A custom-engineered automation cell can be complex, costly, time-consuming, plus it is designed for a specific application and challenging to redeploy. As a result, many companies have hesitated to automate, but now 鈥渞obotics-as-a-service鈥� (RaaS) offers a game-changing solution.
The &苍产蝉辫;鈥�,鈥� brought to you by , features Ryan Kelly, the general manager for 础惭罢鈥檚 San Francisco Tech Lab, and Adam Allard, senior manager of technical environments at , who oversees in Toronto, San Francisco, and Boston. Its mission is to provide low cost, easy-to-deploy tech and ideas for small to medium-sized job shops. Season 2, features solutions such as those created by for customer , a leading global manufacturer of positioning systems for construction and agricultural equipment.
At Topcon鈥檚 manufacturing facility in Livermore, California, final inspections of an antenna were causing major snarls. Barcodes had to be placed with sub-millimeter precision. The company had explored traditional robots for inspection, but the capital expenses and deployment time were not attractive. Further, the antenna line was a lower volume item, so the desire to redeploy any automated solution was also an issue.
Fortunately, Topcon engaged with Rapid Robotics, which is pioneering the RaaS business model and offers solutions especially suited for low-volume, high-mix manufacturing.
The cell designed by Rapid Robotics featured a standard six-axis cobot arm and off-the-shelf components, including a vision system from used for inspection (Elementary cameras 鈥減rogram鈥� using a no-code solution). Using additive manufacturing to create end-of-arm tooling and fixtures helped reduce deployment time to weeks. The best part: RaaS moved what is typically a six-figure capital expense cost to a smaller monthly operating expense, and the customer didn鈥檛 pay until the system was operational. The second-best part: 100% yield, zero returns and a very happy customer.
After the Topcon plant visit, Kelly and Allard then explore how a 鈥渟mart setup鈥� tool enables rapid robot redeployment. By reading a fiducial (like a QR code), the robot understands its orientation to the part, so the entire cell can be redeployed in minutes.
For those who hesitate or are contemplating automation for the first time, Kelly and Allard leave viewers with some essential advice: automate now (your competitors already are), use automation to attract the upcoming generation of workers, and don鈥檛 try to automate everything. Pick the appropriate application and go for the easy win.
In addition to RaaS, brought to you by Autodesk, offers solutions for cybersecurity in Episode 1, and , while explores the benefits of a connected shop. Watch all episodes at
