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Becker Romania chose to automate with collaborative robots from Universal Robots because they are specifically designed to safely share a workspace with humans without the need for additional safety guarding and also because they can be installed quickly. The two UR10 cobots integrated in the process of assembling mirrors work in tandem, as the first UR10 dispenses adhesive to the product frame, followed by the second UR10 placing another part, a ring segment, on top of the glue over the glass. Programming the cobots was easy and quick. From the UR interface, the company used the predefined program CircleMove with a relatively free orientation towards the circle. "UR collaborative robots are easy to program. You don't need an advanced computer and automation knowledge. Anyone with minimal technical knowledge can successfully create applications with these robots,” said Remus Țopan, Technical Engineer at Becker Romania.
The technical support provided by Universal Robots also played an important role in the successful integration of the cobots. "On the Universal Robot website you can find all the information you need, even backup files for the programs developed that are easy to save through the magic files on the website, and for the software updates. There is a whole community behind it, ready to help you with the answers you need,” Remus Țopan added.
The company is currently using human operators working alongside the two collaborative robots to assemble one of its products. The operators add the frame, the glass and empty the carousel during the assembly process of the mirrors. The first cobot uses a soldering gun to add adhesive in the desired place. When the times come for the adhesive to be changed, one of the operators is informed of this aspect through a special program created using a global variable and a consumption rule. "After calculating the consumption norm, we created a global "installation variable" that remains saved even if the robot is turned off. By checking it at the beginning of each program, the variable tells us if the adhesive in the tube has reached the end. When it reaches 0 the program calls a subprogram that moves the robot arm to a position that allows operators to easily change the adhesive,” explained Remus.
The second UR10 uses a gripper with suction cups that is easy and quick to assemble and adjust with which it picks the second part from a semi-automatic feeding unit and places it over the adhesive. All automation and sensors have been added to the cobot's control box, making it very easy to program. Proximity sensors were used to detect the frame and photoelectric sensors to detect the ring segment in the warehouse. The interconnection with the UR10 cobots is made with the help of a PLC that also controls the operation of the carousel, through analog signals transmitted bidirectional.
