Background Research
"An
industrial robot is defined by ISO 8373 as an automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose manipulator
programmable in three or more axes."
The most important component of a production line has shifted dramatically from human labour to automated machinery over the last 30 years. In search of greater efficiency, reduction in costs and greater safety, machines have replaced humans in many tasks in the modern factory. Coming at the cost of lost jobs for humans these factories are often at the cutting edge of technology as they create machinery that can replicate the operations performed by their human predecessors.
One of the most important pieces of machinery in the modern production line is the robotic arm that can be adapted to perform a multitude of tasks. Including the positioning of components, the tightening of bolts, machining of materials, or adjusting features, the modern robotic arm can do what humans were doing only quicker and with greater accuracy. The principal advantages of robotic arms in the workplace are as follows:
Cost Effectiveness - By replacing employees with robots, automobile production lines have increased output up to threefold while saving millions of dollars in the process. While some humans are still required, the robotic equipment don’t lunch breaks, have sick days, take holidays and leave while working up to 24 hours a day performing the same mind numbing task over and over. While balanced out somewhat by maintenance costs and breakdowns, the technology far outperforms its human counterparts.
Job Efficiency – Robots are able to perform the same task with unerring repetition and without error inducing fatigue. This is beyond human expectations and provides highly sought after reliability in production. This includes being able to perform highly skilled and precise tasks with incredible accuracy and speed.
Safety - With the accuracy and independence of robotics, the workplace becomes much safer in what is a potentially very dangerous environment. The removal of humans from exposure to heat, air based chemicals and physical interaction with heavy machinery creates massive safety gains. Eliminating the impact of fatigue and concentration are equally beneficial. Even repetitive strain injuries are removed. Robots are obviously far safer than humans.
Cost Effectiveness - By replacing employees with robots, automobile production lines have increased output up to threefold while saving millions of dollars in the process. While some humans are still required, the robotic equipment don’t lunch breaks, have sick days, take holidays and leave while working up to 24 hours a day performing the same mind numbing task over and over. While balanced out somewhat by maintenance costs and breakdowns, the technology far outperforms its human counterparts.
Job Efficiency – Robots are able to perform the same task with unerring repetition and without error inducing fatigue. This is beyond human expectations and provides highly sought after reliability in production. This includes being able to perform highly skilled and precise tasks with incredible accuracy and speed.
Safety - With the accuracy and independence of robotics, the workplace becomes much safer in what is a potentially very dangerous environment. The removal of humans from exposure to heat, air based chemicals and physical interaction with heavy machinery creates massive safety gains. Eliminating the impact of fatigue and concentration are equally beneficial. Even repetitive strain injuries are removed. Robots are obviously far safer than humans.
Robotics used in the industry have evolved from the early efforts of the pioneer Griffith P. Taylor who built “the earliest known industrial robot, conforming to the ISO definition” almost entirely using Meccano parts, featuring five degrees of freedom and being powered by a single electric motor.
Industrial robotics took off quite quickly in Europe, with companies ABB Robotics and KUKA Robotics bringing robots to the market in 1973. ABB Robotics introduced IRB 6, among the world's first commercially available all electric micro-processor controlled robot. Over the next 40 years, massive physical and technological gains have led to significant achievements in replicating human movements. The evolution of technology has also benefited the robotics allowing greater freedom of movements and accuracy of operations. Now entire production lines such as in the automobile industry are operated with a minimal number of workers and a large number of diverse robots. Some lines are even able to work under ‘lights out’ conditions in which no workers need to be present for the assembly line to be completed. As a result of this, many humans have unfortunately lost their jobs but the progress that has occurred is in many ways equal to what occurred in something as significant as the industrial revolution.
As mentioned above, key design features have been enhanced in robots that has allowed for their wide spread introduction. These specific features can be looked at under a range of definitions. These definitions are:
Industrial robotics took off quite quickly in Europe, with companies ABB Robotics and KUKA Robotics bringing robots to the market in 1973. ABB Robotics introduced IRB 6, among the world's first commercially available all electric micro-processor controlled robot. Over the next 40 years, massive physical and technological gains have led to significant achievements in replicating human movements. The evolution of technology has also benefited the robotics allowing greater freedom of movements and accuracy of operations. Now entire production lines such as in the automobile industry are operated with a minimal number of workers and a large number of diverse robots. Some lines are even able to work under ‘lights out’ conditions in which no workers need to be present for the assembly line to be completed. As a result of this, many humans have unfortunately lost their jobs but the progress that has occurred is in many ways equal to what occurred in something as significant as the industrial revolution.
As mentioned above, key design features have been enhanced in robots that has allowed for their wide spread introduction. These specific features can be looked at under a range of definitions. These definitions are:
· Numbers of Axes – This is the number of planes or dimensions a robotic arm can move in e.g. two axes means 2 dimensions of movement (up/down, left/right). The more axes a robotic arm can move in, the more freedom it has to reach objects within an area (hence why it also known as degrees of freedom).
· Degrees of freedom – A definition of how many axes of movement a robotic arm has i.e. 3 motors would equal 3 degrees of freedom. This is the same as the number of axes. |
· Compliance – This is a measure of the angle or distance off a robot axis will move when carrying a load e.g. There is a tendency to undershoot a desired position because of the weight, or to overshoot the movement for the same reason.
· Kinematics – This is the arrangement of the members of the robotic arm, which ultimately determines its physical movements e.g. our robot design had 3 degrees of freedom so it could theoretically reach any position, but the orientation of the motors restricted movement.
· Working envelope – This is a definition of the physical space a robot can reach.
· Payload – The maximum weight a robot can carry.
· Speed – How fast a robot can move in an axis
· Acceleration – How fast a robot can reach its top speed.
· Accuracy – How close a robot can move to a position, measured in a distance from the desired position.
· Repeatability – How well a robot can return to a programmed position, measured in a distance from the initially recorded location.
· Motor – What type of motors are used in the arm e.g. electric or hydraulic
· Drive – How the motor controls the member i.e. how they are connected. Could be connected directly or via gears.
· Motion Control – Whether or not the arm is controlled by a user, or driven by programming acting by itself.
· Kinematics – This is the arrangement of the members of the robotic arm, which ultimately determines its physical movements e.g. our robot design had 3 degrees of freedom so it could theoretically reach any position, but the orientation of the motors restricted movement.
· Working envelope – This is a definition of the physical space a robot can reach.
· Payload – The maximum weight a robot can carry.
· Speed – How fast a robot can move in an axis
· Acceleration – How fast a robot can reach its top speed.
· Accuracy – How close a robot can move to a position, measured in a distance from the desired position.
· Repeatability – How well a robot can return to a programmed position, measured in a distance from the initially recorded location.
· Motor – What type of motors are used in the arm e.g. electric or hydraulic
· Drive – How the motor controls the member i.e. how they are connected. Could be connected directly or via gears.
· Motion Control – Whether or not the arm is controlled by a user, or driven by programming acting by itself.