Vision Guided

Robotics Solutions
 By 2035, the robot industry is expected to grow to 10 trillion yen. Robots come in various shapes and forms, from
humanoid robots that walk independently to industrial robots to robots for cleaning houses. However, industrial robots
in manufacturing sites are the most widely used type of robot. This publication will introduce various examples of robots
used in a variety of industries.

Types of Industrial Robots

This section will look at the types and features of industrial robots indispensable to factory automation systems.

Vertically Articulated Robots

No. of Axes: 4 to 7

Shaped similar to a human arm, vertically articulated robots offer a high range of
mobility and are currently the most widely used type of industrial robot. Also called
robot arms, most of these robots are 6-axis devices required for working in three-
dimensional spaces.

Horizontally Articulated Robots

No. of Axes: 4

Like the name suggests, horizontally articulated robots feature an arm that operates
along the horizontal axis. Due to the high vertical rigidity of their 4-axis design and the
flexibility in the horizontal direction, these robots are often used for pushing
components.

Parallel Link Robots

No. of Axes: 4 to 6

The parallel mechanism (a method of controlling movement of a single point via parallel
links) of these industrial robots is most suitable for pick and place operations. The
concentrated output of multiple motors at a single point makes it possible for parallel
link robots to achieve high-accuracy, high-output operation.

Cartesian Robots

No. of Axes: 2 to 4

Cartesian robots are simple-mechanism robots that combine single-axis linear motion
units. Because movement is only linear, operations are limited, but the simple structure
allows for a high degree of design freedom.

Next, let’s look at which industries and processes these industrial robots are actually being used in.

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Automotive & Automotive Parts Industry

Evolution of Industrial Robots

in the Automotive Industry
Robots have long been and will continue to be indispensable in the automotive
industry, as they play large roles in many different processes, such as welding,
painting, assembly, and inspection. The benefits they bring are incalculable,
including round-the-clock commercial production, quality assurance, and cost
reduction.

Case Study 1 — Handling System Used in a Harsh Environment

Hot forging is an essential process in the manufacture of automotive parts and one of the
areas most in need of robotic operation due to its physical impact on the human body from
high temperatures, vibrations, noise, and particulates.
Robotic arms are introduced as a handling system for feeding materials into heating,
melting, and heat-treatment furnaces as well as taking out products from the same.

❚ Improved work environment

Advantages ❚ Stable quality
❚ Reduced manufacturing costs

Case Study 2 — ECU Board Cover Assembly System

This system can perform the entire assembly process for automotive engine control units
(ECU), including PCB positioning, case screwing, appearance inspection, and conductivity
inspection, in one stop, which enables significant reduction in human operator work.

❚ Stable quality
Advantages ❚ Reduced need for workers
❚ Improved work efficiency

Case Study 3 — W
‌ indow Mounting
in Automotive Assembly Lines

Designed with the concept of co-working with humans, this assistance robot helps an
operator with window mounting, which was previously a two-person task.
In this exemplary case, the task is well-divided between the robot, which provides the
force, and the human operator, who provides skilful accuracy.

❚ Reduced burden on workers

Advantages ❚ Reduced need for workers
❚ Improved safety

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 Electronics Industry

Flexible Solution to Line Production and

Cellular Manufacturing Needs
The requirements for electronics manufacturing are vastly varied, from mass
production to small-lot quantities. Using industrial robots is key in both line
production and cellular manufacturing.

Case Study 1 — Screwing System Using SCARA

Screw tightening is a common, frequent task necessary in the assembly process, and it
requires accurate positioning and a specified torque. Robots can support workpiece
supply for different items on a production line with a variety of screw hole positions.

❚ Reduced need for workers

Advantages ❚ Improved work efficiency
❚ Stable quality

Case Study 2 — Sealing System Using Cartesian Robots

Sealing is a delicate process of applying the correct amount of sealing agent to the
necessary areas. This solution is also introduced in other precision tasks.

❚ Reduced need for workers

Advantages ❚ Improved work efficiency
❚ Stable quality

Case Study 3 — Assembly

‌ Process Support System for
Cellular Manufacturing
Robots can now identify parts in operation. Equipped with movement skills similar to a
human, such as placing parts on the specified locations and screwing them in place,
robots have found more applications in cellular manufacturing.

❚ Reduced need for workers

Advantages ❚ Improved production efficiency
❚ Reduced burden on workers

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Electronic Device Industry

Supporting Cellular Manufacturing That Involves

Assembly of Multiple Parts
Electronic devices are mostly made through cellular manufacturing, where a
single or a small group of workers complete the assembly (and inspection, in
some cases). Conventionally, manual labour was standard for manufacturing
multiple different items with varied scaling. The need for industrial robots is
increasing with the recent rapid growth in the market.

Case Study 1 — Robot-controlled Cellular Manufacturing System

In this cellular manufacturing system, the parts supply robots pick, align, and supply the
parts while the assembly robots assemble the final products using a vision system.
These factory automation robots support a total cellular manufacturing process that consists
of a series of nearly 100 steps, including parts assembly to screwing and finishing.

❚ Reduced need for workers

Advantages ❚ Improved work efficiency
❚ Improved work environment

Case Study 2 — H
‌ uman-Robot Cooperative Cellular
Manufacturing System
Assembly is a joint process, with an operator working with two 7-axis robots and a lathe.
The robots handle the process from pressing the stators into the rotors to removing the
products from the lathe for inspection. The operator only needs to send the products to the
next process, which significantly reduces their workload.

❚ Reduced workload
Advantages ❚ Stable quality
❚ Improved production efficiency

Case Study 3 — Varnishing Robot

Varnishing has become an easier task with factory automation, which resolved the previous
issues of strong odours and needing correction for uneven application. Two robots are
suspended from the ceiling, with one dedicated to varnishing and the other working on
handling, drying, inspection, and dispensing.

❚ Improved work environment

Advantages ❚ Reduced need for workers
❚ Stable quality

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 Food Industry

Vision Guided Robotics for Handling Products of

Various Shapes and Sizes
In recent years, many food manufacturers have seen a serious lack of personnel.
Compared with industrial products, food products come in a much larger range of
shapes and sizes, and frequent product changes are common. Despite an initial
reluctance to automation, the food industry has come to utilise industrial robots as a
result of developments in image processing technology.

Case Study 1 — Packing System Using Parallel Link Robots

The position and angle of confections on the production line are recognised using a camera,
and the handpiece picks the product for packaging in boxes, allowing for high-speed
conveyance. Robot versatility enables handling of products with various shapes and sizes.

❚ Improved work efficiency

Advantages ❚ Reduced labour costs
❚ Stable operation

Case Study 2 — Palletising Robot

Robots are widely used for loading cardboard boxes on pallets for transporting. The ability to
save multiple palletising patterns allows the robot to handle a wide variety of box sizes.
Operations from selecting boxes to loading onto pallets are fully automated, allowing drastic
increase in physical distribution volume.

❚ Improved work efficiency

Advantages ❚ Reduced need for workers
❚ Improved safety

Example 1 — Simultaneous Inspection and Picking on Production Line

Two cameras
(one for positioning, one for inspection)
One camera
(one for positioning and inspection)
With conventional systems, individual cameras for
inspection and positioning were installed. Recently,
however, verifying the picking position and performing
inspection (appearance/size inspection) are both
possible with only one camera.

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Machine Tool Industry

Acceleration of Factory Automation with

the Coordination of Robots and Machine Tools
NC machine tools for cutting and drilling can now be automated for loading and
unloading workpieces and inspecting the products, both of which previously
required human work. Full automation can be made possible by coordinating
industrial robots and machine tools to reduce operating loss and
shorten cycle time.

Case Study 1 — A
‌ utomated System for Automotive Parts
Processing Lines
In this system, the 6-axis articulated robot loads and unloads metal parts for machining
with NC machine tools. Thanks to the synchronised operation of the robot and machine
tools, loading and unloading take less time in addition to achieving shorter cycle time.

❚ Full automation
Advantages ❚ Shorter cycle time
❚ Faster production

Case Study 2 — C
‌ utting Robot

The cutting robot can cut workpieces based on CAM data just like an NC machine tool.
While NC lathes and NC milling machines can only perform single tasks, robots can
perform a variety of machining by changing the end effector.

❚ Supports different processing

Advantages ❚ Can be used with CAM data
❚ Reduced need for workers

Example 2 — Inspection Using Vision-guided Robots

Correction of device gripping deviation when Detection of screwing position

mounting PCBs Outputs the deviation in screwing position
Outputs the X, Y, and angle of workpiece

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 Common Issues

Specialised lines must be designed to suit the product

Specific pallets and parts feeders must be prepared for each product

Teaching is time-consuming, and start up is inefficient

Products include significant errors, preventing robots from responding

accurately

KEYENCE’s Vision Guided Robotics

Solves All These Problems and More!

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 Simple Interface
Adjust camera settings such as
The interface allows for intuitive picture-based viewing. shutter speed and camera
This allows for easy operation for all users. sensitivity.

Select the manufacturer of the

robot to connect with.

Perform auto-calibration.

Configure the search settings.

Select the application.

Configure the robot correction

operations.

Setup Complete

Support for 17 Robot Manufacturers

The robot manufacturers that a system can handle differs for each vision guided ABB

robotics, resulting in incompatibilities or complicated setting configurations if use is DAIHEN

even possible. Choosing a highly versatile model can also lead to cost savings in
DENSO

EPSON
the future thanks to continued usability in the event the robots are changed out. FANUC

KEYENCE’s Vision Guided Robotics offers support for 17 robot manufacturers, HIRATA

allowing for simple setup. IAI

JANOME

KAWASAKI

KUKA

MITSUBISHI

Supported Robot Manufacturers NACHI

STAUBLI

TOSHIBA MACHINE

ABB/DAIHEN/DENSO/EPSON/FANUC/HIRATA/IAI/JANOME/KAWASAKI/KUKA/ UNIVERSAL ROBOTS

MITSUBISHI/NACHI/STAUBLI/TOSHIBA MACHINE/UNIVERSAL ROBOTS/ YAMAHA

YAMAHA/YASKAWA MOTOMAN YASKAWA MOTOMAN

Company and product names mentioned in this catalogue are trademarks or Simply select the
registered trademarks of their respective companies. robot manufacturer.

Auto-calibration
Easily calibrate the vision guided robotics with the click of a button

Common issues with conventional Solutions provided with KEYENCE Vision

methods (manual methods) Guided Robotics
• Manual calibration takes a long time • Easy operation with a single click
• Accuracy varies between operators • High accuracy regardless of operator
• Difficult to readjust for installation misalignment • Quick calibration to fix issues caused by misalignment.
• Difficult to reproduce the image in different installation • Fast and accurate duplication regardless of the location.
locations due to variations in ambient conditions.

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 Powerful Search Tool for Stable Operation in Any Industry

ShapeTrax 3
TM
NEW

High-Speed, Multi-Application Searches Newly Developed Automatic

Without the Stress
This tool performs searches using profile information extracted from the target.
ShapeTraxTM3 automatically distinguishes between noise and necessary
information even if the image is not clear or is noisy due to a low-contrast
environment. This allows for fast and stable searches.
Feature Extraction Algorithm
Optimisation through automatic setting configuration
allows for easier operations with simpler menus even
for workpiece profile extraction, which conventionally
required a certain level of familiarity.
This allows for easy profile extraction for all users.

High Robustness Accurate searching even if capture

conditions change from those registered
Conventional ShapeTraxTM3

Registered Defect Unclear profile Inverted tones

image

• It isn’t possible to prepare a clean master workpiece.

Conventional Problems • It is difficult to extract the ideal profile due to unstable lighting.

Characteristic Drawing Tools

The features can be drawn to match the
workpiece shape.

Conventional Problems • Only workpieces that can be picked should be identified.

Detection Object Selection Conditions Overlapping Exclusion

Searches for the presence of space Overlapping workpieces can be
for chucking workpieces can be recognised and excluded from the
performed simultaneously. Difference search target. Hidden workpieces can
checks to determine the front and also be specifically excluded.
back sides by slight differences in
features is also possible.

• It is necessary to ensure the stability of values detected for

Conventional Problems workpieces on the edge of the field of view.

Acceptable Distortion Range

Setting the distortion tolerance range
improves detection stability when
distortion is caused by the lens
characteristics and tilting in the
search targets.
Left edge Full field of view Right edge

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 Wide Camera Selection to Suit any Application
KEYENCE offers a wide range of cameras to suit virtually any Vision Guided Robotics application. High precision components produced at
high production rates may require high resolution with fast image transfer rates, while basic part location on rough shapes may only need
standard resolution. Cameras ranging from 21 megapixel to 0.31 megapixel are available in color or monochrome to suit the application
needs.

21 megapixel Capture range: 5104 × 4092 pixels

5 megapixel Capture range: 2432 × 2040 pixels

2 megapixel Capture range: 1600 × 1200 pixels

0.47 megapixel Capture range: 784 × 596 pixels

0.31 megapixel Capture range: 640 × 480 pixels

Peripheral Equipment Optimised for Vision Guided Robotics

LED Lighting Lenses
KEYENCE offers a highly customisable range of lighting KEYENCE offers a wide variety of lenses in order to
that can be used either independently or in conjunction obtain the optimal image processing capabilities of the
with other lights. camera.

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 SAFETY INFORMATION
Please visit: www.keyence.com Please read the instruction manual carefully in
order to safely operate any KEYENCE product.

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The information in this publication is based on KEYENCE’s internal research/evaluation at the time of release and is subject to change without notice. WW11-1039
Company and product names mentioned in this catalogue are either trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Unauthorised reproduction of this catalogue is strictly prohibited.
Copyright © 2019 KEYENCE CORPORATION. All rights reserved. Robotvisionleaf-WW-TG2-GB 2021-3 600S22