机器人应有尽有！

当您想到工业机器人时，您首先想到的可能是是汽车装配线上的焊接机器人，但高性能工业机器人的独特设计可用于更多用途。从航空航天工业到临床实验室，以及介于两者之间的一切，机器人自动化可以将工厂生产流程、以任务为目标的自动化和其他应用提升到一个新的水平。这里只是一些有趣且令人印象深刻的用途，它们可能会激发您在不久的将来实施机器人自动化。

激光烧蚀

应用/行业
汽车、航天

机器人模型
通常是负载较低的长臂机器人（即 Yaskawa AR3120）。根据零件的大小和所需的循环时间，可以使用一个或多个机器人。

说明
在需要去除表面涂层（如油漆、油脂、釉等）的应用中，通常使用化学品。不幸的是，这会产生大量废物，通常被认为是有害物质。随后的环境影响和监管使得此过程难以使用化学溶剂。此外，擦拭或刮掉涂层以留下干净的基材所需的人工工时非常耗时。

进入激光烧蚀，烧掉该涂层以留下干净、纯净的基材。过滤器或其他密封装置然后很容易收集碳化涂层。由于热激光工艺需要不透光的工作单元，因此需要机器人来确保适当的安全性。机器人也可以通过编程来跟随复杂的表面曲率，而不是使用其他硬自动化。

复杂表面喷墨打印

应用/行业
航空航天，对其他人的潜力

机器人模型
航空航天用长臂，按比例缩小。

说明
过去，在将图形应用于飞机或其他大型表面时，很难在处理弯曲和复杂的表面时准确地创建细节。然而，西南研究院 (SwRI) 2017 年的一个项目利用连接到机器人手臂上的专用喷墨打印头，使这项复杂的任务成为现实。这个复杂的过程使用数字印刷来获得卓越的性能，并取代了传统的绘制图形或在大面积上以不同方向应用贴花的劳动密集型任务。与激光烧蚀一样，该机器人经过精心设计，易于操纵，可以很好地适应表面角度的变化，并保持一致的打印可重复性和质量。

自这项技术问世以来，荷兰机器人制造商 XYREC 等公司，与 SwRI、空中客车和 Marabu 合作，成功展示了这一革命性的飞机应用，声称将喷漆车间的时间从 16 天减少到 5 天。 Potentially compatible with any surface substrate, this technology could also be used to apply one-off or custom graphics to smaller surfaces, like textiles and billboards, or even complex graphics to wider surface areas.

Additive Manufacturing

Application/Industry
Prototyping, Custom Parts

Robot Model
Varies – usually a highly repeatable, 6-axis robot with six degrees of freedom (i.e., Yaskawa AR1440).

Description
Thanks to the adoption of motion control technology, robotics and power conversion, 3D printing has reached a level of finesse and precision in recent years that is good enough to create usable parts without any (or much) finishing. Ideal for attaching unique tooling that enables a wide area 3D printer, the use of industrial robots in additive manufacturing is helping to create a diverse mix of products, including machine tooling fixtures.

Once limited to plastics, today’s technology can accommodate substances such as ceramics, composites, metals, hybrid materials and more. Most recently, advancements in slicer software within offline robot programming software has made it possible to print metal pieces using filler metal techniques such as MIG, TIG, or laser welding. These parts can then be used directly or machined as needed, saving a great deal of waste from other milling or machine techniques on a block of metal.

High-Precision Milling

Application/Industry
Machining, Custom Components

Robot Model
Versatile and powerful handling robot with a mid-range payload. (i.e., Yaskawa GP-series robots).

Description
Traditionally an arduous manual task, milling is the process of grinding or cutting superfluous material away from a mold to form a specific structure. In an effort to increase worker safety, accelerate production rates, enhance product quality and better adhere to industry standards, companies in diverse industries are implementing the use of automated milling systems, with easy-to-program robots equipped with flexible tooling. This is often used in conjunction with 3D printing for part finishing.

Pallet Assembly

Application/Industry
Pallet Production

Robot Model
6-axis palletizing robot, ranging in payload from 50 kg to 800 kg.

Description
Difficult and dangerous, the task of manually building pallets is hard work. This, combined with the growing trend for stronger custom-designed pallets, has prompted competitive-minded manufacturers to implement robotic pallet assembly systems that provide the flexibility and consistency needed to build custom, stringer and block pallets from the same system. Likewise, freeing workers from the dull, dirty and dangerous work of pallet production allows decision makers to redeploy skilled workers to higher-value jobs within the company, maximizing return on investment.

Meat Processing

Application/Industry
Meat Packing, Poultry Production, etc.

Robot Model
Fast and powerful handling robot with a medium range payload.

Description
While safer and more sanitary than in the past, meat packing and poultry production plants still present distinct hazards that can impact the physical health of manual workers. To reduce human error and protect employees, meat and poultry processing companies are seeking out robotic technology to drive safety, optimizing efficiency in the process. Furthermore, improvements in vision technology and end-of-arm tooling over the last decade have enabled robots to easily facilitate a variety meat processing tasks, optimizing production.

Speciman Processing

Application/Industry
Clinical Laboratory

Robot Model
Varies on application (i.e, Yaskawa MotoMini for bulk oader, or a high-performance 6-axis robot with a lower payload for centrifuge).

Description
From skilled technician shortages to rigorous accreditation requirements – along with rising specimen volumes combined with inefficient workflows – clinical laboratories are facing many challenges today. Chief among these is the pressure to expand services in creative ways, providing a more value-based care approach while yielding cost savings. In an effort to move forward into the future of Clinical Laboratory 2.0, high throughput clinical diagnostic labs are turning to robotic automation solutions to complete pre- and post-analytic specimen sorting and processing tasks.

Ribbon Tying

Application/Industry
Food and Beverage, Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Products, Tacking and Logistics, Industrial Packaging

Robot Model
Compact and agile material handling robot with a lower payload.

Description
Manual bow tying can be a tedious task, potentially causing physical harm to workers. Due to increased demand for customized packaging, ribbon tying is growing in popularity. First used in 2014 for Esther Price Fine Chocolates Candy Co., this difficult to automate application required the combined use of 3D simulation software for precise programming and a high-performance robot for greater maneuverability and consistency. Likewise, having the proper end-of-arm tooling and a controlled environment for this application was critical to achieving optimal choreographed repetition.

Entertaining / Food Assembling

Application/Industry
Entertainment, Casual Dining, Theme Park, etc.

Robot Model
Varies on application.

Description
Not only do industrial robots help provide consistency for certain tasks in day-to-day operations, but also, they allow restaurant and other business owners to provide a unique experience to patrons. From being used for carnival rides to making egg sandwiches and dispensing ice cream, industrial robots are growing in use throughout the entertainment world. When outfitted with the proper end-of-arm tooling and equipped with the correct safety features, robots can accomplish a wide variety of out-of-the-box tasks such as bartending and more.

Conclusion

While the list for these unique applications could go on, the fact that industrial robots are able to add value to businesses in nearly every industry is impressive to say the least. The truth is, certain applications are extremely unsafe for humans to try, making those tasks perfect for robotic automation. Other applications that are dull or dirty are well-suited for robots, as they can fill a need where a human may not want to do the work. If you can dream it, most likely, our team of experts can make it a reality. And, if you are on the fence about whether a particular task could be automated, chances are, there’s a robot for that!