In order to understand in which case collaborative applications are applicable, we need to subdivide the possible industrial applications according to some parameters. To start we can identify 2 extreme cases between them: on the one hand we have the need to sustain high productivity without the need for flexibility. In this case, traditional robotics remains the winning solution.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, an application characterized by high variability and difficulty, featuring small batch sizes, prefers human labor.
Collaborative applications are all activities that fall between these 2 extreme cases. Collaborative robots are structurally small and lightweight with a robotic arm reach of around one meter (Doosan Cobots reach a maximum of 1.7 m), about the same as a human arm.
The load capacity varies from 6 to 15 kg and the speed is significantly reduced compared to that of a traditional robot. Collaborative robots also stand out because of the ability to physically move the robotic arm.
Collaborative robots are characterized by remarkable ease of installation, and conversion from manual to robotic process is extremely simple, as the insertion of a Cobot does not involve changing any variables in the surrounding operating environment.
People will be able to enter where the Cobot is placed, and vice versa, the Cobot can be installed where people are.
Remember that the typical installation of a robotic application does not have among its objectives 100% automation, but more limited percentages, which are compensated by the presence of the human operator who controls the work of the Cobot.
The collaborative approach also aims to enable operators to correct and restart the system through manual intervention. The collaborative robot doesn’t eliminate the operator, but it does improve the KPIs of the company implementing it.
The choice of a collaborative application is therefore about simple applications with a safe and fast return on investment. Some of the most commonly used applications in industry includescrewing, testing,gluing, pick and place, loading and unloading of machine tools, and so on.
