Siemens, for instance, is using a small robotic arm in its electric motor production for the stator component. The stator is made of punched magnetic sheet steel with an aluminum bearing plate that needs machining to bring within tolerances. The robotic arm has taken over the repetitive task of taking workpieces out of a carrier, placing them in an automatic lathe for machining, removing the finished workpiece, cleaning it in an air blast, and placing it into a measuring station to check the tolerances.
The robot's controller works in conjunction with other pieces of equipment to scan the workpiece barcode for tracking purposes, and to move the measured workpiece either to a carrier for transport to the next processing station or to a holding station for a human operator to make adjustments or replacements as needed. The robot arm's safety features allow the human and robot to operate in the same workspace without protective fencing or other barriers that might impede workflow.
Tasks requiring repeatable precision are also suitable for robotic handling, even for small production runs. ALNEA, for instance, has set up a robotic arm to handle selective soldering in its SMT production line. Selective soldering is needed when components might be damaged by the heat involved in bulk wave or reflow soldering. Hand soldering an SMT device requires both a steady hand and careful timing to avoid solder bridges and heat damage.
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