Page 34 - MetalForming May 2017

32 MetalForming/May 2017
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Robots on Wheels
“We wanted to build a mobile, flexible robot force. The only way we would accomplish this was with a collaborative robot. We only saw a couple of offerings and the UR robot from Universal Robots (with U.S. headquarters in Ann Arbor, MI) was the only robot that we thought could do the job. It has the speed and precision of a standard industrial robot with the ability to move around and work next to humans.”
Universal Robots’ product portfolio includes the UR3, UR5 and UR10 robot arms, named after their payloads in kg. All feature 0.1-mm repeatability and span in reach from 19.7 in to 51.2 in. Force-sensing technology stops the robots from operating when encountering an employee, eliminating the need for safety guarding in most scenarios where prior risk assessment deems the robot safe to operate in proximity to humans. That’s a break from traditional industrial robots that usually stay hardwired behind safety guarding, fenced off from people.
When the first UR5 arrived at SFEG in August 2014 along with another robot, it quickly was named Waldo, inspired by the popular “Where’s Waldo” books featuring a friendly fellow that keeps appearing in new places amongst crowds of people.
“One day Waldo tends to sheetmetal-bending machines, the next day he performs pick-and-place tasks, and the third day we take him to Manufacturing Day at the local high school,” says Bush.
Simple Programming, Associates Say
Before the first robot delivery, Jamie Cook, principal engi- neer at SFEG, says that he was “antsy” about the new col- laborative technology, having never programmed cage-free robots. All programming is performed through UR’s touch- screen pendant. The robot arm can be directed via arrow keys on the touchscreen or simply by grabbing the robot arm and teaching it the desired moves between waypoints. That eliminates the structured text programming Cook usu- ally had to code when working with traditional robots.
“It was easy to learn and it went more smoothly than I anticipated,” he says. “I did it with minimal training—I looked through the operator manual and followed the intu- itive user interface. I would say that this programming approach removed one-third to one-half of the implemen- tation time, based on my previous experiences.”
Boost Productivity in Forming and Other Areas
Happy with its initial robot acquisitions, SFEG added 12 more in December 2014. The company places its robots on pedestals with wheels, and is building a fleet of mobile UR robots for deployment throughout its sheetmetal department. Here, the robots integrate with the entire production cycle, from cutting the initial blank on a blanking press to forming, folding and final assembly of electrical components. Addi- tional robots are planned to help tend turret presses and press brakes.
“We want to have robots standing by, waiting for a job to