Mechanical robots are becoming part and parcel of modern production processes. Automation was only available for large industries a while back, but today you’ll even find it in small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
Automation in various production lines such as electronics has enabled smaller companies to level the playing field with larger organizations. For instance, automation in electronic robotics is crucial because it enhances the precision and speed of producing electronic parts.
Using robots in electronics production brings about savings in production expenses meaning that automation results in profit gains. Let’s take a look at why robots are used in electronics production and the considerations that you should make when buying robots.
Why Are Mechanical Robots Used in The Production of Electronics?
The Return On Investment (ROI) Is Rapid
Most manufacturers shy away from mechanical robots due to the initial cash outlay. However, once purchased, these machines can yield a return on investment in about two years of operation. Also, the maintenance costs are no very high.
Robots are able to give a quick ROI because they are fast, precise, and effective. Robots also can be further configured to produce even more if the demand of a manufacturer’s products exceeds their current supply.
Mechanical Robots Do Not Suffer from Exhaustion
Mechanical robots do not suffer from fatigue as a result of low energy or get distracted by their surroundings. This means once a robot is deployed in the production line, it will be preset, and it can perform so many tasks such as transferring a piece from one machine to another.
When production processes are automated using robots’ tasks flow without any hiccups. As a result, the parts produced by these machines maintain consistency in quality, and there is little or no wastage of raw materials.
Plug and Play
A majority of mechanical robots are plug-and-play. This means the robot can be brought to the workplace, connected to the grid, and it will start to function immediately. Also, most of these machines require trivial experience and expertise to operate.
Mechanical robots with internet capabilities can also be hooked to the net, enabling the operators to feed the robot with new instructions remotely.
Mechanical Robots Can Work Without Supervision
Ask any manufacturing company, and they will tell you they would want a machine that can stick to the schedule without supervision. So even when manual operators clock out at the end of their shift, the machine will continue churning out parts.
Automating production processes is superb, and companies that use mechanical robots in production will enjoy huge profits in the long run because they spend less on specialists to oversee the robot’s operations.
Mechanical Robots Are Flexible
Saying that mechanical robots are flexible is an understatement. These machines can literally work on numerous parts simultaneously. This cuts down the production times and enhances the output of the company.
Mechanical robots can also be equipped with extra components such as vision sensors, making it easy for the machine to scan through various parts and pick the right one.
What Features Should Mechanical Robots in Electronic Production Have?
Maximum Speed
Manufacturers pick robots based on the needs of their production lines. For a parts production line, it’s essential to have a machine with the fastest cycle times. Therefore, robot makers usually build robots with three-speed configurations, namely:
- Speed robots
- High-speed robots
- Ultra-high-speed robots
Efficiency
Mechanical robots ought to be very efficient in all tasks allocated to them on the production line, for instance, pick and place jobs. Moreover, the machine should be capable of lifting parts without dropping them or causing breakage. This could be very irritating if the parts are costly.
The machine should also be able to execute its tasks with consistent quality without suffering fatigue, unlike manual operators.
Maximum Payload
Various robot manufactures will build cheap robots that have a small payload. This means that the engines inside the robot have very low thrust. Always go for robots with a payload beyond your requirements because this factors in any plans you may have for expansion.
Also, the mechanical robot should have a pinion and rack framework instead of a conveyor belt. Belts used in mechanical robots are comprised of rubber and iron. This means they stretch and wear out over time hence the need for constant replacement.
Rubber that is used over a long period will tear apart, meaning that it can’t be recycled. The maintenance costs of rubber are also highly massive.
Versatility
Mechanical robots should also be versatile. This means that they do not only have a single role in a company; they can have some parts swapped, which allows them to be used in other sectors of the production line.
Ease of Use
A proper mechanical robot should strike a balance between versatility and ease of use. The robot control framework should be very simple to operate such that it can be used by a relatively new employee in the company.
This means that more experienced employees don’t spend much time teaching the newer ones on how to operate the machinery.
Reliability and Low Maintenance Costs
Before you purchase a mechanical robot, try and look for other manufacturers with the same machine and get to know more about the reliability of the machine and the cost of maintaining the unit as well.
However, most mechanical robots can run properly for about 20 years or more in some instances. Most of them also have very little maintenance costs, mostly involving servicing the moving parts by cleaning and greasing.
Ensure the mechanical robot you go for has replacement parts widely available. The robot may be cheap, but finding replacement parts could prove difficult. This should tell you that moderately priced machines aren’t always the answer to your company’s needs.
Final Thought
To sum it all up, automating a line dealing with electronics production, among other items, can be beneficial to any company. Moreover, production using robots has a myriad of benefits over manually forging parts, as illustrated above.