Now is the Time to Invest in Robotic Automation
Robotic automation solutions aren’t anything new in industrial markets. Countless manufacturers, distributors, and others put these systems and their supporting software and technology to work every day. Benefits include increasing throughput, reducing waste, increasing efficiency, eliminating manual efforts, driving safety performance, increasing uptime, and more.
However, according to a recent survey covering the use of robotics among the readers of Automation World, only 45% of respondents stated that their facilities and processes make use of robotic automation solutions. From this report, it’s clear that there is a significant opportunity for companies to consider the value of investing in this technology for their own operations.
While consideration must be given to calculating the total cost of ownership (TCO) and the application(s) for such an investment, there are a variety of robotic automation solutions available for different needs. Here, we’ll cover a few of these solutions, the benefits they offer to companies looking to implement more sophisticated solutions into their production chain, and how customization of those systems enables even greater results.
Already done your research? Explore our full line of robotic automation options here, then contact us to discuss your specific application requirements.
3 Examples of Robotic Automation Solutions to Take Your Production to the Next Level
Robotic Bin Picking Equipment
One of the most manual processes in any production environment is the loading and unloading of various bins, totes, and other containers. While you may need workers to manually place and remove these bins from a cycle, the process of actually adding to or emptying their contents can be completely automated thanks to robotic automation. This takes the form of robotic bin picking equipment.
Even if you already have bin picking equipment, traditional industrial robots can be extremely slow — leading to long cycle times, speed-of-vision recognition issues, inability to recognize random parts, potential collision and damage issues, and failure to clear bins in the time allotted. These are just some of the many challenges associated with outdated bin-picking robots. But thanks to Smart Bin Technology™, bin picking units can more quickly, accurately, and efficiently identify and handle parts — eliminating the need for this work to be handled manually and reducing its associated costs, safety risks, and impact on your bottom line.
The Feedall difference: Our robotic automation equipment is designed with your users and end goals in mind. Explore robotic bin picking technology solutions.
Automation Part Pick-and-Place Units
As part of a continuous operation, your environment may have a need for part presentation to feed robotic pick-and-place units. This is often one of the most needed solutions for part feeder and conveyor systems, as it enables a variety of parts to be fed through the system and eventually be picked off the line by a robotic unit.
What’s key to success here is designing a completely integrated and efficient system that not only feeds parts at the appropriate rate and configuration but also features the required end-of-arm tooling (EOAT). This ensures that the robotic unit is able to retrieve the part from the system without any issues that might arise due to its shape, size, feed rate, and so on.
The Feedall difference: In addition to manufacturing pick-and-place solutions, we also manufacture all EOAT to support the efficient transfer of parts from the system to a robotic unit. Learn more about our robotic automation for pick-and-place units.
Part Gauges and Inspection Machinery
One of the keys to high-quality part production is dimension gauging. This is achieved through robotic automation solutions like part gauges and inspection machinery. Using these systems, automated processes can be configured to include a wide variety of part quality and dimensional data. These systems evaluate parts moving through a production process and communicate important data about parts to enterprise systems, enabling alerts for quality issues and also communicating with processes and equipment upstream to address issues that might be the cause of the quality concerns.
There are a variety of dimensional gauging solutions available depending on your parts and production process, speed, etc. One example is a laser gauge, which uses a laser to provide some measurement on parts passing through it — typically on a conveyor system. What’s key to look for here is that the gauging and inspection equipment be integrated in-line, ensuring that they’re part of the complete system and providing data rapidly and accurately.
The Feedall difference: In partnership with customers and system integrators, we manufacture a variety of dimensional gauging and inspection equipment to ensure your processes are as efficient as possible. Learn more about them here.
When It Comes to Robotic Automation, Customization is Key
While there are ample solutions available, it’s essential that any robotic automation equipment used in your production process be as tailored to your parts, processes, existing systems, and overall production goals as possible. This ensures that you realize the maximum benefit not only in your production line but on your bottom line as well.
At Feedall Automation, we’ve been designing, manufacturing, and supporting a variety of industrial automation equipment since 1946. Our team understands what it takes to deliver a highly customized, successful robotic automation solution for your industry — whether you’re in automotive, general manufacturing, or any other industry where any number and type of parts are moving at a rapid pace and where quality and consistency are paramount.
Connect with us today to experience more than 70 years of excellence.