Robots are commonplace in today’s manufacturing environment. They can be found in almost every sector, performing a wide range of tasks ranging from simple pick and place operations through to highly sophisticated multi-process assembly tasks.

There is no doubt that robot technology has advanced significantly over recent decades, allowing them to perform ever more complex operations, often with the aid of sophisticated peripheral technologies such as machine vision, automatic robot tool changers, laser systems, AGVs and much more.

Whilst robot technology continues to advance at pace, the essential technical and engineering support needed to deploy and support these systems in the field is currently at a premium.

We are all too familiar with the mantra of using robotics and automation to mitigate labour shortages in many of our industry sectors. However, in addition to manufacturing companies struggling to find the manual operators they need, they are also finding it increasingly difficult to recruit the skilled robot technicians required to implement the automation which will alleviate the original labour shortages.

One solution to this dilemma, being adopted by an increasing number of businesses, is to upskill existing employees, enabling them to acquire the programming and application specific knowledge and skills necessary to implement and support the robot technology which will deliver much improved productivity and quality levels.

Providing existing personnel with the opportunity to acquire the skills needed to operate, programme, and maintain robot systems is beneficial to both the individual and the business. By leveraging the existing product, and perhaps process knowledge, which the manual operator will already have and combining this with new robot programming skills, helps to speed up the introduction of the technology whilst taking into account any idiosyncrasies which may be associated with the application.

Investing in a comprehensive training programme builds and enhances the skill base within the business and provides the platform for ongoing expansion of robotics and automation technologies where required.

Having an in-house team of professionally trained individuals not only ensures that the systems will operate efficiently and effectively, but in the event that there are any operational or maintenance issues, the ability to communicate clearly with external support teams enables prompt resolution of problems. Leveraging the support available from the robot supplier provides a clear and structured approach to acquiring the training and skills needed to support robot installations.

Stäubli has compiled a series of training courses and support packages which will help users at all skill levels. For example, Stäubli engineers can assist in the creation of robot programmes to individual specifications and applications. This includes guidance on defining the optimum programming approach and the development of efficient cycle management for start, stop and end sequences together with mapping out I/O communications with any system PLC to maximise performance and ensure safe operation.

Beyond the initial programme development, support is also available to further optimise each application. This includes defining opportunities to reduce cycle times, improve robot path trajectory and precision and of course assistance with the specific processes involved. Topics covered may include a review and study of any end effectors, payload analysis, optimising the cell layout and any software options or upgrades which will enhance performance overall.

End users, and even system integrators, can benefit greatly from the experience and expertise amassed over years of integrating Stäubli robots across many different industry sectors. In addition to the reassurance that the robot system is installed correctly and operating to the highest levels of efficiency, the transfer of knowledge and adoption of new skills by production personnel means that not only does the business have the skills needed to support their automated manufacturing processes, but employee retention levels are likely to increase significantly as they see the investment in them personally.

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The concept of preventative or predictive maintenance is not new and has been a key factor in ensuring reliable plant operation and optimum productivity levels for many years. What has changed over time however is the methods and technologies used, which today make it possible to monitor production assets in real time. The ability to interrogate equipment and measure performance allows for more accurate predictions of where and when production technologies are likely to require attention, helping to avoid unnecessary breakdowns.

SCOPE is Stäubli’s secure solution for continuous EDGE data mining. EDGE data is data that is obtained as a result of edge computing processes, performed at or near the physical location of the source of the data, in this case the customer’s robot fleet.

As solution to monitor, review and analyse production, plus optimise automation and maintenance processes, SCOPE makes it possible to anticipate breakdowns and move closer to achieving the ultimate objective of zero downtime. SCOPE integrates the latest Stäubli Technologies, improving the performance of production processes and extending the lifetime of the users’ robot fleet within a single platform.

As a decentralised EDGE solution, SCOPE ensures that users retain ownership of their data. Stäubli’s open data routing functionalities, via HTTP, WebSocket or MQTT, offer full connectivity to any compatible MES (manufacturing execution system) or ERP (resource planning) layers for further local investigation or informative tasks such as E-Mail or SMS notifications.

Who needs data?

In a world where Industry 4.0, the IOT and AI are becoming an integral, and increasingly essential part of manufacturing, the ability to acquire and interrogate data has never been more important. For machine builders and system integrators the data provided by SCOPE will aid in optimising robot trajectories, cycle times, and robot lifespan, by providing notifications of early signs of failure, enhancing troubleshooting processes, and avoiding unnecessary downtime. Once in production, end users can use data to help stabilise their production process, production quality, and to detect early signs of any process related issues.

From Staubli’s perspective the data acquired by SCOPE is a valuable asset when it comes to training models and moving towards predictive maintenance solutions that will continuously improve the lifespan of the robot. In practice, data generated by the robot is recorded and sent to SCOPE 250 times per second. This data is then analysed, and SCOPE produces an easy-to-understand report.

Analysis results are logged to create timelines and trend charts on the SCOPE dashboard. In the event of deviation in the results produced, SCOPE can be programmed to send alerts to existing MES or ERP software solutions. With the capability to connect to and monitor up to 50 robots, users are able to view and interrogate status through a series of intuitive dashboard displays.

The implementation of SCOPE makes it possible to detect issues ahead of time and before they even present themselves as a problem. By facilitating smarter and more efficient processes, manufacturers benefit from both reductions in downtime and increased lifecycle from their robot systems whilst making further progress towards the ambition of zero downtime.

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Productivity is influenced by a number of factors, including the technology being used and the personnel involved in the manufacturing processes. Many forward-thinking companies are making investments in the latest robot and automation systems which will meet both current and future production requirements. Other businesses, especially those with limited capital available for investment, must ensure that they leverage the full potential from their existing robot and automated manufacturing systems to enable them to continue operating at maximum efficiency levels.

The common factor across both of these scenarios is the need for well trained, competent operators and maintenance personnel. For existing robot users who are investing in the latest generation systems, it is essential that their engineers fully understand the functionality and capability of these new systems. Today’s robots and control systems have many new features which can potentially transform the production process, through programming techniques, efficiencies, and cycle time improvements.

Businesses that are currently unable to invest in new robot or automated production systems can potentially still realise improvements in productivity and efficiencies. This is especially true with systems which have been in production for lengthy periods, where reliability levels may still be acceptable, but where the view taken is “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it”. Often, a detailed review, or greater understanding of how the original robot programs have been structured can lead to opportunities to optimise robot trajectories or simplify the program.

Stäubli’s training manager Mik Bloor explains: “It is sometimes the case that robot systems which have been in production for some time, and programmed to meet the original specification, may have the potential to be further optimised. This may be just as simple as increasing the speed of certain moves, reducing waiting times between program instructions, or even adjusting the robots programmed path. A combination of small improvements in certain areas can reduce overall cycle times and make a valuable contribution to productivity and output.”

Elevating operator skill sets

The key to unlocking these benefits and productivity improvements is training. For example, by elevating the skill set of an operator through basic robot training, they will be able to take more responsibility for the robot cell. This will enable them to start and stop the robot, restart the program execution, control the arm manually and even adjust or reteach positions if required. Where in the past some of these tasks may have been the responsibility of a maintenance engineer, providing the operator with these skills will save time and allow maintenance personnel to focus on other perhaps more complicated tasks elsewhere in the factory.

There is however another significant obstacle which some manufacturers are struggling to overcome, that of skill shortages. Many businesses today are suffering from the fact that many experienced and talented engineers are reaching retirement age.

Whilst businesses need to be pro-active in recruiting and nurturing apprentice engineers to ensure long term skill retention, investing in a comprehensive training programme for existing key operator and maintenance personnel can make a significant contribution to retaining the current personnel and developing the skills needed to keep production systems running smoothly and productivity levels high.

Bloor continues: “By comparison to the financial commitment needed for capital equipment, training costs are low. The benefits however from this relatively small investment are of an order of magnitude greater. In addition to the productivity and efficiency gains which can be realised, training demonstrates the value and commitment which the company places in its personnel.

“By elevating the skill set of individuals, not only does their day-to-day role become more interesting, but they are also much less likely to seek alternative employment elsewhere.”

Investing in up-to-date training for maintenance personnel is another key element in ensuring the highest levels of efficiency and productivity. Unplanned downtime is always costly, and rapid diagnostics of the fault is an important step in resolving the issue in a timely manner.

Well trained maintenance personnel will be able to identify the problem quickly and make decisions on the remedial actions needed, ensuring that production will be able to restart with the shortest possible delay.

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There is little doubt that the concept of humans and robots interacting and collaborating continues to gain ground across many different industries and applications. True collaborative robots are now available from an increasing number of manufacturers.

Of course, there will be instances where the choice is clear. For example, if a high degree of interaction between the robot and the human operator is required, or if production volumes are low and the application does not require a high degree of precision or sophisticated programming techniques, then a collaborative robot or cobot would be the natural choice.

The selection process begins to move towards an Industrial robot in applications where higher precision is required, greater horizontal reach, heavier payload capacities and higher speeds are needed, and where the interaction between the robot and operator is perhaps more limited.

Another consideration, which further tilts the balance towards that of the Industrial robot, is where integration to other process and peripheral equipment, field devices, or MES/ERP systems is required. Whilst Industrial robots, and their control systems, have sophisticated capability to interface and communicate with the production system and beyond, the architecture of the typical Cobot control system is often much more restricted and less able to deal with more complex requirements.

Optimising productivity and collaboration

There are however options available where all of the benefits of the Industrial robot are combined with a set of unique modular safety functions to provide high levels of productivity from a collaborative robot.

Stäubli’s TX2touch is a unique range of cobots designed for safe ‘Man Robot Collaboration’. Based on the already field proven TX2 industrial robot, these robots offer safe man-machine interaction and operation thanks to their advanced skin technology, quick reaction time and embedded modular safety functions. The TX2touch range are the only cobot’s with a SIL3-PLe safety level. These highly productive robots offer the performance, smart connectivity and reliability inherited from TX2 robots and the CS9 controller.

The advanced skin technology brings additional functionality to enable the following SAFE features. When you touch the skin the robot stops and in the event you were to be hit by the robot when in motion, it will not hurt you. Even if the user was trapped by the robot there is no possibility of a crushing injury. Skin pads are also available for any tools that the robot may be using, and these can be added whilst maintaining the same safety level, easing safety certification of the robot cell.

A further benefit is that these skin pads will protect items such as any integrated cameras, measurement devices or grippers by preventing collisions. Based upon the already highly successful TX2 Industrial Robot, the TX2touch range offers payloads between 3.5kg and 10.0kg, with horizontal reach from 670mm to 1,450mm and repeatability between 0.02mm to 0.04mm depending upon model.

Collaborative functionality from industrial robots

Stäubli’s TX2touch range of cobots uses five different safety functions. These are Safe Limited Speed, Safe Stop, Safe Zone, Safe Tool, and Safe Touch. With the exception of Safe Touch, the other safety functions are also available on Stäubli’s comprehensive range of Industrial robots via the CS9 Controller. This allows users to configure their robot to suit the task at hand and make it possible to switch between highly productive and collaborative applications as required, whilst retaining the full benefits which true Industrial robots offer.

The ability to set the balance between productivity and collaboration allows manufacturers to benefit from the concept of Man-Robot collaboration, whilst still attaining performance and productivity levels that will meet production requirements and justify their investment in robot technology.

A combination of Safe Zones and Safe Stop functions can be used to protect operators in man-robot collaborative applications. If for example the robot is situated behind safety fencing and is performing all of the tasks, performance and productivity levels will be high, but there is little in the way of collaboration within the manufacturing process. Any interaction by an operator would see the robot enter a Safe Stop condition, with the arm still powered, but ready to restart again once the safety interlocks have been restored

Different levels of collaboration would allow the operator to access the robot work area through the use of virtual safety guarding, such as a light-guard, to perform duties that may include removal of finished parts or replenishing parts feeders. Increasing the level of collaboration still further would be applicable in instances where both the operator and the robot are required to be involved in the process. The robot’s speed can be reduced to mitigate against risk, allowing it to keep working at low speed in some areas when the operator approaches a Safe Zone.

The ability to select from a range of 6-axis robots that already have established their performance and reliability credentials, and which can be configured to operate in a collaborative manner, or choose a model from the TX2touch collaborative range, which are also fully capable of operating in a wide range of industrial environments, provides users not only with the optimum choice, but delivers significant advantages over other collaborative robot types.

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However, just as for any other manufacturing sector, the pharmaceutical industry continues to evolve to address multiple challenges such as new regulatory changes, an increased demand for personalised medicines, new treatment options, combined with innovative approaches in prevention and diagnostics.

Stäubli’s latest pioneering initiative is the new Stericlean+ range of robots. These new variants address the ever-increasing demands of the pharmaceutical sector, by providing validated solutions which meet the highest hygiene and cleanliness standards including biological resistance, VHP compatibility, cleaning media resistance and D Value performance.

Many of the new challenges faced by the pharmaceutical industry today require a change in manufacturing philosophy, towards that of greater levels of flexibility, making it possible to economically achieve smaller batch runs. This is where robot-based automation solutions, with their impressive levels of flexibility, are fast becoming the first choice for small batch production runs in personalised medicine. In addition to flexibility, robots provide the additional advantage of reducing human contact to a minimum, thereby avoiding the risk of contamination.

There are many pharmaceutical processes which can be automated, and to be able to respond efficiently to changing market demands, production must be easily scalable. The flexibility of the robot is a key factor in achieving these objectives. Whether in a small isolator with a single robot capable of handling several independent or linked operations, or within a complete production line equipped with multiple robots, they make it possible to change production easily, should the need arise.

Validated robot solutions

Across multiple industries, robots are generally defined according to their payload, reach and speed. In the pharmaceutical sector however, an essential fourth factor must be considered, that of the working environment and the cleaning processes which will be used on the systems.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities are divided into several areas which have different specifications in terms of particulate emission and cleaning processes. Stäubli defines 4 levels of requirement, from the most restrictive Grade A Isolator, which is subjected to aggressive H2O2 cleaning, to logistic areas, through intermediate levels of inspection, restricted access barriers (RABs), and secondary packaging areas where equipment is meticulously cleaned with alcohol wipes.

The robots used in these areas must not only be suitable but also validated to operate within the environment. The new Stericlean+ range enables Stäubli to offer a full range of validated robots including the documentation package that is required to ensure compatibility, safety and consistency and ease the final acceptance of the whole system.

Aseptic design criteria

Decontamination processes are key within the pharmaceutical sector, especially within an isolator environment. Stäubli has performed the rigorous tests required to validate not only the robot, but also the materials used, together with evaluating performance using various cleaning media. To ensure adherence to the latest and most demanding standards, Stäubli partnered with SKAN, the world leader in manufacturing isolator systems, and a specialist within pharmaceutical and aseptic environments.

SKAN’s analytical services (SKANalytix) advised Stäubli on the aseptic design criteria of the robot. They also provide the much-needed validation and documentation package for the robot demanded by customers.

Hygienic design is a central aspect of a robot, establishing that it is suitable for working in an aseptic environment. Design specifics cover a wide range. There are two primary factors. First is the entire outer surface of the robot. If this cannot be adequately cleaned and decontaminated, then there is a risk that the aseptic processing conditions cannot be maintained. Appropriate materials need to be selected and the design should allow for easy access. Secondly, moving parts represent the greatest risk of particulate generation, so special attention needs to be given to the design and sealing of joints.

Specifically, there should be no gaps in joints in the robot’s outer shell, where micro-organisms could accumulate and grow. Surface roughness must have an Ra of no more than 0.8μm, to inhibit fungi or bacterial growth and also to enable efficient cleaning. The surface itself must be resistant to all cleaning and surface decontamination procedures, in particular vaporized hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) which is used for surface decontamination inside isolators.

Furthermore, the robot should only generate minimal turbulence in the laminar air flow as it moves. It is essential that any particles released during movement should remain at a low threshold, to guarantee that ISO 5 standards are adhered to. And finally, the robot must be easy to clean and decontaminate: all areas have to be accessible and easy to clean. There should be no areas where substances, particles or microorganisms can build up or pool.

Stäubli’s Stericlean TS2-60 and TX2-40, -60 and -90 robots have been subjected to SKANalytix’s intensive tests, with the collaboration resulting in the development of many new features for the Stericlean+ package that ensure that this range of robots are suitable for demanding aseptic manufacturing environments.

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This cell is one of the few on the market designed specifically for orientating and placing meat products such as chicken portions, steaks and burgers into primary packaging, with the highest hygiene standards designed in. CME’s production cells use Stäubli’s HE version of the TS2-80 and TS2-100 robotic arms, which deliver ultra-short cycle times and high repeatability.

Stäubli says its HE robotic arms have become the robot of choice within the food sector thanks to their fully hygienic design, superior technical performance, and their ability to eliminate bacterial contamination risks. These valuable attributes have opened up significant numbers of new application areas within a sector that will continue to benefit from the introduction of robots and automation.

Specifically designed with the EHEDG (European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group) exacting standards in mind, the HFPC 120 utilises a modular approach and allows the cell to be customised in a way that exactly matches the requirements of a customer’s food processing line.

CME’s HFPC 120, with its Stäubli robots, can be seen at the FOODEX Show, at the NEC Birmingham between the 24th and 26th April 2023, on stand B81.

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The perception and vision of the ‘factory of the future’ continues to evolve with each new generation of technologies, as they in turn achieve the objectives and ambitions of the past.

The once generally accepted vision of future manufacturing, that of lights-out, high-volume production, has been achieved to a degree in certain areas. However, the changing demands of markets and customers alike mean that manufacturers must continue to evolve their production processes to keep pace.

Today we have already surpassed many of the initial ideas of what the factory of the future might look like, as robots and automation continue to find their way into new market sectors and a host of new applications. Companies that invested in these technologies in the past have certainly benefited from the high levels of productivity, consistency, and quality delivered by these systems, however as manufacturing trends continue to shift towards that of high mix and low volume, these systems will eventually lack the capability to remain an integral part of what is fast becoming an increasingly connected manufacturing environment.

Whilst there is always a focus on the new and upcoming developments, which will shape the next incarnation of the factory of the future, it’s important that we don’t lose sight of the technologies which have already emerged, and which make the factory of today possible. These technologies not only address the current shift in manufacturing trends, but they will also be the stepping-stones to the factory of tomorrow for many businesses.

Manufacturers today need to be more agile in the way that they respond to the demands from both their customers and consumers if they are to remain competitive in today’s dynamic marketplace. This can only be achieved if they take advantage of the wide range of manufacturing technologies that are compatible with the principles of Industry 4.0 and the IoT. In some cases, this may mean a comprehensive evaluation of their existing processes and technologies to define a strategy which will embrace all aspects of flexible automated manufacturing.

The established ‘norms’ of manufacturing are in some instances being challenged, as the rapid growth in EV’s and Electromobility have been the catalyst for new and alternative manufacturing methods which support high levels of flexibility and high-mix production.

For example, we are beginning to see a significant change in the way in which some electric vehicles will be produced. Flexible and modular methods are set to replace the traditional in-line assembly track, with a series of modular workstations, each of which will carry out specific tasks and be served by AGVs. This concept of truly flexible production methods is also being seen as an attractive manufacturing strategy for other sectors, where they too can leverage a wide range of technologies, such as the SCARA robots, 6 axis industrial robots, collaborative robots, mobile robot systems and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) available from Stäubli to help embrace the opportunities presented by Industry 4.0.

By combining and connecting robots and automation with other technologies, such as a manufacturing execution system (MES) that will monitor, track, document, and control manufacturing processes, or an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to manage scheduling, a significant part of the factory of today can be defined.

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Stäubli’s Simon Jenkins looks at how the advent of robots designed for operation within primary pharmaceutical manufacturing areas are revolutionising a number of production processes.

Robots have been an essential part of many manufacturing processes for decades; however, the pharmaceutical sector has historically been slower in adopting robot systems. Look closely at the processes and requirements associated with pharmaceutical production, and it becomes clearer why the sector is only now embracing the robotic technologies which are transforming some of their manufacturing processes.

For robots to become an integral part of pharmaceutical manufacturing processes they needed to be able to operate within the stringent cleanliness and hygiene environments associated with pharmaceutical production. Early robots, whilst perfectly suited to less restricted environments in other manufacturing arenas, did not meet the regulatory requirements associated with the primary production areas within pharma.

Robots, if used at all, would therefore be deployed in performing secondary or final packaging and palletising operations. In more recent times, the development of robots such as Stäubli’s 6 axis STERICLEAN variants opened up a wide range of possible applications for robots. These robot systems comply with ISO Class 5 cleanroom standards, and crucially, can work permanently in a VHP (vaporised hydrogen peroxide) environment.

In addition, the flexibility and dexterity of robots, together with their ability to perform multiple tasks, has been instrumental in the development of new manufacturing methods, especially for small to medium batch production.

Operations which were traditionally performed manually are now being fully automated, often with one or more robots operating within a closed and controlled environment.  Robots address the increasingly stringent regulatory challenges by restricting the opportunities for human interaction, in turn significantly reducing the risk of contamination.

Not too long ago, the idea of using robots on liquid filling lines for vials was considered non-viable. However, Stäubli’s STERICLEAN range of robots has opened new opportunities for the design of these systems. This range of robots can perform the various filling, capping, sealing, weighing, and sterilising operations associated with the growing number of pharmaceutical products packaged within RTU (ready to use) containers.

In one such example, no fewer than three identical Stäubli TX60 STERICLEAN robots are integrated into a stand-alone system where they perform all the essential handling operations. The first robot picks vials from a feed table and transfers them to the filling station. The second robotic arm then takes the filled vials and moves them to a capping station, from where they are transferred by a third robot to the final sealing station. The flexibility in the way these robots operate allows for them to be wall-mounted, beneath the actual working level, so as not to adversely affect the unidirectional airflow within the cell.

Using robots in this way enhance the capabilities of the production cell as they can deal with multiple variants through programme changes as opposed to having product specific tooling elements. This also has a positive influence in both the reduced changeover time between batches, and also any cleaning and disinfection routines, as there are fewer part to deal with.

Vaccine production using robots

Biotechnology opens up completely new possibilities for the production of medicines and vaccines. Under certain favourable conditions, the active ingredient reproduces itself. The prerequisites however include stable environmental conditions and processes, both of which can best be achieved with a high degree of automation.

A manufacturer of a Hepatitis A vaccine has set up a production facility with an output of between three and four million vaccine doses per year. Once again Stäubli STERICLEAN robots are a key part of the process, in this case, the manipulation of the “cell factories”.

The term ‘factory’ in this instance refers to a rack containing 160 trays. Each tray initially contains a nutrient solution into which the mother cells are introduced. The cell culture is then left to grow; however, the nutrient solution must be occasionally changed. In a further step, the virus-infected cells and another growth-promoting medium are added. At the end of this process, it is a simple matter of harvesting the attenuated virus containing the highly effective vaccine, which has virtually reproduced itself.

The Stäubli TX200 STERICLEAN robots come into play when the cells have already been ‘inoculated’ and the active ingredient is ready to grow. The robot, which uses an image processing system, picks up the ‘cell factory’ and sets it down at the point of use, carefully shaking the rack to distribute the liquid evenly. It then deposits the rack at the designated storage location. During the culturing process, which continues for at least ten days, the robot repeatedly picks up the individual racks and carries out its set program of shaking and tilting movements.

Bausch Switzerland has, as part of its comprehensive range of pharmaceutical technologies, an outstanding solution for filling and closing syringes. This innovative system includes a Stäubli TX60 CR robot, and the system is capable of achieving a maximum output of up to 4000 syringes per hour.

Cycle times which are less than a second can only be achieved with innovative system and processing technology and with very fast and highly accurate robots. The Stäubli TX60 CR was designed for precisely these situations. The highly rigid, encapsulated mechanical structure and the compact direct-drive JCM geared motors, developed in-house by Stäubli, permit extremely fast acceleration in every axis.

The system is designed for high output with maximum process reliability. The TX60 CR automatically fills and closes syringes quickly, accurately, and reliably, even under cleanroom conditions. The robot uses a pioneering gripper system, designed with the benefit of long-term experience, and one essential feature is that it is used to simultaneously fill and close the syringes, drastically reducing the system’s overall cycle time.

The examples highlighted in this article clearly demonstrate that robots have risen to the multiple challenges presented by the pharmaceutical sector and have today become an essential and integral part of multiple pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. Stäubli robots are now recognised as the state-of-the-art technology in the pharmaceutical and medical industries due to their cleanroom suitability, precision, speed, and reliability.

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With robots now an essential element in many manufacturing facilities, users are benefiting from the increases in productivity, quality and consistency which these systems deliver. The high levels of reliability and uptime associated with robot systems however can sometimes lead to complacency when it comes to planning preventative maintenance schedules.

There is little doubt that as part of the justification process for the investment in the robot systems currently in production across our manufacturing landscape, increases in performance and productivity would have been a key element of the submission for capital. With the systems subsequently installed and running, the anticipated benefits were soon realised, and production would then continue at a pace with the minimum of human intervention, save for the provision of component parts etc.

The very fact that robots do operate for many thousands of hours at high efficiency levels can in certain instances foster the approach that “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it”. This however will at some point result in unexpected failure, unplanned maintenance and not only costs to replace components, but the much greater costs associated with loss of production.

These events can however be mitigated through the implementation of a planned and targeted preventative maintenance schedule. Although there are costs associated with this approach they can be budgeted for ahead of time and will overall be much less than the cost of restoring production in the event of a failure.

It is an accepted practice that when we purchase a car, many of us will ensure regular servicing at the recommended intervals to maintain reliability and to continue to achieve the optimum fuel efficiency. We will also replace wear parts, such as tyres, when needed not only to adhere to legal requirements but to maintain safety and performance. The value of regularly servicing our vehicles is seen not only in the fact that they will last longer, but in their residual value which will be greater based on their service history. Whilst we may not be considering residual value in terms of our robot systems, extending their useful life significantly, whilst maintaining safe operation and always attaining the highest performance levels, represents an ongoing return on the initial investment.

Simon Jenkins explains: “As one of the world’s leading robot suppliers we are able to measure the benefits from regular service and maintenance from analysis of the vast installed base which we have across multiple sectors. Whilst we have always been pro-active with our customers in relation to service and maintenance, we are now launching a comprehensive new range of service and maintenance packages, combined with 24/7 support. This holistic approach to service and maintenance will maximise uptime and productivity levels for our customers. These new offerings are being treated differently and will be available as part of our standard product line, with the capability of being tailored to suit individual customer needs.”

Another key factor in ensuring optimum performance from robot systems is that of training for operators, programmers and maintenance personnel alike. Users skilled in programming will be able to quickly make any changes needed to accommodate new part variants or even just minor adjustments to an existing robot programme. The same applies to those businesses which operate a structured in-house maintenance programme, detailed knowledge of the robot hardware and control system is a valuable asset during planned maintenance routines.

Throughout the pandemic, Stäubli has ensured the availability of training courses, initially in the form of live interactive on-line courses using robot simulation software, and increasingly moving back to on-site training at the company’s Telford site. Simon Jenkins comments: “Training is an essential element in upskilling, and we are seeing an increase in demand for training courses as part of this process within a number of companies across several market sectors.”

When compared to the initial investment made when purchasing robot systems, the value associated with an ongoing planned and structured servicing, maintenance and training programme far outweighs the relatively low costs involved.

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With the notable exception of the automotive sector, many early robot installations generally operated as stand-alone systems, performing repetitive tasks on the same parts with little or no links to any other part of the manufacturing process. Now, as Industry 4.0 firmly establishes itself as the template for a more automated future, factories are increasingly digitising their processes and as a result all aspects of the business from manufacturing to warehousing, distribution, and sales, are becoming networked and able to communicate in real time.

This allows robots and many other manufacturing technologies to operate with much greater degrees of flexibility, connectivity and autonomy making it possible to consider automating manufacturing and assembly processes from beginning to end.

The capability of today’s technology to achieve end to end automated manufacturing was clearly demonstrated by Stäubli during their recent Robotics Innovation Days. Here the company’s four product families – industrial robots, collaborative robots, mobile robots and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) operated together to perform final assembly operations on an E-Bike.

Stäubli’s Simon Jenkins explains: “Although shown as part of our Innovation days, the E-Bike assembly operations are a perfect example of what can actually be achieved today. We have available a powerful and comprehensive range of 6 axis and SCARA robots, AGV and autonomous fork-lift technologies which can deliver parts to the line from the warehouse, load them to the appropriate workstations, perform the various assembly tasks, either fully automatically or in collaboration with humans and return finished components to dispatch if required.”

The agile approach to manufacturing which can be achieved through Industry 4.0 connectivity also makes it possible to fulfil the growing trend across a number of sectors for customised or personalised products. This requires processes and technologies to respond dynamically to produce individual items to customer specifications. Robots play a key role in achieving these objectives through their ability to communicate with each other and quickly adapt to changing production requirements whilst maintaining the highest levels of quality and productivity.

Jenkins concludes: “What was once thought of as the ‘factory of the future’ has become the factory of today, and the new factory of the future will capitalise on the ever increasing capabilities of robots in all of their forms. Mobile robots and continued growth in areas of human-robot collaboration, together with ever more capable industrial robots, will be at the heart of the next generation production lines.”

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