As machines perform tasks, there is a need to oversee it and feed parts in and out. This is known as machine tending, and industrial robots are a suitable solution for automation for machine tending. Robots can be used to tend to all types of machines from injection molding machines to presses. Machine tending is dangerous and dull work and needs a high consistency level. Here are a few benefits of machine tending.
Improved Uptime
One of the significant advantages of robotic machine tending is that it significantly enhances uptime in comparison to manual loading and offloading. The only reason the tending robot stops if for maintenance which means the tended machine is not limited by the availability or lack of manual labor. This uptime gain improves productivity by the boost in throughput.
Repeatable Accuracy
Robotic machine tending systems have higher accuracy and repeatability in comparison to manual loading and unloading. This increases the quality of produced parts but also reduces errors that occur in the machining process, which maximizes throughput and minimizes wasted time and material.
Safety
Machine tending robots increase the safety levels in operations. Human workers can put their focus on cognitive tasks that are much safer. Collaborative robots usually much more reliable as they have sensors that allow them to sense when a human worker is too close, and they stop. Industrial robots tending machines need safety equipment and security fences, while collaborative robots are small and do not need a lot of space.
Ergonomic Benefits
Repetitive Strain(Stress) Injuries(RSI) are caused when there is a moderate damage build-up to tendons, nerves and muscles from performing repetitive actions. RSIs are prevalent, and human-machine tenders may get it from manual machine tending. A robotic machine tender removes this possibility of RSI and improves ergonomic conditions.
Improved Productivity
A robotic tending machine improves production speed and increased product quality. Deploying a robot arm in brand new processes is easy, yet fast, offering you an opportunity to automate any manual task with agility, including functions with fast changeovers or small batches. The robot can reuse any programs for your recurrent tasks.
Lower Operating Costs
A machine-tending robot significantly lowers your costs of operation. The robots give you the advantage of sophisticated robotic automation. Having a human machine tender is bound to run into some expenses such as absenteeism from work due to illness or accidents. A machine-tending robot can work without breaks, thus lowering your costs significantly, which in turn ensures a quicker ROI (Return on Investment)
Flexibility
Robot tending machines are very flexible in comparison to industrial robot-based solutions. The robot-tending device is extremely flexible and quickly reprogrammable for different tasks. The entire system is movable to a different workspace on a pallet jack, and within hours, it can soon be up and running.
Robots cannot tend to different machines at a go, but can work with various parts, but only if they are correctly programmed. For instance, an automated tool-change station allows a robot to switch grippers to suit the shape and size of the part in question. The tender has vision capabilities, which ensure that the robot can recognize elements as they are fed in, and can change its position, function or gripper.
Conclusion
Robots at the workplace have immeasurable benefits. These robots may also need to be tended to, and human beings may not have the ability to spend hours doing the repetitive task. Machine tending robots are the answer to repetitive tasks. A robot can work full time, with only breaks for maintenance, while a human may need to take frequent rest breaks.
A machine tending robots can give you an ROI in two years, considering that they also boost productivity and profits, and lower operating costs by a significant margin. The tending robots’ flexibility means they can be used in various tasks, as they are as quickly reprogrammable.
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