Robots are lifesavers in certain industries such as electronics. The work involved in putting together, say, a computer or even a watch would be pretty hard without machines. Think about all those tiny bits that need to be placed precisely as well as the high speeds.
The modern production needs may not apply to humans these days. Some of the components used in electronics assembly are too tiny for humans and the speed needed may be way above what humans can manage. Manufacturing robots offer solutions to operations which are beyond the ability of human workers.
Solutions Offered by Manufacturing Robots
Lowering of Costs
With manufacturing robots, industries can cut down on costs of hiring personnel for some operations. Robots are equipped to handle operations such as:
- Building subassemblies
- Handling display screens
- Application of sealants and adhesives
- Assembling connectors
- Populate and coat circuit boards
- Pack finished products
- Pick and place
- Palletize products
- Test operations and carry out inspections
All these operations would need workers to operate. Having robots saves company money that would be paid to pay salaries and train.
Furthermore, robots improve the quality of products as well as the volume of production. This is because robots are programmed for precision and do not have the limits that humans have.
Assembly
Placement tasks are best left to robots. To begin with, there are repetitive and therefore boring to humans. Secondly, there is a need for precision and speed. Universal Robots build robots that are famed for inertia and high speed. The sensors are an important part of manufacturing robots for sensing force and movement. Cameras are able to locate even the tiniest of features and parts which they can pick and place wherever they are needed to be. The force sensing ensures there is just the right force for putting parts into place.
Packing
Packing finished products is easy enough when you think about it but if that is all you do all day, then you will not appreciate it. Robots have no such hang-ups. They will pack the products fast, precisely and will neither drop nor leave anything out. Packages are placed into cartons which are then palletized. Human supervision is not even required here.
Quality
Robots have the following advantages over their human counterparts:
- They do not get fatigued
- They can move faster than humans
- They do not err
- They do not need breaks
- Precision
- They perform every cycle in the exact same way
This means that the quality of products is better, higher and there are few if any spoiled products.
Health
Assembly in electronics can be a health hazard for humans. This is because repetitive motions have been known to cause musculoskeletal disorders. Lifting equipment that is sometimes heavy objects and palletizing tasks may also have the same effect.
Besides, some jobs are dirty and dangerous. When robots take over these, they allow humans to avoid health issues at the workplace. This saves industries a lot of money that could be used to compensate workers for injuries suffered at work and pay off medical bills.
Flexibility
The manufacturing industry is oftentimes required to respond to demands quickly, for instance, when a product’s life cycle comes to an end. In addition, redesigning of a product may be necessary. With a robotic system, all that may be required is a program modification and all is set. It saves money as well as time.
Conclusion
Manufacturing robots allow for flexibility when moving from one product to another. Should the demand for a particular product go down, robotic technology can be quickly reconfigured to and directed to other operations. This saves time and ensures that the profit margin does not deep too low if at all.
In addition, robots ensure more and better quality products which drive up the profit margin for industries. Also, humans can take up more challenging projects as they leave the mundane repetitive ones to the bots.