Welcome to Part Two of a collaborative blog with DIY Robotics and Exact Automation. In Part One, we touched on some topics and questions regarding an automation investment. If you are interested in Part One, please feel free to visit the page here: https://exact-usa.com/future-evolution-of-an-automated-production-line/

In this part, we will answer frequent questions about robotic cells and explain how robotic equipment is an excellent solution to increase the overall efficiency of a workplace. There are a wide range of products, models, and equipment available to automate a production procedure. However, integrating robotic equipment onto a product floor is not an easy or straight-forward task. Many steps and precautions need to be taken before choosing the right equipment for the job. It is important to ensure you have correct information to ensure great fit for the automated equipment on your production floor. At DIY Robotics, we provide detailed product pages, an easy contact service, as well as an online forum to provide all the knowledge our customers may inquire about our products.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is our product more durable than other mobile products?

Other mobile products are often constructed using aluminium to ensure a lightweight mobile product. Some products also provide full customizability at the expense of its stability and structure. Although easily moveable, these cells shake during the movement of the robot and are not strong enough for full speed industrial applications. Thankfully, our robotic cells are crafted with durable materials to ensure our product is robust and avoids vibrations and movements caused by the robot. We have a variety of cells available for different sizes of robots, each constructed to provide the necessary stability the robot requires in order to operate at its maximum speed.

Why is modularity/mobility a benefit?

DIY Cells WheelIn terms of modularity, our robotic cells can be configured by our experts according to your needs. Since a robotic cell would be interacting with other equipment or stations, it is incredibly important to ensure its composition is compatible with its surroundings. Examples include adding passages for a conveyor, openings to take products from a molding machine, doors for easy maintenance, etc. On a similar note, our cells can also be re-customized to work at another station or with another machine.

With regards to mobility, processes and layouts of production floors change often. Equipment may need to be altered, relocated, or installed. Traditional robotic equipment is bolted to the ground and may consume large amounts of time to install or move. Since our cells are completely mobile and preassembled, it takes a fraction of the time. This saved time can be reinvested into an earlier production which will increase efficiency. Similarly, if more cells need to be added to an assembly line, the installation time would be minimal.

Is it just a box around a robot?

DIY Robotics cells provide so much more than that; our cells are equipped with essential components like e-stops, control panels, tower lights, etc. As stated above, our cells are completely mobile and modular and provide a huge range of benefits for any industry. In other words, our cells are specifically designed to grow and adapt to any business. Depending on the selected product or model, our cells can accommodate a range of robot sizes, come equipped with dependable robots, or provide other features required by your projects. Moreover, each DIY Robotic Classic or Advanced cells come with a program base to ease their integration into a production line.

INCLUDED PROGRAMS

  • Background logic programs for alarms, lights, locking sequence and timers for the general work of the robotic cell;
  • Two HMI pages; one for the general work of the cell and one for the product selection;
  • 10 programs associated to the product selection HMI page;
  • The cell is programmed to be operated with 3 buttons (stop, reset, start). It starts the main program that calls the selected product;
  • One homing program selectable by a macro.

If you would also like more information regarding our cells and how they grow and adapt with your business, feel free to visit the blog post that addresses the topic: https://diy-robotics.com/blog/how-diy-robotics-cells-can-grow-with-your-business/.

Will my products fit in the cell?

DIY Robotics offers a range of robotic cells each with its own workspace capable of supporting different robots and payloads. Each of our models on our website displays the cell dimensions to allow our customers to ensure they find the right cell capable of working with their products. The cell walls are also customizable to better interact with external equipment within your production floor.

Aren’t the wheels too fragile for such a large weight?

Each of our robotic cells is equipped with industrial-grade wheels capable of supporting a load much larger than the cell, robot, and payload combined. Based on the model chosen, the following list displays the load capacities of each cell:

Model Average Weight Overall Capacity
Astro-33 261 kg (575 lbs) 500 kg (1102 lbs)
Astro-53 750 kg (1650 lbs) 500 kg (1102 lbs)
Astro-66 2250 kg (4950 lbs) 1100 kg (2425 lbs)
Comet-33 340 kg (750 lbs) 500 kg (1102 lbs)
Comet-44 590 kg (1330 lbs) 500 kg (1102 lbs)
Satellite-55 1111 kg (2450 lbs) 600 kg (1322 lbs)
Satellite-66 1293 kg (2850 lbs) 600 kg (1322 lbs)

Will the cell move when the robot operates at high speeds?

Our robotic cells are carefully designed and constructed to negate vibrations and movement during a robot’s operation. This is due to the rigid and strong characteristics of the cell’s frame as well as the secure leveling pads. Effectively, the robotic cell acts as if it is bolted to the ground.

Is robotics only for big industries?

Robotic equipment can be seen in any sized industry which is looking to increase its production efficiency. At DIY Robotics, our aim is to facilitate all industry sizes. In fact, our robotic cells are well suited for medium to small industries that are looking to integrate robotic equipment for the first time or want to increase their robotic arsenal. This is due to the affordability as well as the modularity and mobility of our cells. As stated above, our cells can be relocated, customized, and reprogramed to perform any automated task without the hassle of a full uninstall.

How much time/money can a DIY cell save me in my project vs. standard robotics?

Standard robotics are often open systems which have limits to their movement speeds due to the hazard they present to their surroundings. Therefore, they often require fencing, or large amounts of floor space just to operate effectively and safely. By creating a private workspace for a robot via a DIY Robotics cell, it can operate at higher speeds without risking human injury. This increases the overall efficiency of a production floor better than a standard robot. Hence, time and money will be better utilized by a robot with a work cell.

For companies and industries who are integrating robotic equipment to their production floors for the first time, or reworking their production layouts will have to plan a shutdown in order to achieve a smooth installation. This process can be incredibly lengthy. If it is not performed correctly, the amount of time, money, and effort will be unexpectedly large due to the halt in production. Standard robotic equipment is traditionally installed by bolting it directly to the ground for a more permanent solution. If the equipment needs to be moved or replaced, it would need to be uninstalled similarly. This process is much longer than the installation of a robotic cell. DIY Robotics cells come pre-built and are completely module. These aspects reduce installation time greatly and allow the robot to be moved with ease in the case of unexpected errors, or if the equipment is needed elsewhere. This allows factories to produce their products sooner which in turn will save them a great deal money.

How do I manage external interaction with the DIY cell in my project?

External interaction can be effectively managed on both the hardware and software sides of our robotic cells. As stated above, the modularity of our cells allows for customization of the robot’s environment. Unique doors and openings can be added to allow external devices like conveyors, other robots, and CNC machines to be installed alongside the robotic cell in a safe and effective manner. Our cells are equipped with Euromap connectors to allow communication with external machines (like injection molders) for a joint custom application. Our DIY Classic and DIY Advanced options also come equipped with a FANUC or ABB robot which is fully compatible with CNC programming via the teach pendant, or installed software.

Conclusion

To conclude, our robotic cells provide an excellent solution or addition to any automated production floor. This equipment increases overall efficiency and can save an industry a large sum of money, allowing for a quick return on investment. As stated above, this blog is Part Two of a collaborative blog with Exact Automation. If you would like to view Part One, please visit this website: https://exact-usa.com/future-evolution-of-an-automated-production-line/. This blog post also only covered a few questions regarding our robotic cells. If you have any other inquiries about our products and their capabilities, please feel free to visit our product page for more specific information, or contact us and we will put you in touch with an expert on the subject.

References