“The system was required to have the capability to mask 14 component variants, while offering the functionality to add additional variants in the future,” explained Craig Hamilton, Business Development Manager at Astech Projects.

Part of Schauenburg International group of companies, Astech Projects is a supplier of robotics and automation solutions to the advanced manufacturing and regulated industries including pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer healthcare, chemical, aerospace and automotive. It builds systems from concept to completion on a custom basis, and can turn their hands to any application not currently available in the market.

“The main drivers behind the project were to accurately and repeatably mask the component,” said Baseley. “The final result dispenses to an accuracy of 100 microns, a great achievement. Astech Projects’ bespoke system offers the client a significant labour saving and increases throughput, with the client now channelling 60% of its components through the system.”

Fully automated system

Together the team came up with a fully automated system which incorporates a 3-axis cartesian robot and two 6-axis robots working in sync according to one robot program. It also includes a high-definition vision system, masking dispensing system and UV curing station.

On a batch-by-batch basis, the system can correctly identify and orientate 14 types of part against the preeflow eco-PEN450, which accurately dispenses the Dymax 717-R SpeedMask product.

The part is then taken to a curing chamber, where it is illuminated with high intensity UV. Once the process is complete, the component is returned to its original input location. The process repeats itself until the entire batch of components has been processed.

“Intertronics is an extremely knowledgeable company, providing Astech with vital coatings expertise. Intertronics was a great partner for this project and we look forward to working together in the future,” concluded Hamilton.

Now the company has announced that this has been independently verified by the Alcumus SafeContractor scheme.

A spokesperson for Astech Projects said: “Every company has its own requirements when it comes to site work. Just as we design and build each system to meet our customers’ specific needs and industry regulations, we ensure we meet their requirements when we come on to their premises for installation or maintenance.

“When a customer approached us to say they had decided to go with the SafeContractor accreditation to standardise their health and safety regulations for contractors, we made sure we complied. And so we are now officially certified Alcumus SafeContractors.”

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By gathering a mix of life science experts and the best of industry SiLA aims to develop free and open system communication and data standards. SiLA and its members provide a framework for the exchange, integration, sharing, and retrieval of electronic laboratory information. These standards define how information is transported from one system to another. Setting the language, structure and data types required for seamless integration, SiLA supports the management, delivery, and evaluation of laboratory services.

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Techman robots offer cutting edge technology including force sensing, integrated vision systems and high payload capacity allowing greater flexibility when integrating in fully automated systems. Astech Projects’ expertise in mechanical engineering and software allows the company to provide a complete solution that is tailored to the industry and application.

A spokesperson for the company said: “We are always looking to partner with companies that, as well as providing top quality equipment, want to work together to integrate great technologies. We aim to provide innovate solutions to common and novel problems and Techman robotics, with their flexibility and robust design are suitable for a wide range of applications.”

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In 2015, Astech Projects was approached by an aerospace manufacturer that needed assistance with a key manufacturing process problem. The manufacturer was involved in developing an automated process but was struggling to achieve the accuracy and consistency required.

The Astech Projects team was able to solve the problem with a novel application that combined sophisticated machine vision and robotics for the first time for the manufacturer. Accuracy was vital for this project which involved both critical high-performance aerospace components and expensive precious metals.

At the time, the process relied on skilled labour manually painting the component to apply the masking material. The manufacturer wanted to improve consistency and throughput and therefore sought to automate the laborious process.

Existing techniques had focused on the use of sensors to identify part position and alignment. However, this didn’t deliver the required level of accuracy. The manufacturer therefore approached Astech Projects to see what we could do to solve the problem.

The initial proof of concept (PoC) work kicked off in 2015. It was soon concluded that using machine vision in combination with the laser sensors would be the best way to establish the position and alignment of the component. Within two months of the original contact from the manufacturer Astech Projects was able to successfully demonstrate the vision and robotic system accurately adjusting and positioning the component to allow accurate maskant dispensing from a fixed point.

During PoC the repeatability of the process was proved with the use of a dial test indicator (DTI) before getting agreement from the client to begin work on the fully automated system.

“It was a really exciting project for our engineers to work on – combining the two technologies of machine vision and robotics in this way – and solving the problem of positional accuracy was a significant challenge,” says Craig Hamilton, Astech Projects’ business development manager. “The client’s expectation was exceeded with the result – but then came the difficult part: scaling up to 14 different variations and integrating two robots without compromising accuracy.”

Multiple variations and two robots

The solution Astech Projects had designed and created used machine vision to locate the component in a point in space, confirm the geometry of the part and its position, and then apply a masking material to the object with an accuracy of within 0.1mm.

The goal had been 0.2mm tolerance, so the team – both at Astech Projects and at the client site – were immensely pleased with the result. However, the challenge of maintaining this accuracy when two robots worked in unison elevated the complexity of scaling up from proof of concept to a fully automated system. This was because both system and components had their own accuracy tolerances – for example, in the joints of the robot, the component or the storage positions. These inaccuracies compound across the whole process to create a difficult engineering challenge.

“Using the same program for each robot was essential from a replicability point of view, both for us and for the client,” explains Hamilton. “It helps in terms of programming efficiency and, therefore, cost of upgrades and maintenance and it also helps the client in terms of validation. It requires a lot of testing to get right, but to solve the problem we were able to create machine vision tools to help us with the alignment of the robots as well.”

Successful operation delivers improved throughput

The automated system has now been in successful operation for six months. “It has been extremely well-received by the client,” says Hamilton. “We believe our robots are now a high spot on tours of the site for company VIPs. Importantly, they are delivering the required level of accuracy and consistency for the client. What’s more, the client has been able to improve throughput significantly through 24/7 operation.”

The client will be rolling out the new robot and machine vision production system to other sites across the UK and since the application uses Astech Projects’ own control and automation software and technical expertise, Astech Projects will be repeating the builds.

Hamilton continues: “We’re now one of five automation companies approved by the organisation globally, and we are already in discussions for other complex turnkey projects. Importantly, this unique application of machine vision and robotics has further potential to help other clients in other industries and in other applications. In particular, it would be applicable for coating, gluing, spraying or other processes where a liquid is applied.

“Indeed, this combination of technologies could be useful in any application where a component with complex geometry needs to be located with a high level of accuracy.”

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The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) reports the UK has only 71 robots per 10,000 employees while in Germany the figure is 309 per 10,000. And the gap is widening. So why are UK firms reluctant to cash in on the opportunities robotics automation can deliver?

Shortage of skills and aversion to risk may account for some lag, but there is a wider problem of vision. While it is easy to recognise the potential of robotics for industry and society as a whole, the drivers for individual businesses to invest in robotic solutions are less well defined or understood. There may also be misconceptions about the costs of automation, especially for custom one-off applications or non-standard systems.

It is tempting, especially for large established organisations, to view investment and advances in robotics through the prism of cost-cutting; by automating X, we’ll save Y. But this approach is little more than a race to the bottom that misses the more fundamental opportunities presented by automation and robotics – to transform the way we work, what we make and how we make it.

Recent analysis by McKinsey & Company has found that among industry sectors manufacturing is second only to hospitality in terms of what it stands to gain from investment in automation. The report states that “rapid advances in robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning are enabling machines to match or outperform humans in a range of work activities, including ones requiring cognitive capabilities”.

So how can UK manufacturing businesses benefit from these rapid advances? Let’s take a look at some of the other benefits promised by greater adoption of automation and robotics with our list of 10 reasons why robotics have a place in your manufacturing operations:

1. Greater precision: Robots don’t get tired or lose concentration; parameters can be set to deliver precision results every time. Reduced rework and scrap drives profit and greater precision drives quality and brand capital.

2. Improved reporting and auditability: The use of robotics naturally involves sensors, controllers and data capture tools – delivering the perfect infrastructure for real-time reporting and detailed analysis.

3. Continuous improvement: Wherever there is data, there is the opportunity for analysis. Thus in your manufacturing processes, this can be used to drive the incremental improvements, in process, resource utilisation and more, that make huge differences over time.

4. Workplace safety and ergonomics: It can sometimes be too easy to see the relationship between workers and robotics as one of replacement. Although robot use certainly delivers benefits and reduces risk in contaminated environments, a better model could be one of augmentation; where robotics enhance the workplace, support workers and help to drive quality improvements. This is certainly the case with collaborative robots or Cobots.

5. Operator guidance: Even when robotics can’t take over the entire task, they have a role to play in offering real-time information and, based on that, guidance to operators.

6. Knowledge management: If the best operators define expected results so robots can guide new staff, training and induction cycles are reduced, waste minimised and knowledge and expertise safeguarded and retained.

7. Free ‘workers’ to become ‘talent’: If robots are able to take on repetitive tasks, you can leverage the cognitive abilities of workers to drive further process improvements and innovation.

8. More flexible production: Many automation initiatives are underway to drive greater agility into manufacturing processes. Additive manufacturing may be leading here, but robotics and automation have roles to play in delivering greater process and output flexibility.

9. Drive product innovation: Greater operational flexibility, more engaged employees and a culture of continuous improvement won’t only drive process improvements, they create opportunities to rethink output too.

10. Improved productivity: For all these reasons and more, robotics is seen as the key to increasing productivity.

Through the Made Smarter review, the UK Government is aiming to raise awareness of these potential benefits among British industry and manufacturing to, in Juergen Maier’s words “take a much more significant leadership role and a much greater slice of the opportunities arising from the fourth industrial revolution”.

However, what this looks like for individual businesses will be very different. For successful commercial application of these exciting and promising new technologies, UK Manufacturing will need to begin with their business or customer need and reverse engineer solutions from there.

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With this acquisition, Schauenburg International develops new activities in the fields of robotics and automation applications for advanced manufacturing and regulated industries, further strengthening Schauenburg’s Machinery and Equipment and Electronic Technologies division. This acquisition also enables Schauenburg International to enter and take advantage of the integration of robotics and automation solutions for industrial applications.

“Astech will form an interesting part and a new market and technology segment within our portfolio with great potential and synergies,” said Florian Schauenburg, CEO of Schauenberg International. “It will support and complement our efforts as technology and system supplier and to a variety of activities such as e.g. the analytical and environmental monitoring market.”

In a statement, co-shareholder and managing director of Astech Projects, Chris Hansford, said: “We are delighted about the opportunities that will arise from Schauenburg’s investment in Astech. Joining the Schauenburg Group allows us to maintain our operational independence whilst benefiting from a wealth of management experience. We’re proud of our achievements in laboratory and industrial automation over the last 20 years and feel this is the right choice for the next phase of Astech’s growth in our current markets and beyond. Our shared passion for innovation and quality means that we’ll make a strong team.”

Visit the Schauenburg International website or the Astech Projects website for more information.