Suitable peripherals for cobots
Cobots are the perfect assistants in both warehouses and production workshops. They support staff when it comes to monotonous tasks, working continuously and reproducing the same effect time and again. However, they can only be perfectly integrated into a variety of application areas if they have a suitable base structure. Thanks to modular building kit systems, these constructions can be created quickly and customised to suit changing requirements at any time.
In recent years, there has been a veritable boom in the lightweight robotics and cobot industry – and that boom is continuing. According to a study by Interact Analysis, the international market for cobots grew by 45 percent between 2020 and 2021. Furthermore, a sustained annual growth rate of almost 30 percent is expected over the next five years. Lightweight robots and cobots have been well established in many warehouses for a long time now. What’s more, they will not become any less important in the future, since they represent significant added value for companies.
Cobots – the perfect production assistants
The benefits of cobots are obvious. They can be used to automate a variety of processes with ease. They can also be programmed relatively quickly – extensive IT knowledge is not necessarily needed. In contrast to heavy-duty industrial robots, these lightweight robots need only a small amount of floor space, so they can even be used without any difficulty in manufacturing settings where space is limited. When equipped with a suitable base structure, they can also be conveniently moved when changes are made to manufacturing lines and be ready for use again in next to no time. Cobots are not only mobile, but can also be used 24/7, since robots don’t need breaks and can keep on working through the night shift, too. This is a major advantage, especially in view of the current and ongoing skills shortage. After all, many companies are manufacturing their products in single-shift operation due to staff shortages. At night, lightweight robots can work efficiently and also carry out preparations for the next day shift at the same time. This means optimum use can be made of system capacity and staff can work productively right from the start of their shift – with the cobots providing active support here, too. Ideally, robots will carry out the strenuous and monotonous tasks and help staff avoid the kinds of actions and movements that are ergonomically unsound.
Wide-ranging areas of application call for flexible solutions
The areas of application for cobots are exceptionally diverse. They are used for palletising and pick-and-place tasks, and there is also growing interest in robots for welding work, thanks to their ability to reproduce the same effect time and again. However, for cobots to work efficiently, they need to be perfectly adapted to the area of application in question. The base structure to which the robot is attached is of key importance here. The frame serving as the base structure not only needs to be compatible, but should ideally also be both flexible and modular. This means, on the one hand, that it can be used in different areas as required and, on the other hand, that it can meet the ever-changing needs of industry reliably and over the long term. If the cobot and its base frame can be easily integrated into all manufacturing lines, production can also resume immediately following a changeover.
Building Kit System – compatible, modular and comprehensive
The Building Kit System from item Industrietechnik, which comprises more than 4500 components, offers a construction kit for cobots that is exceptionally modular in nature. Based on aluminium profile technology, this kit offers everything needed to implement a variety of robotics applications. Versatile fastening techniques are used to screw the individual profiles together and create secure constructions. Preload on the flanks of the profile technology ensures that connections don’t lose their strength – even under the highest of loads. The constructions can be used for a variety of applications. In addition to mobile robot frames and modular robot tables, entire workstations and complex enclosures are also possible. Smaller modifications, such as incorporating additional handles so that a mobile solution can be easily moved around, can be made very quickly and can also be implemented retrospectively. Since aluminium is relatively lightweight, a single employee can move around mobile constructions that have swivel or jacking castors for transport purposes. This even applies to enclosed mobile robotics applications. All components in the Building Kit System are compatible with one another. Thanks to the use of fasteners that can be disassembled and the coordinated Building Kit System, the base frame of a standalone robotic solution can therefore be modified to suit new requirements.
Absolute scalability in next to no time
The compatibility of the item Building Kit System is one of its special advantages. “Customers invest in robotics because they want to automate and implement an application,” says Hannes Fröhlich, Robotics Product Manager at item Industrietechnik. “They also need compatible and suitable peripherals – but they generally only think about that once they have already decided on a particular cobot,” he continues. It is for this reason that item focuses particularly on customisable sample solutions and offers mounting plates for popular robot models from established manufacturers. Universal mounting plates that can be drilled with a custom pattern of holes are also available as an alternative. It is therefore easy to attach the cobot to the construction. There are many different sample solutions to choose from, including a basic module, mobile and stationary cobot columns, robot workstations, work benches and robot cabins. These designs can either be used as a source of inspiration or ordered directly. Customers can use the item Engineeringtool to easily adapt and customise a whole host of sample solutions to suit their specific requirements. With this online software, users can modify the dimensions of the constructions or add on their chosen components to expand them, depending on their needs. The base structures can therefore be reconfigured in just a few simple steps. When it comes to implementing complex projects, item brings in partners from its network of experts. “We are in constant communication with robot manufacturers to ensure we can offer customers a perfect complete system,” says Fröhlich. “We are therefore able to supply solutions that are really well thought out and tailored to the specific robot models,” he continues.
Highly flexible and stable – suitable for a wide range of applications
The item Building Kit System is ideal for creating the peripherals of lightweight robots and cobots. The maximum forces that are generated in the particular conditions of use for a robot are crucial for determining the stability and design of the construction as a whole. Critical factors include the total weight of the robot and its maximum load-carrying capacity and travel speed, taking into account leverage effects. “Even when the maximum forces are at play, the construction must come to a halt when the operator presses the emergency stop button – and the construction must therefore be designed accordingly,” Fröhlich explains. Thanks to their design, the aluminium profiles are lightweight, robust and universal – and these are important aspects when it comes to building base frames that are constantly having to meet different requirements. Adaptable fastening techniques and compatible components help companies remain flexible, even when processes change. In conclusion, the comprehensive Building Kit System from item Industrietechnik makes it possible to implement scalable systems safely and flexibly.
Length: 7798 characters including spaces
Date: 21 November 2023
Images: 6 (source: item)
Caption 1: Cobots are being used more and more often in industry, for example for pick-and-place tasks. For them to work efficiently, they need a base structure with a suitable frame.
Caption 2: Constructions from item can be used for a variety of applications. The frame serving as the base structure is not only compatible with many components from the Building Kit System, but is also ideal for modular, flexible use.
Caption 3: Since aluminium is relatively lightweight, a single employee can move around mobile constructions that have swivel or jacking castors for transport purposes.
Caption 4: The constructions can be used for a variety of applications. In addition to mobile robot frames and modular robot tables, entire workstations and complex enclosures are also possible.
Caption 5: At item, there is a focus on customisable sample solutions. Mounting plates are available that can be used to fix popular robot models from established manufacturers onto a base structure. Universal mounting plates that can be drilled with a custom pattern of holes are also available as an alternative.
Caption 6: Customers can use the item Engineeringtool to easily adapt and customise a whole host of sample solutions to suit their specific requirements.
