switch to robots seminar presentation november 2015

Making the switch to robotsWhy it pays and how to do it

Mike Wilson, 12th November 2015

Agenda

09:30 – 10:00 Registration, Tea & Coffee10:00 – 10:10 Making the switch to robots – why it pays and how to do it

10:10 – 10:30 How to decide if you need flexible automation

10:30 – 10:40 Break

10:40 – 11:10 How to decide whether a robot could be beneficial

11:10 – 11:30 On the shop floor – How UK companies have made the switch to robots

11:30 – 12:45 DEMONSTRATIONS12:45 – 13:30 Lunch

13:30 – 14:00 How to create a flexible automation strategy

14:00 – 14:30 Making a case to the FD - how to justify the potential ROI on an investment in robot automation

14:30 – 15:00 Conclusions & Q&A

ABB Ltd – Robotics UK & Ireland Milton Keynes

Welcome to Auriga House We hope that you have a safe and enjoyable visit

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Making the switch to robotsWhy it pays and how to do it

Mike Wilson, 12h November 2015

UK manufacturing is alive

The UK manufacturing sector is enjoying a resurgence

Accounts for 11% of UK GDP, employing around 2.6 million people

UK car factories produced 1.5m vehicles in 2014 – highest since 2007

Improved political and economic environment is providing more stable environment for growth

© ABB Group May 1, 2023 | Slide 9

Growing competition from overseas Employment is up but productivity is down Rising costs (energy & materials) Skills shortage – 257,000 vacancies in engineering practices by 2022

We cannot keep doing the same.... Use resources effectively (apply lean engineering) Use labour effectively

Not tied to machines Use skills and attributes of staff

Automation is well suited to repetitive, mundane and arduous tasksBut ....

Fighting the challenges

UK invests far less in robots

IFR World Robotics report - 2014

Robot density in non-automotive sectors(Number of robots per 10,000 employees)

154

133113

72 66

28

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

Germany Sweden Italy Spain France UK

Investing in a robot system is no different to any major capital project

The main hurdle is a lack of awareness about what a robot can do

Robot performance has been greatly enhanced in key areas such as speed, accuracy and force control

BUT – any decision to implement a robotic system needs to be carefully planned

You must understand your process fully and how a robot, or any other form of automation could be beneficial

Changing from ‘no robots’ to ‘pro robots’

Common perceptions

“Robots are great for the automotive industry but not for us!”

“ We are a niche business – we need flexibility” (product)“ Our work load varies – we need flexibility” (labour)“ We do not have the skills” “ We are too small”“ Robots are too expensive”“ Our workforce will not accept them”

Shifting perceptionsChanging the mindset

All Party Parliamentary Manufacturing Group (APMG) identified a cultural resistance to automation in the UK

‘Making Good’ report reveals risk aversion at management level, especially around long-term investment

Germany in particular shows what can be achieved by investing in the latest production technologies

Not just for big companiesProviding the proof

Growing number of UK automation success stories

Strong management with long term strategy

Not just automotive industry Well-executed projects Providing excellent performance Users gaining competitive advantage Good financial returns Leading to growth (and more jobs)

How to decide if you need Flexible Automation

A manufacturing system capable of reacting to changes The term ‘Flexible’ can be applied to two categories:

Machine flexibility - to produce new product types Routing flexibility - ability to absorb large-scale

changes, such as volume, capacity, or capability

What is a flexible automation system?

Why is now a good time for flexible automation?

UK banks are keen to invest in SMEs Banks are incentivised under

‘Funding for Lending Scheme’ High success rate for companies

requesting loans: 80% - 90% for SMEs* Q2 2015 saw 31,500 approvals*

UK Govt has identified robotics as 1 of 8 key technologies

*(source British Banker’s Assoc Q2 SME statistics)

Benefits of flexible automationPotential improvements

Improved productivity Increased yield Improved utilisation of other

equipment Better utilisation of space and

energy Better utilisation of staff

Consistent high quality Minimised damage & breakages Less waste and rework

Benefits of flexible automationPotential improvements

Improved competitiveness and.... Flexibility - quick changeovers,

product redesign Extendable production hours Improved health and safety More rewarding jobs

What would you like to improve?

The lean manufacturing philosophy focuses on reduction of seven manufacturing-related wastes:

1. Overproduction

2. Excessive movement throughout a process which is not required to build an item

3. Delays between production steps

4. Excess inventory

5. Excessive movement of people or equipment than is required in the processing of a part

6. Over-processing of parts

7. Finding and fixing defects

Automation is the next step

Lean manufacturing

Think carefully before opting for any form of flexible automation If badly planned, it can actually speed up the creation of waste Understanding what you need means understanding what you

already have, including your people Essential to spend time at the planning stage and to make sure

that you fully understand: Both the STRENGTHS and WEAKNESSES of your current

process Any gaps or areas for improvement that could be served by

automation The human variable

Robots are the ultimate in flexible automation

How to decide if you need flexible automation

How to decide whether a robot could be beneficial

“If you need a machine and don't buy it, then you will ultimately find that you have paid for it, but don't have it”

Henry Ford

The cost of not automating

New developments in technology are opening up new opportunities

Force control Vision Offline programming Tooling Cleanroom and washdown

Robot costs are falling while their performance is growing

Could you benefit from a robot?

Some key questions to ask

What are you going to make? Are your products and processes appropriate for robot automation?

How do you really make it?

How long are you going to make it for?

How will you justify the investment? Robot automation provides many benefits, but these need to be quantified in financial terms to gain the support of your financial director

Which areas in your current process could be improved?

Disadvantages Advantages

Weighing up the pros and cons of robot automation

Enhanced productivity through increased speeds

Robots can work constantly without a break

Consistent productivity irrespective of repetitiveness

Simultaneous, synchronised production when using two or more robots

Significantly reduced cycle times

Better worker utilisation

Productivity

Vision – robots can ‘see’ a part and can identify potential issues – e.g. incorrect orientation, faults

Force control – robots have increased ability to ‘feel’, improving control over the application of force during the production or handling of a part

Productivity – technological developments

Synchronised movement – enables multiple robots to operate together with no risk of collision

Safety – developments in control technology help restrict speed and movement in the presence of a human operator

Productivity – technological developments

HSE statistics: 13,713 non-fatal injuries and

72,000 self-reported injuries in manufacturing in 2012 / 13

Estimated 3.1 million working days lost, equating to 1.2 days per worker

Over 30% of workplace are related to manual handling, especially heavy lifting

Health and Safety

Robots can take over unpleasant, arduous or health-threatening tasks

Heavy lifting Repetitive tasks Contaminated environments

(solvents, noise, heat, dust) Jobs requiring continuously high

levels of concentration

Health and Safety

For certain tasks robots can be superior to humans in terms of the quality of the work that is produced

Improvements are typically achieved through:

High positioning precision High repeatability No deviation due to fatigue Accurate inspection and

measurement using sensors

Quality

Key areas where robots could help to make better use of resources:

Machines People Space

Less time waiting between processes improves output

Reduced need for operator supervision

Improved performance can reduce need for additional machinery, freeing up space

Resource utilisation

Resource utilisation – machine tending example

Husqvarna in Sweden operates 10 machines used in the production of components for its chainsaw products

Each machine had to be individually supervised

Operators also needed to manually load and unload the machines


Production line was upgraded with modular material handling robot cells

Enabled one robot to be used for two machines

Improved efficiency has achieved 5 hours ‘free’ production with no manpower needed


ROI achieved in 3 months

On the shop floorHow UK companies have made the switch to robots work for them

Mike Wilson, 12th November 2015

Application example

Application – handling and cutting Materials handling and sprue cutting of plastic injection moulded parts including badges, pendants, pencil toppers and fridge magnets

“It’s a bit like the elves and the shoemaker – we arrive in

the morning and the work has been done.”

Andy Knight, Director, CHX Products

Key benefits Lights out operation Significant reduction in waste Lower production costs improved

competitiveness 33,000 pieces produced per day Estimated ROI of 18 months

CHX Products, Somerset, UK

Application before switching to robots

Application after switching to robots

Application example

Application – weldingABB’s FlexArc cell used for complex welding operations in production of articulated hedge cutting attachments for tractors

“Having a combination of automated and manual

production facilities really gives us the best of both

worlds.”Michael Scarfe,

Manufacturing Manager, Shelbourne Reynolds

Key drivers Skilled workers can be used for other

production processes Reduced welding times by 66 percent Improved product quality to a stronger

and more aesthetic standard Increased flexibility – cell is also used

for grain strippers and subassemblies for combine harvester heads

Shelbourne Reynolds, Suffolk, UK

Application example

“Turnaround time has been dramatically reduced

between products and as a result we can meet our

customer’s tight deadlines without delay.”

William Eid, Director, Honeytop Speciality Foods Ltd

Application – food & beverageFour FlexPicker IRB 360 robots with integrated vision software are used for the picking and stacking of pancakes.

Honeytop Speciality Foods, Bedfordshire, UK

Key drivers and benefits Increased process speeds – 110

picks per minute Significantly improved hygiene levels Reduced wastage - robots keep

pancakes on a buffer shelf until a short stack is identified

Greater flexibility; PickMaster 3.2 allows quick product changeover

How to create a Flexible Automation Strategy

How to create a Flexible Automation strategySetting your expectations

Don’t set your targets too high Go for the ‘low hanging fruit’, even if it

might mean a longer payback Recognise there is a learning curve If you try to do the hard thing first,

then the learning curve will be steeper Find other people or organisations

that have done it before

Cost of automationLook beyond the short term

Significant upfront costs but… Operates reliably every hour and every day Provides opportunity for unmanned operations Maximises utilisation of other machines Allows staff to be utilised where their skills and attributes

are more effective Manual operations often do not add value to product

Produces high quality for many years (often >10 years) In the last 15 years, labour cost has doubled, whilst robot

cost has halved

What are you looking to achieve? What is it you want to change? Where are you now? Where do you want to get to? How efficient are you now and how efficient do you want to be? Do you have the right processes / equipment to achieve your

long term goals? How could automation help you to improve your performance? Where could automation best be deployed within your process? What would be the nature of this automation?

The starting pointSome points to consider

What ROI are you looking for?

Developing a solution

Initial concept design

Controls and Safety

Testing and simulation

Refining the concept

Obtain all relevant drawings and documentation on the parts being produced / handled, together with basic details of the process itself

Obtain an understanding of the most important parameters

Discuss the application with the person(s) currently performing it

Define the working conditions that the robot would be expected to handle

Define the efficiency level(s) that the robot is expected to operate at

From this, you can then define a target cycle time

Stage 1. Developing a solution



Controls and Safety



Use outline concepts based on previous installations

Thought processes will differ according to the application

Consider other factors – e.g. additional equipment needed for the application and / or the parts being produced or handled

Use experts / suppliers

Stage 2. Initial concept design



Controls and Safety



Safety must be considered at start Guarding must protect against risk

inside and outside of working area The automation should stop if

operator enters at wrong time Access points should be included for

maintenance Number of points will vary according

to size of system and the equipment within it

Stage 3. Controls and safety

May also need to consider use of PLC and associated Human Machine Interface (HMI)

In the event of stoppages, HMI can show where problem occurred, enabling quick corrective action

Key considerations: Where to locate the control panel

housing the PLC Number of HMIs and where they

will be located

Stage 3. Controls and safety



Controls and Safety



Testing can show whether a proposed solution will work

Testing may be: Actual to prove the process; or A simulation to demonstrate reach

and cycle time Testing should be as realistic as

possible Simulation can be kinematic or a

discrete event simulation

Stage 4. Testing and simulation

Full 3D model of the robotic cell can be created

Model can include grippers, torches, positioners, guarding, CAD models of the parts to be processed

Robot(s) can be programmed and complete cycle simulated

Ideal way of assessing cycle times and testing scenarios

Can be used to create the final robot program, reducing programming time

Stage 4. Kinematic simulation

Can model a complete facility Simulation models inputs, outputs,

cycle times and efficiencies of each operation

Includes resource requirements and interactions with other operations

Model can be used to predict bottlenecks, effects of changes in resources, impact of new equipment, or impact of downtime

Stage 4. Discrete event simulation



Controls and Safety



After steps 1-4, may need to further refine the solution

Issues to be considered: Flexibility – is it worth adding

flexibility for future changes? Changeover – should tooling

changeovers be manual or automated?

Will the robot(s) be fully utilised? Should you add other tasks within

its workload?

Stage 5. Refining the concept

Input / Output to and from the system – is the product able to be handled manually?

Does there need to be access for an operator?

Is there enough room for the system?

Can it be installed alongside existing equipment?

Stage 5. Refining the concept

Consider overall efficiency of the system and efficiency of the elements within it

Will the target efficiency be achieved? Extra robots and equipment may be

needed to achieve target throughput Or buffers could be included at input

and output to allow system to catch up

Stage 5. Refining the concept – overall efficiency

Need to take account of cost savings to calculate a potential ROI

Adding flexibility and / or other equipment into the system will impact on cost

May be possible to modify the concept to reduce costs

Suppliers may be able to help identify lower cost alternatives

Stage 5. Refining the concept – calculating the cost

How to do a quick financial analysis

Increase the chance of a ‘yes’ from senior management

Start with the budget cost for the automation system

Develop an initial concept and the anticipated cost of achieving it

Involve suppliers to discuss and refine ideas and advise on costs

Once the concept is defined, it will be possible to calculate the direct labour savings that will result


To determine the payback, divide the estimated cost of the system by the total saving

This payback can be compared to the company’s target payback period


http://new.abb.com/products/robotics/roi-calculator

Making a case to the FD How to justify the potential ROI on an investment in robot automation



Controls and Safety



START AGAIN

Keep going to build the most convincing case for your FD

Make sure you have the right budget

Ensure your estimate is sufficient to cover everything you want to do

Get the right budget for the right system so that it will do what you want

If you don’t justify enough then you won’t have enough money

Likely you will end up buying something cheap and won’t get the right financial return

Why it pays to be realistic

1. Reduce operating costs

2. Improve product quality and consistency

3. Improve quality of work for employees

4. Increase production output

5. Increase product manufacturing flexibility

6. Reduce material waste and increase yield

7. Comply with safety rules and improve workplace health and safety

8. Reduce labour turnover and difficulty of recruiting workers

9. Reduce capital costs

10. Save space in high value manufacturing areas

Making a case to the FDThe 10 reasons to use robots

“What would you like to improve?”

Application – machine tendingTwo robot cells handle loading / unloading of automatic grinding machines used to fettle castings

“We’re keen to find other ways that we can apply robots to

improve productivity and efficiency in the foundry.”

Gary Gee, Engineering Manager, Chamberlin & Hill

Robot cells double production output at foundryChamberlin & Hill, Walsall, UK

Key benefits Production throughput increased from

110 castings to 200 castings per hour Equates to increase from 8-10 tonnes

to 23 tonnes per day Increased production also helped to

improve delivery performance

Application – palletisingIRB6640 robot handles an average of 1,680 bags of aggregate per day

“The whole installation only took a week. I expected about three

weeks of messing about and settling in, but in the end there

was hardly any downtime.”Howard White, Southern Area Manager,

CED Stone Group

Robot improves worker safety for aggregates producerCED Stone Group, Essex, UK

Key benefits Massive boost in productivity – from

4,000 bags stacked manually over seven months to 1,680 per day

Manual workers relieved of their duties to hand stack the 25kg sacks

Application – food & beverageABB IRB 340 FlexPicker robots with integrated vision pick and place the raw cheeses into trays ready for wrapping

“Since installing the ABB robots, production errors have been

greatly reduced, cutting wastage and increasing yield on our

products.”Tony Helyar, Engineering & Business

Development Manager, Illchester Cheese Ltd

Picking robots reduce wastage for cheese producerIlchester Cheese, Ilchester, UK

Key benefits Improved consistency and efficiency System returns wrongly sized

cheeses for re-cutting Production errors have been

minimised, reducing wastage and increasing yields

Proving ROI is a major hurdle Decision to approve investment often

includes senior management, including finance

Need to present the case for investment in a language they can understand

Payback is NOT just about labour savings – is often possible to identify other savings as well that can produce a strong ROI

Making a case to the FD “What ROI are you looking for?”

What is the company’s attitude to automation?

Will automation confer a competitive advantage?

What is the driver for the investment?

Have you set aside enough? (for both current and future needs)

What is the technical risk? Is the solution flexible? Is the solution future proofed?

Other factors to consider

ConclusionHow to justify the potential ROI on an investment in robot automation

Conclusion

Manufacturing must be competitive 3 Pillars for success

Product & process innovation Effective organisation (lean

engineering) Capital investment (equipment)

Success requires investment in equipment

Flexible automation - robotics is a key element

Disadvantages Advantages

Weighing up the pros and cons of robotic automationHow an Automation Strategy can help tackle the cons

Automation strategy – why it pays to have one

Helps to set a direction for training and skills

Selection of suppliers / long term partnerships

Investment in the business indicates confidence

Helps to look to the longer term – it’s too late to automate when you already have the job – need to have it ready before

Can be useful when seeking finance

Any questions?


Agenda

09:30 – 10:00 Registration, Tea & Coffee10:00 – 10:10 Making the switch to robots – why it pays and how to do it

10:10 – 10:30 How to decide if you need flexible automation

10:30 – 10:40 Break

10:40 – 11:10 How to decide whether a robot could be beneficial

11:10 – 11:30 On the shop floor – How UK companies have made the switch to robots

11:30 – 12:45 DEMONSTRATIONS12:45 – 13:30 Lunch

13:30 – 14:00 How to create a flexible automation strategy

14:00 – 14:30 Making a case to the FD - how to justify the potential ROI on an investment in robot automation

14:30 – 15:00 Conclusions & Q&A