Robotics 101 - ABB Group

Mark Tyson, ABB Technology Show, May 2013

Robotics 101

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ABB Group

May

13, 2013 | Slide 1

ABB Robots featured in “Terminator Salvation” movie – 2009 The visibility of ABB Robots reached an entirely new level on May 21, 2009 when Warner Brothers Studios released the new Terminator Salvation movie to North American audiences. In addition to Christian Bale and the army of rival Terminators, 18 ABB Robots will share starring roles in the fourth of the highly popular Terminator film franchise.

“We looked at a variety of different robot manufacturers, but were most struck by the presence of ABB’s robots, especially the larger units,” said Zolfo. “They had the right lines and they provided the feel that they could actually be making Terminators.” “What the ABB programming system was able to get the robots to do was better than we ever expected. The robots are very visible and instrumental in the final, climactic scene of the movie.”

”The robots were really an evolutionary character,” said Zolfo. “Like an interim step between the humans and the Terminators.” © ABB Group May 13, 2013 | Slide 2

© ABB Group May 13, 2013 | Slide 3

Robot History

The world’s first robot?

17th century © ABB Group May 13, 2013 | Slide 4

Robot History

The world’s first robot?

The human machine Barbarossa with his creator 1900

Automaton = self-operating machine


The term “Robot”

Source: www.howstuffworks.com © ABB Group May 13, 2013 | Slide 6

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The term robot comes from the Czech word robota, generally translated as "forced labor.“

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The Czech playwright Karel Capek originated the term robot in his 1920 play "R.U.R.“ (Rossum’s Universal Robots) In the play, machine workers overthrow their human creators when a scientist gives them emotions.

Human Beings On the most basic level, human beings are made up of five major components:

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A body structure.

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A muscle system to move the body structure.

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A sensory system that receives information about the body and the surrounding environment.

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A power source to activate the muscles and sensors.

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A brain system that processes sensory information and tells the muscles what to do


Robots 

A robot is made up of the very same components.

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A typical robot has a movable physical structure, a motor of some sort.

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A sensor system.

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A power source (supply)

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A computer "brain" that controls all of these elements. Essentially, robots are man-made versions of animal life -they are machines that replicate human and animal behavior.


Robots versus machines versus computers 

Most roboticists (people who build robots) use a more precise definition. They specify that robots have a reprogrammable brain (a computer) that moves a body.

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Robots are distinct from other movable machines, such as cars, because of their computer element. Many new cars do have an onboard computer, but it's only there to make small adjustments. You control most elements in the car directly by way of various mechanical devices.

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Robots are distinct from ordinary computers in their physical nature -- normal computers don't have a physical body attached to them.


Types of Robots? 

Cartesian robot / Gantry robot: Used for pick and place work, application of sealant, assembly operations, handling machine tools and arc welding. It's a robot whose arm has three prismatic joints, whose axes are coincident with a Cartesian coordinator.

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Cylindrical robot: Used for assembly operations, handling at machine tools, spot welding, and handling at die-casting machines. It's a robot whose axes form a cylindrical coordinate system.

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Spherical/Polar robot: Used for handling at machine tools, spot welding, die-casting, fettling machines, gas welding and arc welding. It's a robot whose axes form a polar coordinate system.

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SCARA robot: Used for pick and place work, application of sealant, assembly operations and handling machine tools. It's a robot which has two parallel rotary joints to provide compliance in a plane.

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Articulated robot: Used for assembly operations, die-casting, fettling machines, gas welding, arc welding and spray painting. It's a robot whose arm has at least three rotary joints.

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Parallel robot: One use is a mobile platform handling cockpit flight simulators. It's a robot whose arms have concurrent prismatic or rotary joints.


Types of Robots?



Cartesian robot /Gantry robot: Used for pick and place work, application of sealant, assembly operations, handling machine tools and arc welding. It's a robot whose arm has three prismatic joints, whose axes are coincident with a Cartesian coordinator.

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Types of Robots?




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Types of Robots?




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SCARA Robots

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The SCARA acronym stands for Selective Compliant Assembly Robot Arm and is one that is hard to remember. It's also sometimes referred to as: Selective Compliant Articulated Robot Arm.




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Human Arm, Robot Arm An industrial robot with six joints closely resembles a human arm -- it has the equivalent of a shoulder, an elbow and a wrist.

Typically, the shoulder is mounted to a stationary base structure rather than to a movable body. This type of robot has six degrees of freedom, meaning it can pivot in six different ways. A human arm, by comparison, has seven degrees of freedom.

DOF 6 DOF 5

DOF 1


DOF 2

DOF 3

DOF 4

Types of Robots?




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Articulated robot: Used for assembly operations, die-casting, fettling machines, gas welding, arc welding and spray painting.

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Parallel robot: One use is as a high speed Pick & Place. The use of lightweight but strong arms allows for high acceleration and deceleration.


Types of Robots?


History of Real-World Robots: One of the first robots was the water clock, which was made in 1500 B.C. One of the oldest water clocks was found in the tomb of Amenhotep I, buried around 1500 B.C.

From The University of Birmingham © ABB Group May 13, 2013 | Slide 23

History of Real-World Robots: 

One of the first robots was the or water clock, which was made in 250 B.C. It was created by Ctesibius of Alexandria, a Greek physicist and inventor.

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The earliest remote control vehicles were built by Nikola Tesla in the 1890's. Tesla is best known as the inventor of AC electric power, radio (before Marconi), induction motors, Tesla coils, and other electrical devices.

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Other early robots (1940's - 50's) were Grey Walter's "Elsie the tortoise" ("Machina speculatrix") and the Johns Hopkins "beast."

"Elsie the tortoise"


History of Real-World Robots: "Shakey" was a small unstable box on wheels that used memory and logical reasoning to solve problems and navigate in its environment. It was developed by the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) in Palo Alto, California in the 1960s.


History of Real-World Robots: The General Electric Walking Truck was a large four legged robot that could walk up to four miles a hour. The walking truck was the first legged vehicle with a computer-brain, developed by Ralph Moser at General Electric Corp. in the 1960s.


History of Real-World Robots: The first modern industrial robots were probably the Unimates. created by George Devol and Joe Engleberger in the 1950's and 60's. Engleberger started the first robotics company, called "Unimation", and has been called the "father of robotics."

Isaac Asimov and Joe Engleberger


Industrial Robot 

An industrial robot is officially defined by ISO[1] as an automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose manipulator programmable in three or more axes.

 An Industrial Robot is a reprogrammable device designed to both manipulate and transport parts, tools, or specialized manufacturing implements through programmed motions for the performance of specific manufacturing tasks. 

The most widely accepted definition of an industrial robot is one developed by the Robotic Industries Association: 


An industrial robot is a reprogrammable, multifunctional manipulator designed to move materials, parts, tools, or specialized devices through variable programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks.

The Robotic Arm 

The most common manufacturing robot is the robotic arm.

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A typical robotic arm is made up of seven metal segments, joined by six joints.

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The computer controls the robot by rotating individual step motors connected to each joint (step motors move in exact increments).

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This allows the computer to move the arm very precisely, repeating exactly the same movement over and over again.

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The robot uses motion sensors to make sure it moves just the right amount. Source: www.howstuffworks.com


Human Arm, Robot Arm

Forearm

DOF 5 DOF 6

DOF 4

Elbow

DOF 3 Wrist Shoulder DOF 2

DOF 1


But what about the hand? The hand on a robot is the “end effector” or End Of Arm Tool (EOAT).

Suction Cups

Vacuum Gripper Source: emiplastics.com © ABB Group May 13, 2013 | Slide 31

Some less common applications Ten years ago, who would have thought that robots would be used to…..


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Milk cows

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Put books away in a library

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Put icing on cookies for the holidays

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The medical and surgical field such as grinding of hip replacements

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The accurate positioning of humans for medical treatment and testing

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The filleting of fish,

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The cutting of meat

What are robots used for today? Common Uses 

Standard manufacturing systems for Manufacturing 

In Automotive body shops - Welding

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Paint shops

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Assembly

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Material handling

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Arc welding

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Palletizing applications

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Picking, Packaging and Palletizing applications in the Food industry

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Robotic cells, stations and systems to produce parts for small subassemblies to larger systems for framing on the main assembly.

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Variety of applications performing dispensing


From Here to…..


To NOW


The 10 good reasons to invest in robots 1.

Reduce operating costs

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Improve product quality & consistency

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Improve quality of work for employees

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Increase production output rates

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Increase product manufacturing flexibility

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Reduce material waste and increase yield

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Comply with safety rules and improve workplace health & safety

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Reduce labour turnover and difficulty of recruiting workers

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Reduce capital costs (inventory, work in progress)

10. Save space in high value manufacturing areas Based on research carried out by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) Published in World Robotics 2005 © ABB Group May 13, 2013 | Slide 36

Reason 1 – Reduce operating costs


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Robots can help you to reduce both your direct costs and your overhead costs

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Robots eliminate the costs associated with manual workers in terms of wages, training, health and safety, holidays and employee administration

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Energy Efficiency. With no requirement for minimum lighting or heating levels, robots offer a great opportunity to reduce your energy bills

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Current estimates point to a potential saving of 8% for every 1°C reduction in heating levels, while savings of up to 20% can be achieved by turning off unnecessary lighting

Reason 1 – Reduce operating costs Client AFC Stamping and Production, Inc Dayton, Ohio

Application – Welding Source of finished manufacturing for power sports frame components, automotive tubular components, and automotive stampings with weld components System installed by ABB US

“The low cost of the U2 cell was easily justified with the cost savings we were able to achieve.” Jon Lambert, AFC © ABB Group May 13, 2013 | Slide 38

Key Drivers & Benefits  Achieve quick change tooling & handling  Eliminated customer rejections for missing, incomplete or non-compliant welds  Labour cost reduction in the first year $64,000  Savings expected to be maintained over the next two and a half years

Reason 2 – Improve product quality & consistency 

Robots can help ensure consistently high quality output of products and control of manufacturing processes

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No risk of errors caused by human factors such as tiredness, distraction or the effects of repetitive and tedious tasks

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Process control can be integrated with the robot

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Inherent accuracy and repeatability means a high quality finish for every product produced


Reason 2 – Improve product quality & consistency Client Dolphin Casting (Subsidiary of Karsten Mfg) Phoenix, Arizona

Application – Casting Provides investment castings for the sporting goods industry, specifically casting putter and iron heads for PING products System installed by Vulcan Engineering

“Robots have improved the quality of life for our work force, while producing reasonable production processes.” Pete Poleon, Dolphin Casting © ABB Group May 13, 2013 | Slide 40

Key Drivers & Benefits  Improved output quality  Significantly reduced waste and cycle times  Improved work flow  Limited the production variation  Improved ergonomic demands on employees  Allowed company to stay ahead of the global marketplace competition

Reason 3 – Improve quality of work for employees 

Robots can help you improve staff working conditions

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Can take over tasks in dusty, hot or hazardous environments

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Staff motivation can also be improved by retraining staff to use robots – provides chance to learn valuable programming skills and do work that is more stimulating


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3 – Improve quality of work for employees

Client Franklin Bronze and Alloy Inc. Franklin, Pennsylvania

Application – Materials Handling Investment casting of precision parts in brass, bronze, aluminium, stainless steel and nickel-based alloys System installed by ABB USA

Key Drivers & Benefits “We’re increasing our moulds by 30% to 40% with the same amount of people, and there is still a lot of capacity left.” Kevin Weaver, Franklin Bronze and Alloy

 Reduction of man-hours from 56 to 32 per day  Mould production up 60%  Improvement of shell quality  Return on investment in 2.5 years  Cleaner environment for employees & reduction in physical stress Movie available on abb.com/robotics

Reason 4 – Increase production output rates 

Robots can be left running long shifts, overnight and during weekends with little supervision

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Enables true 24 hour production to increase output levels and meet client order deadlines

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No disruptions to production from breaks, sickness, lapse of concentration or human error

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Performs routine functions to fine tolerances reducing rejects & scrap rates

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New products can be introduced faster & production begin earlier

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Programming of new products can be done off-line without disrupting production


Reason 4 – Increase production output rates Client NECCO Revere, Massachusetts

Application - Packaging Boxing Sweethearts Valentine Conversation Hearts System installed by JLS Automation

“The ABB robots have increased throughput, reduced costs and we have been able to automate the entire process.” Maribel Caban, NECCO © ABB Group May 13, 2013 | Slide 44

Key Drivers & Benefits  Increase in production, doubled or quadrupled  Labour costs significantly reduced  Created a continuous process for packaging  Introduction of new product made seamless  Ability to handle varied packaging configurations

Reason 5 – Increase product manufacturing flexibility


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Robots can provide flexibility to your production line

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Once the processes you require are programmed into the robot controller, you can easily switch from one process to another

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Enables you to maximize your investment by using robotics equipment to accommodate many product variants or for more than one process

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Ability to respond to fast changing customer demands & peak load requirements

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Vision guidance technologies can accommodate variations in products, processes & work place

Reason 5 – Increase product manufacturing flexibility Client Chrysler Belvidere, IL

Application – Body Shop Switch between the assembly of cars and small SUVs with minimal interference to production System installed by ABB Robotics US

“Belvidere is a true one line, high volume, flexible facility.” Frank Ewasyshyn, Chrysler


Key Drivers & Benefits  Shortened installation time  Increased line utilization  One line, three model, high volume flexible facility  Flexible system thanks to inexpensive model changeovers or separate lines for each vehicle

Reason 6 – Reduce material waste and increased yield 

Improved accuracy from using robots means you can have more products finished first time to the quality standard demanded by your customers

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Also reduces the amount of waste produced as a result of poor-quality or inconsistent handling or finishing

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With products being produced to consistently high quality levels - rejects & scrap are eliminated and yields increased


Reason 6 – Reduce material waste and increased yield Client Chabot Carrosserie Montmagny, Quebec, Canada

Application – Paint Painting of plastics components for recreational vehicles System installed by Prodevco Industries

Key Drivers & Benefits “The installation of these robots were key to our survival.” Stephane Poliquin, Chabot Carrosserie © ABB Group May 13, 2013 | Slide 48

 50% reduction on material waste  Material savings of 35%  45% reduction in paint and finishing personnel combined  Line speed from 3.5 feet per minute expected to go to 4.5 feet per minute after optimization  29% gain in productivity

Reason 7 - Comply with safety rules & improve H&S


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Robots can take over unpleasant, arduous or healththreatening tasks currently undertaken by people

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Robots can decrease the likelihood of accidents caused by contact with machine tools or other potentially hazardous production machinery or processes

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Can also help to eliminate ailments associated with repetitive or intensive processes, e.g. repetitive strain injuries (RSI) and vibration white finger

Reason 7 - Comply with safety rules & improve H&S Client The Great Canadian Bean Company London, Ontario, Canada

Application – Palletizing Placing 25-50kg sacks of dry beans onto a pallet in order to ship to the international market System installed by Automation Project group

“Prior to using the robot, the employees were very skeptical that it could do the job. Now, they can’t imagine how they ever loaded all the pallets without it.” Bill MacLean, The Great Canadian Bean Company


Key Drivers & Benefits  Increased productivity – delivers more products in a shorter amount of time  The number of workplace injuries has been reduced to zero  Easy to program and operate robot  Reduced labor costs

Reason 8 - Reduce labour turnover 

Highly skilled manual workers are becoming harder to find and more expensive to employ

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Robots can provide an ideal alternative. Once programmed, they can begin work with none of the costs associated with recruitment, induction or ongoing training

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Robots often come with hard to find process skills “built in”

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Also offer greater flexibility, both in terms of work patterns and ability to adapt to different production tasks

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Robots love the jobs that people hate to do. Their “motivation” levels are always high


Reason 8 - Reduce labour turnover Client White Castle Louisville, KY

Application – Packaging Switch from labour intensive manual packaging to using robots programmed to package two 3-packs or club packs. System installed by ABB US

“The FlexPicker is a fantastic, highquality product and exactly what we have been looking for to help us.” Tony McGraw, White Castle


Key Drivers & Benefits  Productivity of packaging line increased significantly  Reduced the number of training sessions, making the staff more productive  Work conditions for employees have improved without loss of jobs Movie available on abb.com/robotics

Reason 9 - Reduce capital costs

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With robots you can reduce the cost of consumables used and reduce wastage

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Less manual labour can also mean fewer costs relating to sickness, accidents and insurance


Reason 9 - Reduce capital costs Client Injection Technology Corporation Arden, North Carolina

Application - Plastics Custom moulder for precision plastic parts such as electric meter cover, dental appliance cases and spools System installed by ACS

“It makes our customers’ jobs easier. We can meet their demands, and we can maintain prices on our products in a time of rising material prices.” Van Durham, Itech © ABB Group May 13, 2013 | Slide 54

Key Drivers & Benefits  Reduced man hours by 45%  Reduced cycle time by 23%  Added capacity to mould other products on same machine  Return on investment in less than 8 months compared to the usual 2 years

Reason 10 - Space savings


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Robots can be mounted on walls floors, shelves & ceilings – resulting in space saving cell design

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Can also be programmed to work in confined spaces so you don’t lose valuable floor space

Reason 10 - Space savings Client Azimuth Three Enterprises (AZ3) Brampton, Ontario, Canada Application – Custom Steel Fabrication

Value added treatment of beams, including cutting holes in beams and then cutting the beams themselves System installed by Burlington Automation

Key Drivers & Benefits “The more steel you pump out of here, the more money you make, the more you cut your overhead.” Jean G. Diab, AZ3 © ABB Group May 13, 2013 | Slide 56

 Reduces material-handling shop space and simplifies shop layout  Increases speed and accuracy  Reduces both capital and maintenance costs  Cleaner shop that is more agreeable to work in  Boosts shop productivity

Summary - The 10 good reasons to invest in robots 1.

Reduce operating costs

2.

Improve product quality & consistency

3.

Improve quality of work for employees

4.

Increase production output rate

5.

Increase product manufacturing flexibility

6.

Reduce material waste and increase yield

7.

Comply with safety rules and improve workplace health & safety

8.

Reduce labour turnover and difficulty of recruiting workers

9.

Reduce capital costs

10.

Save space in high value manufacturing areas

Based on research carried out by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) Published in World Robotics 2005 For more information and the name of your local ABB contact visit www.abb.com/robotics © ABB Group May 13, 2013 | Slide 57
