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Gearbox producer SEAT Componentes wanted to automate the unloading of 18,000 machined gears a day at its plant in Spain to ensure the standard of the elements. The corporate built-in 10 collaborative robots from Common Robots utilizing solely inner sources.
This method made it doable for SEAT to maintain know-how on cobot configuration in-house, eliminating further programming and upkeep prices. The do-it-yourself set up was executed with out altering the prevailing manufacturing unit structure, permitting new purposes to be configured in lower than 1 hour.
In consequence, the corporate has lowered errors, improved employee security, and now has a group ready to tackle new automation tasks.
The enterprise problem
SEAT is a producer of gearboxes for the Volkswagen Group vegetation in Europe, Asia, and America. It provides them for quite a lot of vehicles made by each Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT S.A., and Skoda.
At its plant in Barcelona, Spain, SEAT manufactures gearboxes, starting from the casting of the aluminum to the meeting of the housing, which accommodates gears, shafts, synchronizer, and the differential gearbox.
The corporate additionally performs the next high quality management. It’s a very specialised and complicated course of wherein high quality and precision are vital to ensure appropriate operation and noise discount of the gearbox.
Unloading the elements and making them out there for the gearbox meeting course of was carried out fully by hand with operators unloading and transporting the elements on trolleys. A course of SEAT needed to automate to scale back errors and enhance security.
“The purpose is to make sure that from the machining course of to meeting, the operator touches the half as little as doable,” defined Fonseca, senior supervisor of technical companies at SEAT.
Cobots to the rescue
SEAT’s upkeep group primarily based its automation strategy on expertise gained from an earlier venture from 2015 wherein it put in UR cobots at its shotblasting and washing stations. The corporate realized that cobots have been simple to put in, preserve, and combine with no need security measures reminiscent of fencing primarily based on carried out danger assessments.
Since utilizing cobots simplified and streamlined the shotblasting and washing course of, the group really useful integrating cobots once more to unload elements within the manufacture of gearboxes.
SEAT determined to combine 10 UR10e collaborative robots to hold out the unloading. The corporate may undertake that process with out the companies of an exterior integrator due to its earlier expertise with the cobots. This assured price financial savings each on the time of set up and in future upkeep duties.
Performing the combination of the UR cobots with SEAT’s sources concerned two levels of coaching and preparation. First, the SEAT Componentes Upkeep group skilled throughout the firm, beginning with the free UR Academy on-line coaching modules.
Second, the group carried out a pilot venture wherein it built-in an preliminary cobot.
![SEAT Componentes UR cobots](https://www.cobottrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1470x826.webp)
Cobots supply small footprint and ease of use
Throughout this pilot check, SEAT studied the prices and implementation intervals of a collaborative robotic, the security necessities that the know-how required, and the technical feasibility of the operation.
The cobots handed the check.
“We determined to make use of robots from Common Robots attributable to their simple programming and integration within the line, and above all due to their low footprint,” mentioned Francisco Pérez of the SEAT Componentes Upkeep Technical Workplace. “We have been capable of set up them with out altering the prevailing layouts, permitting the robots to work alongside the operator.
![Cobots aid in the gearbox manufacturing process. Source: Universal Robots](https://www.cobottrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1470x826-1.webp)
No mounted installations
The UR10e cobots at present serve 10 completely different machining strains. They aren’t mounted installations, however they’ll simply be tailored to mannequin modifications.
“In lower than 10 minutes, we are able to adapt a cobot to switch from unloading one half to a totally completely different part,” Francisco Pérez identified.
![UR robot arms transfer parts.](https://www.cobottrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1470x826-2.webp)
Elevated machine uptime
Utilizing the PROFINET protocol, the cobot communicates with the PLC and receives directions as to when there are already machined items in order that it might probably carry out the associated operation. When that’s the case, the cobot unloads the elements onto trays.
As soon as the tray is full, the PLC communicates with the autonomous cell robots (AMRs) to take away the complete tray and insert a brand new one, thereby minimizing machine stoppages.
![The programmable logic controller communicates with AMRs. Source: Universal Robots](https://www.cobottrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1470x826-3.webp)
Simply-in-time manufacturing eliminates surplus inventory
The AMR transports the elements to a warehouse that’s crammed simply in time based on manufacturing wants, avoiding surplus inventory and the prices these entail. Having reached this level, every thing is now prepared for the gearbox meeting line: The gears are positioned on a particular meeting tray, and thru a sequence of automated operations, the remaining gearbox elements are connected.
Inside this synchronized course of, the cobot complies with SEAT’s cycle occasions to realize the plant’s every day manufacturing targets.
![The UR cobot positions gears on a special tray. Source: Universal Robot](https://www.cobottrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1470x826-4.webp)
Cobot No. 11 used for testing and validation
A further eleventh UR10e has joined the cobot fleet on the SEAT plant. This robotic arm is meant for in-house coaching and is mounted on a cell platform to get near machines and work facilities.
The UR10e permits operators to familiarize themselves with programming collaborative robots. Moreover, it permits idea exams and validations of recent installations to be carried out earlier than their integration into the road.
![Collaborative robots also help with validation and testing.](https://www.cobottrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1470x826-5.webp)
3D printing of gripper fingers
One other key issue within the integration of UR cobots by SEAT is that the plant is self-sufficient in printing the “fingers” of the collaborative grippers, based on every want and the extent of safety required to take care of the security stage of the applying.
This makes it doable to have nearly rapid spares with out the necessity for inventory and to carry out idea exams in lower than 45 minutes, mentioned the corporate.
![The cobots work with 3D-printed fingers. Source: Universal Robots](https://www.cobottrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1470x826-6.webp)
Information of cobots stored in-house
“Performing integration in-house has allowed us to maintain the know-how of programming and integrating the cobots throughout the upkeep space, which implies that throughout any stoppages, we will be extra decisive and the prices of machine downtime are decrease,” mentioned Manuel Gómez, upkeep supervisor at SEAT Elements.
![SEAT uses the Robotiq 2F-140 gripper and Zimmer Group collaborative gripper. Source: Universal Robots](https://www.cobottrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1470x826-7.webp)
Intuitive gripper configuration
This ease when adapting to manufacturing was strengthened with the intuitive configuration of the cobots and their peripherals, licensed via the UR+ platform.
“We have now been capable of implement purposes in lower than one hour,” Francisco Pérez emphasised. Furthermore, SEAT Elements can implement these modifications with out having to name upon the companies of an integrator, which might improve prices.
![Collaborative robots offer opportunities to upskill staffers.](https://www.cobottrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1470x826-8.webp)
Cobots assist upskill operators
One other good thing about the applying is that the operators have been relieved of manually unloading 18,000 elements a day.
“By utilizing collaborative robots, we have now managed to make sure that operators can dedicate their time to duties that add worth to the product, reminiscent of high quality points or course of enhancements,” famous Gómez. He added for this reason “the operators see the cobots as an additional instrument to do their work.”
All in all, SEAT has modified its perspective, permitting its group members to tackle future automation tasks in-house.
“Now, any automation venture is conditioned not solely by its contribution when it comes to profitability, but in addition as a result of it gives us with know-how that we didn’t have earlier than,” Gómez mentioned.
To sum up, the venture “is worthwhile, productiveness is larger, and high quality has been consolidated,” concluded Eduardo Fonseca. He mentioned the automation venture has gotten the approval of the SEAT group.
Editor’s be aware: This text was syndicated with permission from Common Robots’ weblog.