Use compact industrial robots to make any shop more productive
The momentum of the robot can be high enough to injure or even kill any worker struck while in the movement path. To keep workers safe, large industrial robots need to be isolated behind cages or other barriers with interlocks so that human entry into their operating space will shut them down. The introduction of compact robotic manipulator arms, such as the AGILUS KR 3 R540 from KUKA Robotics, has given industrial facilities managers more options (Figure 2). These devices provide a generic, off-the-shelf platform offering considerable operational flexibility at a relatively modest cost. Coupled with suitable end- effector attachments such as
grippers or tools mounted at the end of the robotic arm, these generic platforms greatly expand the range of activities for which a robotic system can be created to generate a suitable ROI. Further, these robotic arms can readily be programmed for different movements or repurposed with different end-effector mechanisms when their initial applications expire, extending their payback potential. Another key feature of these compact industrial robotic arms is their ability to fit into compact workspaces and integrate with existing production efforts. Unlike their more massive cousins in large manufacturing facilities, compact robots can also serve as a partner
to human operators rather than a replacement for them. Such compact collaborative robots—or cobots—are designed for physically close human collaboration without
the need for protective cages or other such barriers to keep
humans out of harm’s way as the robots go through their paces. Compact robotic arms are less massive and move more slowly than traditional industrial robots, allowing compact robots to stop on contact, minimizing the potential for injury. Further, they often have proximity sensors built in to help avoid collisions entirely. A growing number of vendors have begun producing compact industrial robotic arms targeting small to mid-
Figure 2: Manipulator arms, such as the AGILUS KR 3 R540 from KUKA Robotics, are bringing ROI for industrial robotics within reach of small to mid-size operations. (Image source: KUKA Robotics Corp.)
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