The most useful automotive assembly robot applications
The automotive sector is the most prominent among the industries with the largest adoption of industrial robots. The sector also has a diverse range of robotic applications because it uses robots in practically every process in some form or another. Leading the pack with robotic automation is the automobile manufacturing industry.
The car manufacturing industry also makes the most use of modern and advanced collaborative robots designed to work alongside people and other robots with the least amount of human supervision.
Key benefits of assembly robots
The production process in this business is extremely complex, requiring the assembly of hundreds of pieces and wires to create a product. An assembly robot employed in this industry provides many advantages. It is also versatile, efficient, accurate, and extremely dependable for all production processes.
They not only take over the repetitive tasks that humans find boring, tiring, and prone to errors, but they also save them from working in dangerous situations. Other key benefits of assembly robots are
- Lowering labor costs
- Assured product quality and traceability
- Better accuracy and precision
- Faster rate of production
- Higher returns on investment
- Overall flexibility in production and packaging
- Economical use of floorspace
- Accommodate shorter product lifecycles
- Less waste with higher throughput
Key robot applications in the automotive industry
The growth of assembly robots in the manufacturing industry continues to rise for good reasons. The robots are capable of multiple applications. This section describes assembly robot uses in the automobile manufacturing business.
1. Welding
One of the most important uses of robotics in the automobile industry is welding, and they play a significant role in the process. The most common welding jobs in the auto manufacturing industries are arc and spot welding, performed by robots varying in size from small to large with greater weights.
The responsibilities for the smaller robots involve welding parts and components such as bolts and brackets. In contrast, the responsibilities for the higher capacity robots involve spot welding and automobile body paneling.
2. Assembly
Assembling various parts ranging in size from smallest to largest is one of the most common uses for robots in the automobile industry. It is also one of the most complex applications.
The assembly robot can also do various other operations such as wheel mount, windshield installation, and screw driving, among several others. Most of those jobs carried out by robotic arms include handling even the tiniest of pieces with pinpoint precision and accuracy.
3. Materials removal
Material handling is another of the most prominent applications in the manufacturing industry. The automobile industry, for example, has an extensive material handling process that requires the use of automation. Automobile assembly robots are ideal for trimming and cutting operations requiring precision and accuracy.
Lightweight robotic arms, with light-sensing technology, are highly accurate and extremely reliable when executing complicated jobs. Additional material removal uses involve cleaning mold, reducing flashes, and material cutting, to name a few examples.
4. Painting, coating, and sealing
Chores such as sealing, coating, and painting might appear simple, but they are far from that. To begin with, the tasks are risky. Due to the obvious emissions and potentially hazardous chemical substances present in the products, they are some of the most dangerous applications in the car production process.
The tasks necessitate consistency, and competent and professional painters are hard to come by due to the ongoing scarcity of the human workforce. Robotic arms fill in the gaps.
They are also a popular alternative due to the accuracy, reliability, and adherence to harmful compounds in the manufacturing industries. The usage of robotic arms also helps reduce waste while streamlining and speeding up the production process.
5. Robotic vision
The vision robots are equipped with laser wrists and cameras that provide real-time input to the machine running the program. Because of their ability to see all they do, automotive robotic arms can operate with incredible precision than their counterparts without robotic vision.
Robots with vision capabilities can execute flawless offsetting throughout component assembly procedures since they can see where they are placing the parts in the first place. It also makes it easier for the robotic arms to install bumpers, windscreens, and vehicle doors with increased precision than ordinary industrial robots.
6. Parts transfer and machine tending
The automobile manufacturing sector handles large components that require the services of the larger industrial robots. However, many sectors also adopt smaller robots integrated with end-of-arm tools to make machine tending and part transfer safer, more accurate, more organized, and faster.
Smaller cobots programmed with specialized capabilities are also increasingly taking over activities in other sections. The applications are complex and potentially dangerous activities that people find difficult to complete
7. Logistics
Before developing collaborative robots, manufacturing industries relied entirely on conventional industrial robots characterized by their inability to learn or adapt to their environment. They were also blind and fixed but performed repetitive applications with high accuracy and precision. These abilities are ideal for simple production activities such as transferring parts and welding.
However, the world of logistics is considerably more dynamic and complicated, necessitating the development of new and improved capabilities in the robots. Automotive manufacturing settings are becoming increasingly popular for automated cars and autonomous mobile robots to transport auto components and raw materials from storerooms to the production floor.
The robots have the brains, can see, and can move, making their coordination of different tasks possible for the automobile manufacturing logistics.
Wrapping up
When it comes to manufacturing, the automobile industry is at the top of the list, and it offers more positions for robotic applications than many other industries combined. The assembly of parts and components is one of the most important applications for robotic arms. In contrast to assembly robots of decades ago, today’s robots have programs and features with particular traits that make them appear virtually human in appearance.
The more advanced robotic arms have sensor-powered end effectors capable of doing even the smallest and most delicate jobs. In the automotive business, humans ensure that quality control and final touches are up to date.
