Robotic cells are streamlined, efficient, highly complex machines capable of providing advanced technical solutions. Each cell is tailored to a company’s unique production needs. They are customizable and easy to integrate into your workflow at many different insertion points. Robotic Work cells may be one of the best improvements you can make to your manufacturing business.
What Is a Robotic Cell?
Robotic Work cells, or just robotic cells, contain all of the tools and end-effectors required to perform a specified task or series of tasks. Think of them as automated, fully-housed robots pre-loaded with precisely what they need for each stage of your automation process. Work cells are designed and equipped to handle tasks at numerous points in your assembly line. Robotic cells can be fitted with sensors, grippers, conveyors, and various safeguarding measures like fencing and emergency stop controls.
What Are the Assets of a Robotic Cell?
Work cells are set up to allow robots to operate at peak efficiency and performance. Everything is designed so that the robot can do its job as quickly as possible and with a high level of consistency. Enhanced speed and throughput translates to higher productivity and less down-time.
Safety is also an important asset of a robotic cell. Cells can come equipped with light curtains, e-stops, fencing, and other safeguards to keep employees safe while working within the robot’s vicinity. Speed barriers cease to be necessary because the robot is safely housed within a cellular compartment. The increase in speed equates to an increase in productivity and up-time.
Versatility
Robotic Work cells may only contain one robot. However, this is far from the limit of their capacity. Robotic cells are capable of housing multiple industrial robots. Since Work cells can accommodate various components of differing sizes, weight, and configuration, there are many possible automation solutions achievable by each unit. And while conventional thinking might suggest that adding more tools and sensors would take up more space, the robotic cell maintains the same footprint even when tooling or tasks are added or changed.
Conventional industrial robots are often fixed in place with a security perimeter. Consequently, they are typically dedicated to a single task and location. Conventional industrial robots have large footprints and create downtime when moved in the assembly line.
DIY-Robotics cells, on the other hand, offer swift and straightforward retasking. You can quickly move our robotic cells in and out of your production line. With a simple change in the tooling, you can use the same unit for multiple applications. That is the definition of versatility.
Reduce Direct Labor Costs
The cost of hiring and retaining a person to handle multiple manufacturing operations can add up over the years. A robotic cell, however, provides savings in a relatively short time. Not only does this reduce the cost of human labor, but it can also free up workers to take over higher-order processes such as programming and engineering.
What are the Operations a Robot Cell Can Do?
The most frequent task assigned to robotic cells is pick-and-place. However, this says more about industry need than the robot’s capabilities. Robotic cells can be equipped to handle numerous tasks and provide an enormous variety of automation improvements. Some of the primary tasks a robotic Work cell can handle are:
- Sorting
- Assembling
- Deburring
- Painting
- Finishing and polishing
- Welding (arc welding, spot welding, etc.)
- CNC machine tending
Pick-and-place operations are easy to notice, as they are often placed at the beginning or end of assembly lines. But don’t be fooled into thinking that’s all robotic cells can do. Work cells can handle a significant number of your automation needs, more than what’s included in the list above.
Conclusion:
The purchase of a robotic cell might seem to be a costly investment for some small to medium-sized businesses. However, if we look at the numerous advantages that robotic cells bring to production, we realize that the return on investment makes it a worthwhile purchase. A robot cell is a guarantee of fast and seamless improvements to your automation processes. For more information on robotics cells, check out our product page at DIY-Robotics.com. You can also test-drive our virtual “FANUC Build Your Own Cell” configurator to create the ideal cell for your business.
