The connected and automated factory of the future is changing our vision of manufacturing. There is an opportunity for greater collaboration between humans and robots that is made possible by advancements in technology. Not only can this increase the quality of output and productivity on factory floors, but it also relinquishes workers from monotonous and often dangerous work.
This shift in the way factories operate has the potential to create new jobs for humans in the near future. Indeed, last year the World Economic Forum predicted that although automation will displace 75 million jobs by 2022, 133 million new roles will also be created – ultimately a net gain of 58 million jobs globally.
Automation is already evident on the shop floor, where the increase in human-robot collaboration is augmenting people’s jobs by freeing them up to work on higher value activities. The result is higher productivity, leading to greater efficiencies and higher output in the factories.
From offline robots to collaborative ‘cobots’
The central role once played by industrial robots in the factory is being challenged by the rise of collaborative robots, also known as cobots. This demand originates from the need to improve the safety of automated machinery working alongside human beings. Cobots offer greater agility and responsiveness than industrial robots, which makes them well-placed to meet the changing needs of the manufacturing process.
Industrial robots continue to be used for linear and repetitive tasks such as moving, assembling and manufacturing components. However, they are heavy and can pose additional risks to human workers compared with their lighter cobot counterparts. Unlike cobots, they are programmed offline and therefore are less intuitive and constrained in their ability to respond to new stimuli mid-task. Whereas, cobots have sophisticated force-torque sensors that allow them to sense human presence and be programmed to power off instantly if a worker gets too close.
However, reducing the risk of injury is not the only reason collaborative robots are being favoured over larger industrial robots.
Cobots have demonstrated ROI in the form of increased productivity and lowered costs in some cases. They are particularly effective for performing simple and repetitive tasks, but with the significant advantage of being able to work alongside human co-workers without causing safety risks to them. Unlike their co-workers that may get tired or lose concentration with this type of task, they can be programmed to take on such jobs to alleviate employees.
It’s due to this capability that the European Union backed SYMPLEXITY – a consortium formed to explore new ways of undertaking industrial polishing with the help of robots. According to SYMPLEXITY’s research, 90 percent of finishing work today is done by hand, but it estimates that robots could shift the balance to about 20 percent, with the remainder completed by robots under human supervision.
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Highly intelligent cobots
The next phase in industrial technology innovation is Human Robot Augmentation (HRA). This involves programming cobots to act as an extension of a human worker and deliver even greater precision and sensitivity.
KUKA’s ‘LBR iiwa’ is one example of HRA. Powered by Autodesk software that uses machine learning (ML) algorithms, the robots can adapt to human interaction in real-time and therefore respond to a changing task without resetting, whilst also detecting contours quickly under force control. As a result, it mounts components quickly, accurately and securely – unlike a larger industrial robot that has been programmed offline.
Cobots in the automotive industry
The rise of cobots has predominantly been a feature of automotive manufacturing facilities. For example, at the BMW MINI plant in Oxford, the company is currently using a KUKA LBR iiwa cobot to make the riveting process more efficient. Previously, an operator had to load rivets and undertake riveting by hand. Now, they load one side of the jig while the robot does the riveting on the opposite side, speeding up the job, boosting productivity and liberating the worker from a low value repetitive task. Since the cobot performs the same operation up to a thousand times per day, this also removes strain from the operator who no longer endures the kick-back of the rivet gun for up to eight-hours each day.
Elsewhere, Nissan’s Sunderland factory is using cobots to allocate workers’ time more effectively. There are several tasks at the factory that require the work of more than just one person, but are not big enough to justify the time of two people. Nissan is looking at how robots can take on aspects of a job, such as picking up a part or helping with its assembly, that would have only required the second person to be active for 20 percent of the time. Through robot collaboration, the task becomes just a one-person job and frees up the second person to undertake a different, more focused activity.
Autodesk is also currently rolling out the use of cobots in the maritime industry. The Port of Rotterdam’s Additive Manufacturing Fieldlab (RAMLAB) and Autodesk are pioneering the use of cobots in additive and hybrid manufacturing to make and fix parts for ships in Europe’s largest port. Using KUKA’s 6-axis robotic arms, along with subtractive machining and grinding techniques, RAMLAB has been able to pursue faster fabrication options for ship components. As a result, ships have experienced significantly shorter waiting times in the port when key components such as propellers become damaged, because parts can be made quickly, accurately and on-demand.
Augmenting the workforce, not replacing them
Instead of replacing jobs in the factory, cobots are creating complementary roles and faster, more efficient production lines. They are also helping to improve productivity and workplace satisfaction by taking on or assisting with repetitive and often strenuous operations. This enhances the role of the engineer by freeing up their time to focus on more complex work, such as programming, feeding and maintaining the robotic software and algorithms.
The use of cobots in the factory therefore also presents a huge opportunity to upskill entire workforces and alleviate the pressure on factories that may be suffering from skills shortages. However, with additional resources required to programme and maintain robotic systems, looking to the future, manufacturers must provide engineers with the automation skills and technical tools required to succeed.
