Collaborating robots
Put in the right light
As part of the preparations for the launch of a new range of LED street lighting products, Betacom has developed a solution based on UR robots together with Design Energy. The collaborative robots enable the company to execute new, larger orders with precision.
The New Zealand company Betacom develops lighting solutions that are used in systems for roads, paths and other surfaces. Even small causes such as a human fingerprint can affect the performance of the product. Manual work is counterproductive. So the New Zealanders turned to Design Energy to develop a solution based on Universal Robots' UR10. With the flexible, easy-to-program robot and a range of different tools, the LED lighting products can be manufactured quickly and efficiently. Using a multi-head vacuum gripper, the UR10 removes a circuit board from the assembly rack and places it on an aluminum support. It then picks up six LED lenses and positions them on the PCB. In the final step, the robot attaches the lenses and the PCB to the aluminum support using a pneumatic magazine screwdriver.
LEDs and lenses do not need to be touched during production, which virtually eliminates contamination. "Using the UR robot has allowed us to automate the production process while maintaining the clean environment as minimal human intervention is required," says Mike Shatford from Design Energy. He implemented the automation solution on behalf of Betacom and sees clear benefits in the use of robots: "Universal Robots' technology has revolutionized the manufacturing process, especially for products that require fast, precise and constant movements." For Betacom, ease of operation was a decisive criterion. The fact that UR robots can work directly next to humans without a protective housing after a risk analysis has been completed was also convincing. "Betacom was pleased with the ease of use and the safety features, which really appealed to them," says Shatford. ee
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