Robot integrators: grip force, on-site tuning, too few engineers

Grippers use a fixed grip force

What happens. A gripper closes with a force that was set once. Light, fragile parts get crushed by it, and heavy or slippery ones slip when the arm accelerates. Mixed products need different forces and nobody changes the setting between them.

What it costs. Damaged parts, dropped parts and a robot that is slowed so that nothing slips. Safety margins on the force wear the gripper.

Why the usual fix fails. A force sensor in the finger adds cost and wiring and still needs a good rule. Setting the force high is the usual, safe choice for the heaviest part.

How a fixed-price remote diagnosis checks it. From gripper motor current, finger position, arm accelerations and the weights of parts, I check whether the grip force can be estimated and adapted to each part without a new sensor. The fixed-price remote diagnosis tells you what is feasible.

Background: Computed measurements

Each cell is tuned on the customer's site

What happens. A robot cell is delivered and then tuned on site: paths, speeds, force limits, handling of this customer’s parts. The integrator sends engineers for days, and the real behaviour only shows once the cell is installed.

What it costs. Travel, hotel and engineer time on every project, a start-up that is later than promised and a customer who waits for production.

Why the usual fix fails. Testing on the integrator’s own floor helps if the same parts and fixtures are there. A hotline cannot see inside the cell.

How a fixed-price remote diagnosis checks it. From the cell design, the robot and drive data and the commissioning notes of past cells, I check which settings could be prepared on a model, and what could be done by remote support later. The fixed-price remote diagnosis tells you how much on-site time could be saved.

Background: Replacing hand-tuned parameter tables by a model

Small manufacturers want automation, but cell programmers are missing

What happens. Small and medium-sized firms want to automate with robots but have no robot expertise of their own. Programmers for industrial controllers are in short supply, and many experienced production staff will retire within a few years.

What it costs. Cells that are bought and not used to capacity, integrators with a queue of projects and commissioning that waits for the one engineer who can do it.

Why the usual fix fails. Courses are slow and give the basics, not the experience of a difficult cell. Hiring a full-time expert is not possible for a small firm.

How a fixed-price remote diagnosis checks it. From the planned application, the cell design and the control programs you have, I check which engineering and commissioning work can be done remotely or in a fixed scope. The fixed-price remote diagnosis tells you what outside capacity would cover.