You’ve done your due diligence and decided to implement robotics to automate your packaging line, but with no robotics currently in your plant, the idea is a little daunting.
But it doesn’t have to be!
Robotics, if integrated the correct way, should not be viewed as a “black box”. The robot teach pendant can be very intimidating to a machine operator whom is not familiar with robotics and is accustomed to operating machinery through an HMI. However, if integrated correctly, a machine operator does not have to use the robot teach pendent to operate the machine. With the correct integration of the controls, all the functionality of the cell can be done thru the HMI for the entire cell including the robot. A PLC can operate the machine and communicate thru the robot with Ethernet, which allows all the messaging, and commands to be driven from the HMI. This makes the system very intuitive for the operator to function with.
Packagers with little or no experience in robotics are recommended to partner with an experienced robotic systems integrator. The integrator can help assist with the system layout, functionality, and equipment selection to avoid costly rework, start-up delays, and training.