Using a modular robotic platform to enhance safety, efficiency for battery manufacturer

Robotics automation insights

• Robotics in manufacturing enhances safety by automating hazardous tasks, as seen with Concept Systems’ solution for a battery manufacturer, ensuring efficient and ergonomic workflows.
• Developing a modular and flexible automation platform allows manufacturers to optimize processes, integrate with existing systems and quickly adapt to product variability and market demands.

The need for robotics in dull, dangerous and dirty workplaces has never been greater. Automation is becoming a greater priority for manufacturers as customers’ demands and expectations evolve. So, too, has the supply chain and the manufacturer has to become more modular and flexible to meet these challenges.

Consider the case of a large battery manufacturer, which required machine-to-machine transfer of stacks of metallic plates, a process duplicated across many of its facilities. This ergonomically challenging and hazardous work environment presented a great opportunity for automation. Concept Systems utilized their evriiRobot platform to provide a tailored solution for this application (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Virtual representation of the configured evriiRobot workcell. Courtesy: Concept Systems, Inc.

Addressing automation challenges

With more than 25 repeat instances and stringent rate requirements, a standardized work cell platform made sense for this situation.

There were several challenges in trying to address the client’s automation needs:

• Spatial: Extremely tight working conditions with operation near major footpaths required tight safety design to limit downtime events.
• Continuous flow: Upstream equipment operated continuously with no scheduled downtime events for replacing completed pallets.
• Product orientation: Product exited the upstream equipment in a vertical orientation with a horizontal orientation for palletizing.
• Product flexibility: Product exiting upstream equipment was not rigidly constrained and had the capacity to shift during operation if not properly grasped.
• Product variability: A range of products are processed requiring a scalable solution that can handle product variations and enable additional recipes to be added.
• Cycle time: Complete palletizing cycles were required to be processed at a rate of less than 4 seconds per part.

Concept Systems iterated the robot platform’s tool and safety design to accommodate project-specific requirements. This approach allowed for continuity in human-machine interface (HMI), software, mechanical and electrical design while still tailoring the solution to this particular application.

The design utilized five entrance locations and a remote operator interface for localized control capability. Two entrances have sliding doors equipped with clean-in-place (CIP)-safety enabled multi-function access boxes (MFAB) door interlocks to allow for low-volume operator interaction. The remaining interaction points were CIP-safety enabled high-resolution light curtain access positions.

This non-physical safety interface allowed operators to remove palletized products during operation without interrupting automatic sequencing. This compact work cell fit in the existing operating area without impacting established foot traffic or peripheral operations (see Figure 2).

Figure 2: Visual work cell state in the standard evriiRobot HMI. Courtesy: Concept Systems, Inc.

Integrating tools, safety with minimal downtime

Using a robot to handle four products at a time paired the motion capabilities of the 6-axis system with high payload capacity. A custom end-of-arm-tool (EOAT) that combined 10 pneumatic valves and integrated vacuum capability enabled a multi-pick palletizing solution to reduce overall takt time. This EOAT design coupled to the high-speed robotic solution enabled for a dynamic palletizing solution that handles product variability with ease (see Figure 3).

Figure 3: evriiRobot workcell equipped with a high-precision, custom end-of-arm tool (EOAT) for advanced automation capabilities. Courtesy: Concept Systems, Inc.

Combining the custom safety and tooling design with the modular platform allowed for a streamlined path from design, through build, and into production. A customizable palletizing wizard on the HMI, a common HMI layout with module level settings, standardized alarming and multilevel security are all capabilities the client was able to utilize in the final production system from the modular platform. By leveraging the generative motion algorithm and operator driven recipe selection, path planning and optimization time was minimized and a sub-4 second cycle rate was achieved.

Upstream and downstream integration can challenge even the best work cell designs. During the startup period, the team worked directly with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and client engineers to identify an optimized solution to minimize downtime and maximize throughput for the system. The modular platform chosen for this project was designed for simple integration with existing machinery to ensure that existing processes are minimally impacted and the value of new automation is maximized.

This palletizing system also provided a robust production unit capable of outperforming performance requirements and solving a productivity pain point that had been elusive to automate. It did so with minimal impact to upstream and downstream processes and maintained the non-invasive inline operator access the client desired with the expert use of non-physical safety devices.

Benefits of integration

The benefits were immediately felt. Newly trained operators were proficient in controlling the work cell thanks to its intuitive and accessible interface. It also enabled maintenance personnel to diagnose downtime events through clear state, discrete signal and network visibility.

Optimization and new recipe introduction were put in the hands of the engineers while removing the requirement for deep experience in programmable logic controller (PLC) or robot programming. All interface functions were protected through user segregation for higher-level security.

Implementing and integrating this turnkey work cell on the manufacturer’s production floor successfully transitioned the existing manual process to robotic tending. The client, as a result, will have access to continued improvement and new functionality.

Many automation opportunities still exist in the clients’ facilities. Given the similarity in the requirements between those opportunities and this deployed automation system, there is a significant opportunity for secondary benefit through standardization.

The methodology, combined with the modular platform, enables a production environment with a common look and feel for the design process and the operator interface to integration at the edge and beyond.

Operators also become more flexible and are easier to onboard as additional systems are brought online. Deeper understanding of production data and predictive and preventative maintenance are enabled due to standardized interfaces at the edge. This reduces the risk in future implementations while providing additional value to the existing work cell.

Using the platform as a baseline for custom robotic design resulted in a capable palletizing system that fits within existing processes. The battery manufacturer realized the benefits of having a capable system that can handle their high-capacity upstream processes.

Being flexible and modular in today’s manufacturing environment

This pattern of configurable modularity, standardization and tailored design can be applied to many automation opportunities. As the market for labor continues to tighten and automation technology becomes a requirement not a luxury in more industries, the need for flexibility and innovation is a must.

Evan Gonnerman is portfolio manager at Concept Systems, Inc.

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