the title was provocative: ‘Will robots and enhanced humans steal our jobs?’ the dialogue was surprisingly evenhanded and enthusiastic.
Crucially, events like the Work Foundation debate, and coverage from commentators like The Economist’s Kenneth Cukier, assist real progress in changing luddite assumptions about automation and employment. It is becoming more widely accepted that, in Mr Cukier’s words, “the algorithm between employment and technology which drives towards unemployment is fundamentally flawed.” This thawing attitude toward automation in wider society is helpful to manufacturers looking to invest. It provides touch points to help get the workforce on side, a crucial element in gaining ROI, and can be leveraged in recruitment campaigns. But the business case for investment needs more than this to clinch it. Companies need assurance that cost reductions, productivity gains, quality improvement and energy efficiency will appear. Since 2011, BARA (the British Automation and Robot Association) has run a concerted campaign to draw out these potential benefits for more manufacturers – especially SMEs. Many have been astonished to find that even the most niche, low volume enterprise can gain competitive advantage through the application of automated systems (p6). In this supplement we dive into more detail on BARA’s Automate Manufacturing campaign and showcase the work of some of its members with UK manufacturers.
Jane Gray Editor, The Manufacturer magazine
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B R I T I S H A U T O M A T I O N & R O B O T A S S O C IA T I O N
Foreword N
ow is a good time to be involved in manufacturing in the UK. Not only are we seeing growth but confidence is spreading throughout industry. This is partly internally driven but is assisted by positive rhetoric, and increasingly action, from HM government.
Cowley works and at that time there were no robots in use at the plant. The same site now produces the Mini and is a significant success story. There are many factors involved in this success but one is the use of the latest production equipment including about 1,000 robots.
This has been a long time coming, but is now to be embraced. It is right to recognise that UK manufacturers have a track record of competitively innovating for both product and process development. And that they have made strides in the application of lean engineering to become more efficient.
Everybody recognises that robots are appropriate for the automotive industry but it is worrying that many also seem to believe that they are only appropriate for the automotive industry.
But in the battle to constantly improve and compete in globalised markets, it is essential that we recognise and address the weaknesses in our industrial base as well as celebrating its strengths. And when it comes to the flaws in the profile of UK manufacturing, its poor investment in capital equipment, especially industrial automation technologies, is prominent. I have been involved in automation and robotics for over 30 years. I started work at the British Leyland
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Admittedly many of these were delivered into the automotive industry but we did also see consistent growth outside of automotive. Over the course of the Automating Manufacturing Programme, run by BARA on the behalf of government, over 360 companies across sectors, most of them SMEs, showed that they are actively engaged with the idea of investing in automation. If you have not seriously considered automation and robotics within your manufacturing and investment strategies could I respectfully suggest that you do so. We all know to be successful we must use the best tools and robots may be the one for you.
Records of robot installations show that increasing numbers of manufacturers are opening their eyes to the versatility of robot technology.
Mike Wilson Chairman, British Automation and Robot Association
We are significantly behind the curve in comparison with our main European competitors (see chart below), but
Robot Density in Non-automotive Sectors
137 123
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Robots are only one form of automation – there are many more – but they offer one of the most obvious examples of the way in which automation can be highly flexible and relevant to all even companies with relatively small production runs and the need for frequent, quick product changes.
it is encouraging to note that robot installations in the UK in 2012 achieved a record of 2477 units, up 98% on 2011.
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(Number of robots per 10,000 employees) Source: IFR World Robotics report - 2012
100 80
61
60
59
40
27
20 0
Germany
Sweden
Italy
Spain
France
UK
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BARA and the Automating Britain campaign
The UK’s slide down the automation league table is the product of years of industrial decline in which the service economy was prioritised while global competitors in all manufacturing sectors increased their automation investments. Germany and the US far outstrip the UK in terms of robots per 10,000 industry workers – but it’s the hunger for automation from fast growing economies like China, Brazil and many eastern European economies which really puts the UK’s retreating position in the top 10 most productive manufacturing nations in peril.
An Automatic
Attraction In Q 2 2 0 1 3 9 12 in d u s t rial ro b o t s were s o ld i n t h e U K . J u s t 21 were ex p o rted w hi l e t h e vas t b u lk were in s t alled in m a n u fac t u r in g an d en g in eerin g f irms w hi c h h ad id e n t if ied a co mp et it ive i m p er at ive fo r inves t men t in au t o mation.
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uch healthy figures have been a long time coming for UK suppliers of automation and robotics. For despite its strong industrial heritage, the UK has become a laggard in the uptake of automation technology.
In 2011 the British Automation and Robot Association (BARA) placed the UK 17th in a global league table of the most automated industrial nations. It’s a position which puts it on a par with nations like Sweden and Holland according to Brian Holiday, divisional director for Siemens Industrial Automation. “These are countries you would not necessarily credit with having a large manufacturing base,” he told TM. 6
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Between 2006 and 2011, China quadrupled its investment in automation. In 2011 manufacturers there installed 22,600 industrial robots and the government has a clearly stated ambition to climb the manufacturing value chain.
Campaign for competitiveness This poses an urgent competitive challenge –one which BARA set out to address with its Automating Manufacturing campaign, launched in 2011 with a £600,000 government fund. The educational programme offered consultancy and advice to interested manufacturers on how they could benefit from automation of their processes, both in production and beyond. Many of the first and most assertive in taking this offering up were from the UK’s blossoming automotive sector, but others too have cautiously opened their eyes to what today’s automation solutions – largely cheaper and more flexible than in years gone by – could bring to their businesses. Over a third of the 360 companies which asked BARA to examine their automation potential were from the food and drink industry for example – a sector which, as a whole, has traditionally been particularly reluctant to invest in automation. Furthermore, 82% of companies who have participated in the Automating Manufacturing scheme have been SMEs. The Automating Manufacturing Fund has now been fully utilised. The final ‘interventions’ – more in depth investigations by automation experts than are included in the schemes’
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standard assessment – will be completed this month and the next challenge for BARA will be to track how many companies actually invest on the back of the advice they have received. It is important to note that not every manufacturer will have been told they should do so. “We have been to a range of companies from those with 10 staff to some multinationals,” says Mike Wilson, BARA Chairman, explaining the scope of the programme. “For some we have simply provided a sanity check what they thought they were going to do anyway but for others we’ve come up with ideas that were completely new to the client.
Automation in Food and Drink Manufacturing
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t the outset of the Automating Manufacturing campaign BARA identified the food and drink sector as having particular scope for improvement through the application of automation technologies. Partnering with sector trade body the Food and Drink Federation for a cohosted workshop and seminar session in 2011, BARA targeted the sector for education. It quickly gathered some impressive case studies from food and drink’s early automation adopters. One such company is Barbers Farmhouse Cheesemakers where weighing and cutting equipment immediately started making an ROI of around £3,000 per day by improving accuracy in the division of portions. The automated weighing and cutting technology reduced product ‘giveaway’ and allowed Barbers to produce around 2,600 extra portions of cheese per shift.
of the 360 companies to apply for assessment by Automating Manufacturing were SMEs
“Finally of course, we’ve had companies where we’ve been honest and told them that the way in which they are currently operating is very good and that automation and robotics is not for them.” Now that the Automating Manufacturing Fund is used up, BARA says it will seek new ways to continue its mission to educate UK manufacturers about automation and robotics. It has a variety of marketing campaigns in the pipeline and hosts an active LinkedIn forum for discussion of automation challenges and advice. BARA is also already planning for the PPMA (Processing and Packaging Machinery Association) exhibition in September 2014 where it will host a number of seminars, workshops and live demonstrations.
It’s a compelling story – but although many food manufacturers could experience the same benefits – BARA has found the sector faces a frustrating disincentive in the shape of short and unstable contracts with supermarket buyers. “We hear time and again that the ability of supermarkets to withdraw contracts at short notice is putting food manufacturers off making up front investment in automation,” says Grant Collier, head of marketing at PPMA Group, sister body to BARA. “Some food manufactures have even said they do not wish to disclose information about their enquiries into automation because they fear supermarkets will make it an excuse to squeeze them further on margins,” Mr Collier continued. But there is hope. BARA and PPMA hailed the recent appointment of a groceries code adjudicator as a release for food and drink manufacturers. “This will make the groceries code of conduct for the fair treatment of suppliers more robust and should give more confidence to food manufacturers looking to invest in automation and robotics,” said Collier. Half year results show that UK food and drink manufacturers purchased 53 industrial robots in the first six months of 2013. More information about Christine Tacon, who was confirmed as the first Groceries Code Adjudicator in June, is available here: bit.ly/ChristineTacon
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ABB
automatio n a n d robotics
www.abb.com/robotics
Cell mate
Reduce production times and expand manufacturing capabilities. Focusing on the implementation of an integrated welding cell at Suffolk-based agricultural machinery manufacturer, Shelbourne Reynolds.
Using ABB’s RobotStudio PC software, a simulated cell was created which enabled programming and testing. This reduced much of the set-up time on site, allowing Shelbourne to commence welding operations within just three days “Some of the team were understandably apprehensive when we introduced the idea of a robotic welding cell,” says Scarfe. “However, the idea was always to use it to complement, not replace, our manual operations. Finding skilled staff is very hard, particularly when it comes to processes such as welding and plating. We are very keen to hang onto the people we’ve got and utilise their expertise in the manufacture of other products.”
d you know that you can cut production times and expand” As your robotic automation projects can often be quite involved, anufacturing capabilities using cell robot-based automation? ABB’s it’s good FlexArc to work with a supplier that can help at every stage,” n ABB robotic welding is enabling Shelbourne saysintegrated Scarfe. “I have worked with various robot suppliers in the Reynolds to dramatically reduce production times ll includes a robot, positioner and welding equipment in one past but have rarely received the same degree of openness and for its range of articulated hedge cutting tractor ackage. Standardised “plugtheand produce” robotic welding assistance cells provide just that I have received from ABB in this recent project.” attachments. Handling several hundred welds the cell -time production, exceptional product quality, reliability and has so far cut welding process times by 66 percent process . “Our long term aim is to introduce another cell to help us anufacturing flexibility.
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further expand our production capabilities,” says Scarfe. “For The installation features an ABB’s FlexArc cell, combining a now though, we want to find as many ways to use our existing robot, positioner and the welding equipment needed for the r more information call 01908package. 350 300 or email robotics@gb.abb.com cell as possible. We’ve already got five products on it and want process into one integrated to keep adding more until it is fully utilised 24/7. The Flex Arc f, ‘FlexArc Cell’. cell is ideal for short batch manufacture with quick fixture “The decision on which tasks to automate was based on the changes, making it an ideal match with our Just-In-Time (JIT) amount of time they took compared with our existing process manufacturing and reduced inventory philosophies.” and the potential savings that could be achieved,” says Michael mited Scarfe, Manufacturing Manager, Shelbourne Reynolds. “ House, Precendent Drive y, Milton Keynes The result has been a significant reduction in welding times and complex welds are now performed to a much higher PQ aesthetic (0) 1908 350 300 standard than before. 8
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Reduce production times and expand manufacturing capabilities.
Did you know that you can cut production times and expand your manufacturing capabilities using robot-based automation? ABB’s FlexArc cell includes a robot, positioner and welding equipment in one integrated package. Standardised “plug and produce” robotic welding cells provide just in-time production, exceptional product quality, process reliability and manufacturing flexibility. For more information call 01908 350 300 or email robotics@gb.abb.com ref, ‘FlexArc Cell’. ABB Limited Auriga House, Precendent Drive Rooksley, Milton Keynes MK13 8PQ Tel: +44(0) 1908 350 300
festo ltd
An example of a 3 axis Cartesian Robot
One advantage of such cartesian systems is their simplicity and modularity, allowing designers to design the system specifically to the needs of the application. The alternative to this is purchasing an off-the-shelf robot that will probably be overkill for many of the application parameters.
When is a robot
not a robot? W hil s t t h e pu b lic p e r cept io n o f a ro b o t i s o n e o f a h u man li ke m ac h in e f ro m s ci e n ce fi c t io n , t h e i nd u s t r ial pe rcep t io n i s o n e o f a t r a d it io n al 5 o r 6 ax i s r o bo t a r m s fo r appl i cat io n s s uch as w e l d i n g a nd pain t in g i n t h e a uto m o t i ve in d u s t ry b ut w h ic h is t h e m o r e acc u r at e?
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T
he Oxford dictionary defined a robot as, “a machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically, especially one programmable by a computer�. This definition of course covers both perceptions but also accurately describes the arena of cartesian robots, which are often overlooked in Industry. Whilst 6 axis robotic arms offer flexibility and ergonomic motion, often akin to human arms, they often struggle with large rectangular work areas which are usually needed in automation tasks. For instance, how many 6 axis robots would be needed to cover a rectangular work area 6 metres long x 3 metres wide x 1.5m high? One cartesian robot could handle this area easily for applications such as palletising etc.
Users can decide how complex they want the system to be, based on the requirements. Do they need all axis to be electric? Can a simple pneumatic drive replace one of the axis? This often reduces cable management issues, weight and of course, cost. One perceived disadvantage of a cartesian robot over a 6 axis robot is the lack of flexibility in redeployment when a particular application is no longer required. This perception could not be further from the truth. Firstly, how many 6 axis robots are removed from a line when that line is changed and redeployed elsewhere? The answer is of course very few, the cost of automating a process is many times higher than the cost of the hardware alone and utilising a 2nd hand robot for a use that is was not designed for is both complex and risky. Secondly, cartesian robots make the ideal base for redeployment. The structure of a 3 axis cartesian robot is made up of three distinct axis. Each one can be used in isolation or in combination with others. Therefore once a cartesian system has outlived its usefulness and there is a need for a similar one but with a longer X axis, then all that needs replacing is the X mechanical axis, even the servo motors can be re-used.
automatio n a n d robotics
But can a cartesian system offer the motion and flexibility of a 6 axis robot? The ability of a system to offer accurate path control is not down to the kinematic structure but down to the controller. Festo offer motion controllers from single axis right through to 6 axis controllers with tool path control and vision guidance. These systems are ideal for complex e-camming applications and accurate path control for applications such as gluing, cutting and box erecting. Repeatable accuracy is also equivalent and in many cases, better than a 6 axis robot with options from 100 microns right down to 3 microns for the most precise of applications.
to be cartesian structures. However, on closer inspection, it becomes clear that these multi axis, single belt systems have no moving motors. Each motor position is fixed and the torque needed to move the handler is shared between the motors, producing a true parallel kinematic structure.
robots but if the need is to automate a handling application and cost of the integration is an issue, then a simple cartesian robot may be your answer.
Advantages for these systems are clear when it is viewed in motion. The dynamic speeds are much higher (up to 5m/sec), cable management is reduced, as the motor positions are fixed and the linear motion is shared between the motors, offering higher speeds for the same size motors or the ability to reduce the size of the motors for extensive cost saving.
Like a 6 axis robot, traditional cartesian robots are structured as serial kinematic structures, i.e. each axis carries the next axis, therefore the base axis can be carrying the weight of 5 additional axis. This increases the moving mass and reduces the efficiency and dynamics of the robot. In recent years robot manufacturers have developed parallel kinematic robots such as the delta style (ABB Flex picker, Festo EXPT Tripod etc). But these are not the only parallel kinematic robots around.
In summary, there will always be a need for automation using 6 axis
In recent years Festo have developed products such as the H handler and T handler, which appear at first glance
The Festo parallel kinematic T Handler
The motion principle behind a Festo H Handler
The Festo H Handler manipulating solar photovoltaic cells
Festo have a full range of electrical cartesian handling robots and advanced parallel kinematic robots in their range. Visit www.festo.com/mms for more details or contact by phone on 01604 667000 to arrange for the application support team to visit and advise you on your automation task. Nigel Dawson Product Marketing Manager Festo Ltd
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OMRON
automatio n a n d robotics
OMRON ROBOT ASSEMBLES SPIGOTS COST EFFECTIVELY! When it needed to automate the assembly of a moulded plastic spigot, a leading Automotive parts manufacturer asked industrial automation expert ALPHR Technology to devise a solution that would be cost effective, compact, reliable and easy to maintain.
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specialist in production of precision injection-moulded automotive parts, the customer had been supplying a leading automobile manufacturer for many years. In the past, assembly had been a manual process, but an increase in demand meant the need for an additional production line, so the company investigated the possibility of automated assembly. After detailed discussions, ALPHR Technology proposed a machine with a PLC-controlled rotary assembly station, which would produce a part every 20 seconds with just one operator required to load the parts into the machine. All other operations would be automated, including inspection, test and delivery of the finished parts to pass and fail bins. ALPHR Technology concluded that using conventional multi-axis pick-and-place technology would be complicated to design, inflexible and difficult to maintain. A solution based on an Omron SCARA robot would, however, solve these problems and give the machine the smallest possible footprint as well as 12
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being significantly more financially attractive. However, the customer had no previous experience of SCARA robots. So before committing to investment in the new machine, the company looked for assurance that it would perform as predicted.
inserted with Pneumatic cylinders, which is followed by a force push out test. The table then brings the part to the final station where it is leak tested. Depending on the results, the part is either transferred to the pass or fail bin.
Application engineers from Omron provided this assurance by using sophisticated software to emulate the operation of the proposed assembly machine. This not only confirmed the principle of operation of the machine was sound, but also that the required cycle times and efficiencies could be easily achieved. With its concerns dispelled, the customer gave the go ahead for the project.
“Understandably, as this was the company’s first machine with a SCARA robot, they kept a close eye on this project,” said Paul Bridgwater of ALPHR Technology, “so I’m delighted to say that it went very smoothly. Programming the robot was straightforward and it worked ‘straight out of the box’ as did the vision system, and all of the other key automation components supplied by Omron.”
As built, the machine works on a part that is manually loaded into one of the “nests” in the machine’s rotary table. A pneumatic cylinder pushes the part fully home and then the table indexes. Next, the robot takes the compression limiters, one at a time, from vibratory feeders and places them into the part. Two Omron FQ vision sensors confirm that the limiters are correctly positioned. Then the limiters are
Omron Electronics Tel: 01908 258258 Email: uk@eu.omron.com Web: industrial.omron.co.uk
FANUC
automatio n a n d robotics
Our Lifetime Your Lifetime... When a c u s t o m er bu ys a FANUC , i t ’s o ft e n t h e beg in n in g o f a 2 5 yea r r e l at i o n s h ip – t h e t y pi c a l life e x pe c t an c y o f o u r sys t em s .
W
hether you’re looking for CNC, injection moulding, vertical machining centres, 4 or 6 axis robots, off the shelf, bespoke or delta style, we own a vast range of premium products each benefitting from 60 years of Japanese design excellence resulting in 99.9% reliability. Apart from customer’s citing a common phrase, ‘It never goes wrong’, what really sets us apart from our competitors is the deployment of a suite of support services designed to ensure that the relationship stays healthy and productive over the course of a quarter of a century. Parts, including obsolescence avoidance solutions, are guaranteed for 25 years to give you complete peace of mind. Our free business consultancy service anticipates the numerous permeations of your
Pick, Pack, Palletise, And more...
With such a great range of products and services why not call us to join the perfect team.. MAD-00371-RO-FRUK-Ad_PPP_160x116.indd 1
products throughout their lifecycle and helps to easily modify your robot’s occupation as your business grows. Our 45 service engineers provide quick response to maintenance needs nationwide, but even before they’ve visited your site our telephone hotline with remote diagnostics fixes 90% of queries within 30 minutes of the call helping our customers maintain maximum uptime. Along with payment plans and finance options, these and the many other qualities of a FANUC product have been used by 2,685,000 installations worldwide and continue to add value to the 5,000 robots, 5,000 vertical machining centres and 30,000 CNC’s that we design and manufacture each and every month. Try FANUC, we offer so much more, for life. CNC | ROBOT | ROBOMACHINE
The perfect team
FANUC Robotics (UK) Ltd. Coventry, UK +44 (0) 24 76 63 96 69 uksales@fanuc.eu WWW.FANUC.EU
8/23/2013 1:18:28 PM
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MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC
automatio n a n d robotics
Mitsubishi Electric Robot redefines performance standards and is food safe T h e n e w M E L FA F-S eries ro b o ts from Mit s u bi s h i E lect ric are d es ig n ed to be fl ex ibl e , f as t , f u n ct io n al - an d food s afe . As s u ch t h ey are ex p ect e d to o pen u p many n ew f ield s o f u sage.
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ased on a revolutionary new mechanical design the MELFA F-Series robots are extremely flexible and able to reach a far greater working area than other robots. They can even reach round and behind their own base. The compact design allows the robot to work in confined spaces and can be floor, wall or ceiling mounted. The robots in corporate Mitsubishi Electric servo motors developed especially for the F-Series, a powerful new controller and other high performance components. They are thus able to maintain fast cycle times and high positioning accuracy, for improved productivity. The cycle time for a 12 inch movement is 0.29 seconds, a class leading performance. The F-Series robots come with their cabling fully enclosed right to the end of spindle for total protection and safety. 14
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The cabling includes pneumatic tubing and I/O for hand control, as well as CAT5 Ethernet cabling allowing for easy installation of vision systems or other Ethernet devices, such as sensors, cameras, and additional axis controllers. When it comes to integration the F-Series controllers can be used as standalone devices or embedded into the powerful Mitsubishi Electric iQ PLC rack. Supporting up to three robots on one rack allows the system to share data, thus enabling features such as automatic collision avoidance and cooperative control. Collision avoidance which is used when the robots are
operating within the same workspace preventing the risk of damage. The cooperative function gives manipulation of the same workspace which is perfect for joining two parts together or lifting elongated parts. The F-Series robots can also support up to eight additional servo axes. This gives them useful additional abilities. For instance they can be mounted onto a linear slide so that one robot can tender two or more work stations. Commissioning is via a standard PC and is quick and easy using the RT ToolBox2 software supplied with the F-Series. This programming software’s graphical interface displays imported 3D CAD files, program variables and robot simulations in a clear ease to read format. Food and beverage producers are increasingly looking at robotic automation. To meet this emerging need the F-Series robots are designed to meet IP67, allowing easy cleaning of the arm, while food safe HG1 food grade grease is used for lubrication. For the pharmaceutical and medical sectors a cleanroom version meeting ISO 3 is available. Extended service intervals also support the continuous shift operations and ensure a particularly long product life cycle.
Further Information: Website: http://automation.mitsubishielectric.co.uk Email: automation@meuk.mee.com
Remove your production headaches The new MELFA F-Series industrial robots from Mitsubishi Electric are designed to be fast, flexible, functional and food-safe. MELFA robots cover a wide ranging portfolio from 4-axis SCARA arms, 6-axis vertical arms to an innovative-designed ceiling mounted SCARA. MELFA F-Series robots are easy to install due to an extended working envelope which includes being able to work behind themselves. This enables more compact and flexible machine designs, with a best in class cycle time improving productivity.
For more information on our robot solutions call: 01707 288 780, email: automation@meuk.mee.com or visit: robots.mitsubishielectric.co.uk
The MELFA F-Series robots can be integrated into a total solution including: placing the robot controller onto the PLC rack and controlling the robot from a HMI. All this is configured from a single programming environment.
KUKA
automatio n a n d robotics
We sell more than robots Established in the UK for over 30 years, KUKA are justifiably proud of their long-standing reputation for delivering flexible, value-engineered solutions to bring productivity and process improvements to almost any application.
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s Europe’s number one robot manufacturer with more than 85,000 robots in the field, KUKA offers automated solutions for a diverse range of manufacturing applications including aerospace, automotive, foundry and logistics.
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With a payload range that spans 5 to 1,000kg and options that include wall, floor and ceiling mounted and beside-thepress, KUKA has a proven, efficient and affordable solution to bring to the table. Whether it is enhanced yield via better reliability, an inherent flexibility that’s peerless or a compact working envelope that’s as easy on the eye as it is the accountant’s balance sheet, let our skilled engineers review your business process and determine the benefits of an industrial robot solution for your business. KUKA UK’s head office and service centre in Wednesbury is also home to a one-ofa-kind six cell training facility running 6 axis KR16 robots. Demonstration pods include a large QUANTEC and small AGILUS robot, an external linear axis and a moulding machine.
In the current global economy the smart manufacturer will move beyond the established norm and embrace world-leading technology to improve its processes and increase productivity. Such an ambition points towards one, global and class-leading supplier. It points to KUKA.
KUKA Robotics UK Ltd Great Western Street | Wednesbury | West Midlands | WS10 7LL | United Kingdom
Tel.: +44 (0) 121 505 9970 Email: sales@kuka-robotics.co.uk www.kuka-robotics.co.uk
UNIVERSAL Robot Sales ROBOTS Figures
automatio n a n d robotics
Universal Robots helps U.S. firm stay competitive To stay competitive, U.S company RSS Manufacturing & Phylrich needed an inexpensive automation solution that could easily be moved between CNC machines, assembly lines and tube benders. The company deployed a UR5 from Universal Robots and was quickly impressed with the Danish robot arm’s performance and ease of use.
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he company manufactures parts for taps and plumbing, employing70 people operating a highly specialised short run production facility with turnaround time as quick as 24 hours. “In a flexible environment like this, you need a flexible robot. One that can work without safety cages, is portable, and can be reprogramed quickly,” says CEO Geoff Escalette.
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From one month to 11 days
Researching ways to cope with a new order for 700 valves he found the UR5.“Our CNC machine can normally do 400 valves per month with two shifts, so we would have been forced to buy another machine even if we put a third shift on. With the higher run-rate using the UR5, none of this was necessary,” says the CEO, who put the robot to work 24/7 and met the order in 11 days while opening up 30 percent more capacity on existing machinery. In this particular case, Escalette estimates the ROI of the UR5 to be a couple of months. At its current configuration being moved to various machines, the ROI is estimated at 6 months.
Minimal extra costs
“We’ve had no external costs to speak of as the robot operates with no safety guarding. You don’t need fancy
fixtures, you just need to think outside the box,” says Escalette, whose own factory produced the aluminum fingers lifting the milled part out of the CNC mill. Automation and Integration Specialist with RSS Manufacturing & Phylrich, Shane Strange, recounts how setting up the robot took 45 minutes: “That’s how much time we spent to unpack, mount and program it to do some simple pick and place moves,” says Strange, who worked a total of eight hours to create the complete setup including all tooling.
Like writing a to-do list
“I’ve worked with other robotic models in the past, and it’s one thing to say it’s easy to program a robot, another is to integrate it into a real application,” says Strange. “But with the UR it really was easy. If you can write a to-do list, you can program this robot.”
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automatio n a n d robotics
Robot roun d - up
Which sectors are buying robots?
Fast facts on the UK market for industrial robots
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espite stubbornly sluggish economic conditions UK robots sales in 2012 achieved their highest level since 1961. The strongest sales were experience in the first half of the year when a phenomenal 2000 robots were sold – more than were sold in the full year of 2011. The impressive start was followed by something of a slump however and the year closed at 2, 476 units sold.
A dip in manufacturing confidence, which was also reflected in Markit/CIPs purchasing managers Index and national industrial output figures, meant that robot sales remained relatively slow into the first quarter of 2013. With the narrow avoidance of a triple-dip recession however, and restored confidence in global markets Q2 results are once again robust.
787 Automotive & auto components 53 Metal manufacturing and fabrication 26 Pharmaceuticals, healthcare and medicine Source: BARA Q2 2013 UK Robot Sales Statistics
Which sectors are buying robots? Plastics
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Food & Drink
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Pharmaceuticals, healthcare & medicine
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912 industrial robots were sold in the UK in Q2, 874 of which were advanced six axis machines.
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“Whilst we welcome the level of robot orders from the automotive sector largely driven by product demand in global emerging markets, it is an on-going concern that some sectors still do not understanding the potential implications of not automating,� said Mr Wilson.
Automotive & auto components
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Mike Wilson, British Automation and Robot Association chairman, welcomed the renewed buoyancy in the sector, but observed that sales were still being driven too strongly by the automotive sector while others lagged behind. Automotive manufacturers purchased 734 robots in Q2 with a further 53 going to automotive component manufacturers.
20 Food and Drink 10 Plastics 31 Other
787
Metal manufacturing & fabrication
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Other
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159,000 Source: BARA Q2 2013 UK Robot Sales Statistics
industrial robots were sold worldwide in 2012
Source: International Federation of Robotics
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