You watch a video of a palletizing robotic on-line. And also you suppose… is not that too sluggish!? What’s an appropriate palletizing robotic pace for a enterprise like yours?
It is simple to seek out movies of fast-moving robots. For instance, you may see a delta robotic shifting at lighting-quick speeds in a meals manufacturing setting. You can even discover loads of movies of high-volume palletizing automation in mass-production services.
While you see a collaborative robotic doing a activity like palletizing, it might appear to be a little bit of an anticlimax.
Collaborative robotic appear to maneuver slowly. Though the robots themselves can transfer as quick as many typical industrial robots, we often run them at a extra modest tempo. That is typically for security causes — slower shifting robots are safer round people. However, typically, you simply do not want your palletizing robotic to be shifting super-fast.
Let’s take a look on the reality about quick robots for palletizing.
Do you want an excellent quick robotic?
Individuals typically make a comparability between “laborious, quick industrial robots” vs “smooth, sluggish collaborative robots.”
In case your manufacturing is being held up by your palletizing activity, you may suppose, “We’ve plenty of bins to palletize and we have to do it rapidly! We should want the quickest palletizing robotic in the marketplace!”
The query you want to ask your self is… do you? Do you actually need the quickest palletizing robotic?
As human beings, we frequently equate pace with productiveness.
The issue is that working sooner would not essentially imply we get extra work performed. Slowing down can typically make us extra productive. That is true once we are working in our places of work and additionally it is true for robotic automation.
Having a slower palletizing robotic that works at a transparent, constant pace can really make your online business extra environment friendly.
Until you completely want a super-fast palletizing operation, sluggish and regular may simply win the race.
3 elements which can be extra necessary than cobot pace
If pace is not so necessary for a lot of palletizing duties… what’s necessary?
What elements do you have to prioritize as a substitute whenever you transfer to an automatic palletizing course of?
Listed below are 3 elements which can be no less than as necessary because the robotic’s pace… and possibly much more necessary:
1. Underutilization of human potential
There are 8 core wastes of any manufacturing course of. The primary 7 wastes are the identical as people who the Lean Manufacturing framework focuses on: transportation, ready, overproduction, defects, stock, motion, and further processing.
The eighth waste of producing is one that’s particular to robotics. It’s the underutilization of human potential. Palletizing as a job would not make one of the best use of the skills of your individuals. It is often way more useful to maneuver the individuals away from the handbook palletizing activity and onto extra rewarding, value-added jobs.
2. Context — consistency vs pace
Some individuals say that collaborative robots are sluggish. We are saying… in comparison with what?
Is the cobot slower than a human employee who works as quick as potential at their optimum degree? Sure, most likely.
Is the cobot slower than a human when they’re drained on the finish of a shift? Possibly, however most likely not.
Is the cobot slower than a human when they’re taking a lunch break or have gone dwelling for the day? Undoubtedly not!
The main good thing about utilizing a robotic for palletizing will not be about doing the duty rapidly. As a substitute, it’s about offering a constant palletizing operation. The robotic can obtain the identical pace and high quality for hours on finish.
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3. Your particular palletizing necessities
Maybe you want the quickest automated palleting resolution that cash should buy. In that case, you’re most likely a mass-production operation and it’s best to spend money on custom-built automation.
If your online business is like most, nevertheless, your palletizing wants can be extra modest.
Do you actually need all of your bins to be palletized in simply 20 minutes?
What’s going to the robotic do after it palletizes all of the bins?
Any time the robotic is sitting idle, it isn’t incomes a return on funding. It is necessary to be brutally reasonable about your necessities for the palletizing activity.
A greater solution to perceive robotic pace for palletizing
Including a palletizing robotic to your operations is all about attaining stability. You don’t need the robotic to be working at high pace for a brief interval, then collect mud for the remainder of the day. It is significantly better to be constant.
An additional benefit of getting a sluggish however constant robotic palletizing operation is that it might set the tempo for the remainder of your operation.
We’ve seen examples of firms the place including a palletizing robotic has prompted human employees to attempt to “sustain” with the robotic. As a result of the robotic wasn’t working at impossibly quick speeds, it inspired individuals to only barely increase their very own work pace. They ended up performing their duties extra persistently due to the robotic.
Begin with the palletizing robotic pace you actually need
As a substitute of fixating on the pace of the robotic, begin by wanting on the properties you’ll really want.
You may take a look at elements like:
- The dimensions of bins or objects for palletizing.
- The throughput you require persistently.
- The payload necessities of the palletizing robotic.
- The variety of simultaneous pallets you wish to fill.
- Different processing duties you need the robotic to do (e.g. sticking labels, sorting bins, monitoring objects).
It will also be useful to calculate the return on funding in your robotic palletizing in comparison with the handbook palletizing activity. This reveals one other perspective on the advantage of robotic palletizing that is not all in regards to the robotic’s instantaneous pace.
Take a look at our devoted palletizing web page for extra info.
What do you concentrate on the pace of palletizing robots? Inform us within the feedback beneath or be a part of the dialogue on LinkedIn, Twitter, Fb, or the DoF skilled robotics neighborhood.
