https://robotsmanufacturing.

blo
gspot.com/

Nishank Putthewad(27)
Raghavendra(28)
Abhishek Rajput(29)
Aditya Rasal(31)
Sahil Gupta(36)

Robots Changing
Manufacturing Forever
Introduction
Abstract:
Current market demands require an increasingly agile
production environment throughout many
manufacturing branches. Traditional automation
systems and industrial robots, on the other hand, are
often too inflexible to provide an economically
viable business case for companies with rapidly
changing products. The introduction of cognitive
abilities into robotic and automation systems is,
therefore, a necessary step toward lean changeover
and seamless human-robot collaboration.
Current market demands require an increasingly agile
production environment throughout many
manufacturing branches. Traditional automation
systems and industrial robots, on the other hand, are
often too inflexible to provide an economically
viable business case for companies with rapidly
changing products. The introduction of cognitive
abilities into robotic and automation systems is,
therefore, a necessary step toward lean changeover
and seamless human–robot collaboration.

Robot Manufacturing and Impact

Robots are changing the face of manufacturing. They are designed to move
materials, as well as perform a variety of programmed tasks in manufacturing and
production settings. 

They are often used to perform duties that are dangerous, or unsuitable for human
workers, such as repetitious work that causes boredom and could lead to injuries
because of the inattentiveness of the worker. 

Demand for goods is continually growing around the world — and factories can
sometimes struggle to keep up. In situations like these, where manufacturing companies
need to boost productivity, they turn to advanced technology — like robots — to improve
their ability to produce goods.

Right now, robots are having a major impact on global industry as developers find ways to
apply breakthroughs — like artificial intelligence — to robotics. In some cases, the latest
robots are radically reshaping how goods are created. 

Impact

Technology is continuously progressing in the manufacturing industry.

With new developments in automation, the industry is introducing the
use of robots in the workplace. Since the technology is so new, there are
many concerns that robots will essentially take over manufacturing,
leaving people without jobs and changing the industry as a whole.
Though the concerns are valid and change can be frightening, the
introduction of robots in the industry actually has a positive impact on
both manufacturing and the employees.
There are many ways in which industrial robots affect the workplace,
including the creation of new, more intellectually concentrated jobs, the
promotion of productivity, cost and time efficiency, and even the
promotion of a greener workspace.

Robots positively impact manufacturing by taking on repetitive tasks, streamlining

the overall assembly workflow and collaborating with humans for product
production. Many jobs are dangerous or include high volumes of materials, which
can be harmful to human workers. 

Even in the short-term, employees may experience fatigue or

become distracted due to the repetitive nature of their work,
which can cause them to make errors. Robots, however, can
avoid making such mistakes because of their dexterity and
high levels of machine learning.
Collaborative Robots
 Collaborative robots sometimes called cobots — are robots specially designed to work
alongside people in factory environments. They primarily handle tasks where human
workers are still necessary, but typical manufacturing robots would be too dangerous or
impractical.

Some of these cobots are mechanical arms used to move pieces from storage to the
workplace. Others package finished goods or wrap up pallets of items. Cobots are not
necessarily autonomous, which means human operators are still necessary, and they
require some safety precautions.

Because they work in such close quarters with people, cobots possess unique safety
features. For example, a cobot may have adjustable movement programming that can
allow gentle motions depending on the task. Another may have sensors that can detect if a
person is in the way and trigger an emergency stop. With these safety features, these bots
can work alongside human workers or easily pass off a task to them without fear of
causing injury.

COBOT MANUFACTURING APPLICATIONS

The machines perform all sorts of high-precision tasks. Humans might be capable
of accomplishing the same jobs, but by delegating these repetitive actions to
cobots, we can free up human workers for more essential duties. Currently, you can
find cobots in every industry from metal fabrication and packaging to CNC
machining, molding, testing, and quality control inspections, to name a few.

Cobots are valuable for applications where human workers may be injured. In
some instances, these machines take over when tasks are not ergonomic, and
repetitive motion could hurt a human worker. One such cobot, named Usehi, works
at a German industrial control firm named Festo Scharnhausen.

This cobot is unique in that it has a variety of sensors housed beneath a soft skin. If
it detects one of its human coworkers in close proximity, it slows down. If one of
its colleagues touches Usehi's arm, the cobot shuts down altogether to ensure
workplace safety.

Autonomous Mobile Robots (ARMs)

 Autonomous mobile robots (or AMRs) are robots that can move through factory
environments without needing help from a human operator. These robots take advantage
of a type of artificial intelligence called machine vision to "see" their environment. With
this technology, the robot can detect obstacles and workers' movements and plan paths.
This ability allows them to get around by themselves. 
Autonomous mobile robots offer the latest navigation technology, requiring no
wires, magnets, tape or other guidance infrastructure like traditional AGVs. 

Instead, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology enable robots

to build their own map of the operating environment and use onboard sensors and
cameras to process their surroundings, self-locate and navigate based on real-time
conditions. 

This makes mobile robots a more flexible solution, capable of adjusting routes and
adapting to changing facility layouts without intervention or reinstallation of
guidance infrastructure.

AMRs Manufacturing Applications:

Efficient and safe movement of AMRs in a dynamic and flexible manufacturing

environment may cause challenges due to the lack of understanding of rules related
to AMR movement. This motivated this research work, leading to the development
of a Highway Code for AMRs, and simulation, physical testing, and comparison of
behaviours of real and ideal AMRs.
 This study demonstrated the use of AMR simulation studies to identify adverse
behaviour hence allowing their mitigation either through improvements on the real
AMR or through establishing shop floor protocols that reduce the potential impact
of these behaviours. Such improvements can then be further simulated and tested.

Manufacturing and warehouse settings mostly use these AMRs for moving items. Often,
developers build these robots to transport heavy loads that usually require multiple
workers or heavy equipment to move.

Industrial Robot Arms

Industrial Robot arms handle massive payloads in factories that manufacture large

goods — like industrial equipment and cars. In these factories, these arms move heavy
items from one part of the plant to another. They may also hold up pieces so that they can
be worked on or inspected. Some of the strongest robot arms can easily lift thousands of
pounds.

In the manufacturing world, one of the most common robots is the robotic arm.
This metal arm, usually made up of 4-6 joints, can be used for several
manufacturing applications, including welding, material handling and material
removal.
The industrial robotic arm, which is usually made of steel or cast iron is built from
the base up, ending with the wrist and whatever end effector is needed to perform
the arm’s chosen task. A robotic controller rotates motors that are attached to each
joint. Some of the larger arms, used to lift heavy payloads, are run by hydraulic
and pneumatic means.

The arm’s job moves the end effector from place to place – picking up, putting
down, taking off or welding a part or the entire work piece. These robotic arms can
be programmed to do several different jobs or one specific job, depending on the
manufacturer’s specifications and needs. An industrial robot arm not only increases
the speed of the manufacturing process, but also the accuracy and precision. These robotic
arms cut down on worker error and labor costs.
Industrial robotic arm’s impact in the manufacturing industry is growing with
advantages in cost savings, higher productivity and efficiency. Many companies
who have robotic arms are able to save on costs such as low skilled human labor
with less waste and human error. The robotic arms are able to increase efficiency
and productivity with longer operating periods of the same strength, accuracy and
repetitive programmed actions. In some regions, robotic arms are able to fill the
positions that are in demand by employers but are not able to fill.

Most of these robots work via pneumatic power assemblies. They have a system that
generates compressed air and sends it to an actuator, or motor, to power and control the
arm's motion.

Despite their size and weight, these robots can also be very precise. However, they're
typically caged off or not used in applications where workers need to be close by. This
factor is simply due to how dangerous their power can make them.

Some of these robot arms also come with special coatings that help them work in extreme
conditions. These coatings may make them resistant to acid or help them handle extreme
heat. As a result, these arms can work in a metal plant that processes acidic or metal-eating
chemicals.

Robots With Machine Vision

https://robotsmanufacturing.blogspot.com/2020/12/robots-with-machine-vision.html

 Without machine vision the robot would be blind – only capable of repeating the

same exact task over and over until it’s reprogrammed.

Machine vision (MV) is the technology and methods used to provide imaging-
based automatic inspection and analysis for such applications as automatic
inspection, process control, and robot guidance, usually in industry. 

The overall machine vision process includes planning the details of the
requirements and project, and then creating a solution. One of the major benefits of
machine vision being used in industrial robots is increased flexibility. One robot
with vision can do the tasks of several blind robots. Less programming is required
for robots with vision technology.

A FANUC vision system determines accurate belt position and the robot controller
adds speed information from the belt encoder — letting the vision system robot
track and pick while the product is in motion. This eliminates any need to stop the
belt or use expensive fixturing.

Using vision inspection on a manufacturing or packaging line is a well-

established practice. Systems range from single-point self-contained smart cameras
that carry out an inspection task and deliver a pass/fail result to the control system,
to PC-based systems that may feature multiple cameras and/or multiple inspection
stations. 

Vision systems can be retrofitted to existing lines or designed into new ones. Vision
inspection can also be used in conjunction with statistical process control methods
to not only check critical measurements but to analyze trends in these
measurements. In this way, interventions can be made to adjust the process before
any out-of-tolerance product is produced.
The food industry provides several opportunities for the machine vision market,
and several companies have responded by developing application-specific
solutions in the areas of grading, sorting, portioning, processing, and quality
checking during processing and packaging. Machine vision systems help in the
sorting of tea leaves, vegetables, or fruits.

These robots are especially popular with manufacturers because quality control is one of
the more tedious steps in the manufacturing process. Robots with machine vision can help
quality control workers or allow them to focus on more important tasks. This ability can
make the overall manufacturing process easier, more efficient and more comfortable for
workers.

Robotic Blacksmithing
 Robotic blacksmithing, or metamorphic manufacturing, is a process that allows
machines to form and shape metal. While casting requires molten metal to be
shaped by a mold, and machining requires metal to be cut away to reveal the
product's final shape, robotic blacksmiths can work much like human blacksmiths
do—repeatedly forming a piece of metal until it reaches the desired shape. 
Sensors decipher the shape of each part, lasers heat the part, and the “arms” of the
robotic blacksmith, paired with a press and interchangeable tools, apply force to
the necessary areas to achieve the correct shape. By altering the shape of a part
incrementally and heating as necessary, you can obtain the desired end product and
change its microstructure, all without having to add or subtract anything from the
raw material. 

A new manufacturing process that has transformed the approach of making structural
parts, called robotic blacksmithing, has created a new division of personalized products.

Construction, transportation, mining and power-generation all use metal parts for
safety crucial functions.  Most of these parts are produced using methods that
haven’t been updated for years. Two of these methods, casting and forging(also
known as forming)  require custom molds and dies that can be both expensive in
time and money to design and develop. 
Right now, most manufacturers use methods like traditional machining or additive
manufacturing techniques like 3D printing. This manufacturing method uses a
combination of special tools, robotic arms and sensors to reshape metal and other
materials. The robotic blacksmith uses its sensors to detect the object's shape while adding
heat and pressure using lasers and its arms. 

Rather than cut away material like with machining, or build it up as with 3D printing,
robotic blacksmithing reshapes an entire component. This feature enables robotic
blacksmithing to produce less waste than other forms of manufacturing. As a result, it's a
good fit for businesses wanting to make their factories more sustainable and resource-
efficient. 

Literature Extract

Robots Are Changing How Factories Work

Industrial producers are looking for ways to keep up with growing demand, and many
have turned to some of the latest robotics. 

These new robots include cobots, which are designed to work with humans, as well as
heavy-duty robot. They can boost productivity and increase efficiency by working
alongside human workers and decreasing waste in the manufacturing process. In the
future, as demand for goods continues to grow, these robots may become an even more
common sight on factory floors.
References
[1] Y. H. Chen, Y. N. Hu, Implementation of a robot system for sculptured surface cutting.
Part 1.
Rough Machining. Int. J. Adv. Manuf. Technology, v. 15, (1999), pp 624-629.
[2] Y. N. Hu, Y. H. Chen, Implementation of a robot system for sculptured surface cutting.
Part 2.
Finish Machining.” Int. J. Adv. Manuf. Technology, v. 15, (1999), pp 630-639.
[3] H. Latos, T. Mikolajczyk, Virtual aid design of geometric and kinematics flexible tools XII
Workshop on Supervising and Diag. of Mach. Sys., Virt. Manuf., Karpacz, Poland, (2001), pp
145-152.
[4] J. Honczarenko, Roboty przemysłowe. Budowa i zastosowanie. WNT, Warszawa, 2004,
[5] T. Mikolajczyk, Robot application to surface finishing. Journal of Polish CIMAC, vol. 5, nr 3
(2010), pp 107-113