Automated Platform for Simplified Building, Running, Monitoring of Cobot Applications
February 14, 2023Comments
OnRobot has launched D:Ploy, which automates robotic deployment for multiple applications directly on the factory floor with zero programming or simulation needed, according to company officials. The platform is designed for building, running, monitoring and re-deploying collaborative robot (cobot) applications, reportedly allowing complete applications to be deployed and redeployed directly on the manufacturing floor in a few simple steps, with zero programming—all within a few hours. At launch, the D:Ploy platform supports palletizing, CNC machine tending, packaging and transferring (pick-and-place) applications, with future announcements planned for additional processes.
D:Ploy, explain OnRobot officials, addresses the shortage of skilled robotics engineers and integrators, and can help smaller, less-experienced manufacturers break through existing barriers to automation. The automated platform works with many leading robot brands and can be applied to a range of common applications, automating many of the manual steps necessary today for building and running an application.
In practice, D:Ploy automatically discovers most of the installed hardware, and generates the robot motion based on the obstacles and cell boundaries defined in the workspace. The program logic, signals exchange, event handling and robot movement are automatically created for the entire application based on a few inputs such as workpiece attributes and pick position.
D:Ploy offers significant reduction in robotic cell deployment time and complexity, explain company officials. For example, they note, initial deployment of a palletizing application drops from 40 to 4 hr., a 90-percent time savings. When production requirements change, it enables quick redeployment of the application for new products or workpieces. And, the platform provides real-time monitoring to improve productivity and minimize downtime.
See also: OnRobot US, Inc.
Technologies: Pressroom Automation
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