Entering the "robot revolution", many enterprises have already embarked on the "no return road" of non-standard automation equipment in factories, and unmanned factories seem to be gradually becoming the development trend of future factories. However, fully automated assembly lines have sporadically appeared in large enterprises. Despite the government's strong promotion of the robot replacement policy, many companies have received subsidies from the government and have forced their equipment to "hang" in production workshops.
Unmanned factory, fully automated assembly line, robots
Error 1: Introducing robots means upgrading and transforming automation
The application of robots is a representative aspect of automation upgrade and transformation. But it doesn't mean it can solve all problems. Pneumatic hydraulic control and automation of non-standard equipment are also very important means to achieve automation. Especially for some special applications that robots cannot solve, non-standard automation equipment is the answer. Automation upgrade and transformation should not just focus on robots, multiple channels are better.
Error 2: Robots can be used immediately after purchase
Robots, as intelligent devices, cannot be simply installed and debugged to use. If the development (or secondary development) and application of robots are ignored, it will lead to many robots being bought back and not used or used improperly. Taking robots and sports athletes as an analogy, a group of good athletes (robots) combined with a good coach (system integrator) is the key to making the entire team (enterprise) win.
Error 3: Automation upgrade and transformation can be completed in one step
The true automation upgrade and transformation cannot be completed by simply replacing workstations or machines, but is an extremely complex system engineering. Automation transformation needs to be carried out within our capabilities, starting from relatively mature automation technologies and gradually progressing from the parts of the factory that urgently need to be upgraded and transformed. We must not pursue a one-step approach.
Error 4: Any process can be replaced by automated equipment
Products produced using automated production lines should have sufficient output; The product design and process should be advanced, stable, reliable, and maintain basic consistency over a long period of time. Not all processes are suitable for automation transformation. The use of automated lines in large-scale production has significant economic benefits.
Error 5: Implementing automation transformation is equivalent to realizing Industry 4.0
The concepts of Industry 4.0 and Made in China 2025 have been very popular recently, causing many companies to blindly follow the trend. Manufacturing enterprises should pay more attention to practical technology and problem-solving solutions. When it comes to the development of generalized management automation with information as the core technology, the Industry 4.0 era will also emerge.
So, if a company needs to use industrial robot systems, the first thing to do is to analyze their production process and understand their needs.
1、 Analyze and understand your own needs
Listen carefully and understand your own needs
The use of automated systems for assembling production workshops and manufacturing is aimed at maximizing the efficiency of product production and quality control. We need to go to the production department and familiarize ourselves with the production process. We need to study which processes are the shortcomings of the production process and which processes can be automated to replace manual labor.
Combine the short-term needs and long-term goals of the enterprise to analyze investment returns based on this foundation. Don't just look at today or a few years from now and decide on the equipment you need to purchase based on that.
B cultivates and recruits talents
If there is a need for technological innovation, there must be corresponding technical talents. The automated assembly workshop will inevitably have a lot of equipment, and the company's talents need to have the ability to learn quickly and become familiar with the integrator's system as soon as possible.
C Clarify the responsible party
Both integrators and end-users are responsible for ensuring the normal and error free production process. The integrator needs to provide equipment that meets customer requirements and expert level guidance according to the requirements. Customers are responsible for providing the relevant information required for production equipment.
2、 Choose a reliable system integrator
The industry of industrial robot automation integration has only been around for a few years in China. Currently, there is no reliable integrator level certification in China, so we cannot protect our choices based on these associations or official certifications. So what kind of integrator is relatively reliable?
A suitable scale
As a robot system supplier, scale is crucial. This is a large and comprehensive robot supplier, such as Xinsong in China and ABB abroad, specializing in system integration and robot body design. Still a small and sophisticated robot supplier with only a few employees, such as UR and KMT.
Big doesn't necessarily mean better, and small doesn't necessarily mean insufficient strength.
B's professional field
A qualified integrator is designed for industry application integration. They are not only familiar with industrial robots, but also need to understand the production standards, requirements, and processes of this industry. A good robot company cannot make a good robot system. What integrators sell to customers must be robots that can produce customer products, not the robots themselves.
Professional engineering team and project management team in C
When contacting professional robot system integrators, their professional technicians or salespeople usually provide detailed engineering management and implementation details, listen to your needs, and suggest a feasibility analysis or preliminary trial production. You can learn about the composition of the integrator's technical personnel during trial production, whether they are expert engineers with years of work experience or a large group of young graduates.
D professional documents
Professional robot system integrators generally have their standard products, as well as technical documentation for their standard products. Generally, for different clients, they will create independent technical documents. If it is a foreign integrator, they will also provide translated documents, but this may incur costs.
Spare parts promised by E
Although the stability of industrial robots has made significant progress in recent years, they are still machines. No one has ever invented a perpetual motion machine or a machine that never wears out, so your robot may still experience some malfunctions. So, it is necessary to understand whether your supplier can provide you with the necessary spare parts.
F Professional Services
If your company is a small and medium-sized enterprise, training a technical server for this system is a huge expense, which means that most of your problems may still rely on your suppliers.
A professional system integrator will have a dedicated service department
