Robotic automation has the potential to revolutionize the machine shop, allowing machining shops to increase efficiency and productivity while reducing costs. With robots taking on more of the tedious tasks and freeing up workers for higher-value activities, CNC machine shops can deliver better quality products faster than ever before.
But the gains of robotics must be weighed against potential challenges and technical issues that must be addressed when introducing robotics in the machine shop. Nonetheless, when done right, robotic automation can bring about tremendous improvements in terms of cost savings and production speed.
In this article, we will cover all these topics in detail so you can make an informed decision on whether robotic automation is right for your CNC machine shop.
Advantages of Robotics in Machine Shops
With the increasing demand for faster, more accurate production and lower operating costs, many CNC machine shops are looking to automate their processes with robotic systems.
1. Increased Efficiency and Productivity
When compared to traditional machining, robotic automation in CNC machine shops leads to increased efficiency and productivity by up to 47%. The use of robots can result in higher uptime levels, allowing for the production of a greater number of parts per hour than traditional methods.
2. Improved Manufacturing Consistency
Robots are more accurate than humans due to their repeatability, boasting accuracy under 0.1 mm for machining processes that require higher precision. This enables machine shop professionals to produce machining shop projects reliably each time with uniformity in shape, size, finish, etc., making it easier for them to meet tight deadlines that may be required by their customers or clients.
3. Increased Safety for Workers
The implementation of robots also yields improved safety for workers due to the protective cages and safety fencing used while working with CNC robots. Automation can help reduce the danger posed by hazardous CNC machining materials or processes that could otherwise cause severe injuries or fatalities if handled incorrectly by human employees.
4. Improved Adaptability
Robotics also offers increased adaptability when it comes to unfamiliar job requests or sudden changes in CNC machining needs or demands from clients or customers.
As robot CNC machine tenders can be installed quickly by personnel with minimal experience, CNC shops can easily switch between tasks if necessary without having to invest much time in new training or education for their employees on how certain CNC machines work or how particular CNC machining techniques should be executed properly.
5. Reduced Costs and Improved Profits Per Square Foot
Finally, robotics increases cost savings as well as profits per square foot in CNC shops due to its ability to reduce labor costs associated with CNC machining projects while simultaneously increasing uptime levels during production cycles (e.g., tending tasks being performed quickly).
Additionally, peripheral devices such as vision-guidance systems simplify programming and integration into existing workplace systems; mobile robots can move independently; and AI is facilitating safe collaborative robot movement in 3D environments – all greatly reducing costs associated with CNC machining operations while improving productivity at the same time!
Challenges to Wider Adoption of Robotics in the Machine Shop
Robots are becoming increasingly prevalent in machine shops and CNC machining operations, but there are still a few challenges that need to be addressed before they can become widely adopted.
A. Costs of Implementation
The cost of robotics technology for a machining shop is expensive and can be difficult to justify when considering the expected return on investment. An upfront investment in robots often includes hardware, installation, programming, and maintenance costs.
These costs may be prohibitive for some shops, as they may need to evaluate whether the robot can be easily modified in the future if operations change.
B. Expertise Needed
Robots require sophisticated operation and programming techniques that require professionals with specialized skill sets to maintain and operate them. There is an increasing demand for skilled workers that have a higher education than just a high school diploma, but there is a gap between this demand and the current supply of personnel.
To fill this gap, there are collaborative robots such as Sawyer that can learn from their human counterparts and execute complex tasks with precision.
C. Safety Concerns
When working with robotics in the machining workshop, it’s important to consider the safety of all involved parties. Collaborative robots are now outfitted with a variety of safety features, such as stopped state monitoring, speed and separation monitoring, hand guiding, and power and force limiting mechanisms, to promote safety in these environments.
D. Complexity
Robot processes themselves are often quite intricate due to the number of peripheral devices required as well as tooling needs. More recent developments such as multi-armed robots further increase complexity since multiple robots need to be programmed simultaneously while providing the proper balance between them in order to optimize performance.
This can be especially challenging when fine-tuning work cell performance or dealing with changes in design or programming during production runs.
E. Expensive Repairs
Having adequate knowledge of how physical processes work will help avoid collisions or significant damages occurring during CNC machining projects but sometimes accidents happen anyway due to inadequate information about what’s happening on the shop floor.
Should damage occur due to poor implementation or faulty tooling choices then additional costs would accrue from replacing any damaged parts or tools which lengthens project timelines significantly.
Conclusion
The advantages of this technology are numerous, however, there are obstacles to overcome such as the cost of implementation, the requirement for specialized skills, safety issues, complexity, and the possibility of costly repairs. To sum it up, robotic automation in machine workshops holds immense promise as a game-changer, promising to boost efficiency and productivity, and cut costs.
2023-02-21 15:09:21