Posted to News on 31st Aug 2013, 16:59
Collaborative robot installed on automotive cylinder head line
Volkswagen has integrated a collaborative robotic arm within a cylinder head assembly line, where it is responsible for installing delicate glow plugs. This is the first unguarded collaborative robot in use at Volkswagen worldwide.
The Volkswagen plant in Salzgitter, covering an area of 2,800,000 square metres, is one of the largest engine production plants in the world. Some 6000 employees manufacture approximately 7000 petrol and diesel engines in over 370 variants every day. The three- to 16-cylinder engines are installed in the various models and brands of the Volkswagen group.
Volkswagen recently deployed a collaborative industrial robotic arm from Universal Robots in the cylinder head assembly section of the plant for inserting glow plugs into the cylinder heads. Because of its integrated safety mode (conforming with EN ISO 10218), the industrial robot is able to work within the close vicinity of humans. It is equipped with a collaborative gripper, which the system integrator Faude Automatisierungstechnik has developed exclusively for Volkswagen and which meets the safety requirements of ISO/TS 15066, the specification for collaborating robots. The robot could therefore be integrated into the production line without additional protective guarding.
Jrgen Hfner, the project manager at Volkswagen's Salzgitter plant, explains: "We would like to ensure an ergonomic workplace layout to benefit our employees in all areas of our company. By using robots without guards they can work together hand-in-hand with the robot. In this way, the robot becomes a production assistant in the manufacturing process and, as such, can release staff from ergonomically unfavourable work."
Working methods
Previously glow plugs had been inserted manually into difficult-to-view holes in the cylinder heads, requiring operatives to adopt astooping posture. This process has now been taken over by the six-axis UR5 lightweight robot from Universal Robots. It carefully picks up the delicate glow plugs and places them into the cylinder head. An employee is then responsible for tightening the glow plugs and for insulating the cylinder head, which is required for the next step in production. Thanks to the direct joint working with the robot, which acts as an assistant, the employee can carry out these activities in an upright, ergonomic posture, and can keep a constant watch over the process and intervene quickly if necessary.
Thomas Visti, Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Universal Robots, says: "We are delighted with the successful implementation of this unprecedented project and with the fact that our robots can contribute towards ergonomic work processes. This was able to be accomplished mainly due to the result-oriented and constructive co-operation between Volkswagen and our partner Faude Automatisierungstechnik."
Go to www.universal-robots.com for more information about collaborative robots and other lightweight, cost-effective six-axis robots from Universal Robots.
