Challenge
A world class manufacturer of view systems such as rear cameras and LCD TFT monitors was looking fo a solution that would improve productivity, quality and the wellness of the workers.
The company was experiencing not only an increase in worker complaints about musculoskeletal problems caused by the frequent use of electric screwdrivers, but also an increase in defective articles and a high turnover of workers in assembly tasks. This, of course, resulted in low production efficiency. The company therefore decided to find a solution that would improve the employees’ working conditions, but at the same time improve quality and productivity.
Solution
The perfect solution could only be the automation provided by Doosan Cobots. Doosan Robotics supplied two types of Cobots; A Series Cobots for the monitor assembly line and M Series Cobots for the camera assembly line.
The production cycle involves one operator installing the front and rear cover of the monitor, after which the Cobot A0912 tightens the screws. Another Cobot A0912 tightens the remaining screws, picks up the complete monitor and places it on the conveyor belt. As for the camera production line, the operator places the front body of the camera in the jig and then places the rear body in position, the cobot M1013 tightens the screws and finally picks up the camera with the gripper and places it on the conveyor belt.
The improvement in productivity and quality is evident. Whereas previously 6 operators were needed to carry out the assembly process of the view systems, now the same work is done by 3 operators and 2 cobots, resulting in significant cost savings already in the first year. Thanks to the automation offered by the Doosan Cobots, the number of parts produced per hour has increased from 80 to 106 and the cycle time has been reduced from 45 to 33 seconds.
The company also expressed satisfaction with the ease of inserting the Cobots into the production lines. Indeed, the initial concern was that all of the company’s production lines are on conveyor belts and changing the layout would have been difficult. However, placing the Cobots on the lines turned out to be a simple operation that allowed an automated system to be built.
Advantages
The automation brought by Doosan Cobots has contributed to:
- Improving line-of-balance (LOB)
- Improving the quality of vision systems
- Reduce the physical efforts of workers
- Prevent accidents; in fact, one of the main advantages of Doosan Cobots is the very high level of safety they provide even when working alongside workers
- Increased worker satisfaction
Indeva Cobotics, distributor of Doosan Cobots, offers this and other turn-key solutions that can be customised according to each customer’s specific production needs.
