If your shop is like that of most sheet metal fabricators, it’s probably struggling to find machine operators. And, like an increasing number of manufacturing companies, you may have turned to automation as a panacea.
Maybe it was an investment in a robotic welding cell – man, that thing lays down a beautiful bead. And the laser cutter you purchased last year came with a six-level tower that handles all the sheet loading while the press brake across from it has been pumping out parts like crazy since you added one of those collaborative robots a few months ago. The department head even mounted a webcam nearby so the team can take turns keeping an eye on it after everyone has gone home for the night.
The salesperson called it a cobot, but now the workers are arguing whether to name it Sir Bendsworth or Count Clampula. You couldn’t care less what they call it. To you, it’s revenue the shop would never have realized otherwise. Now, you’re thinking about that C-frame press in the corner. After all, why should the welders and laser cutters have all the fun?
More importantly, perhaps you can pick up some additional lights-out time like you did with the press brake. There’s that huge order from John Deere that the robot or cobot or whatever you call it can run at night while your flesh and blood workers take care of the low-volume stuff during the day. Maybe they’ll name it Señor Stamps-a-Lot.
Flexibility matters
None of the preceding scenario is unusual. Will Healy, global industry manager for fabricated metals with Universal Robots (UR), explains that today’s sheet metal shops are diversifying, often running multiple processes under one roof.
“Most shops I visit have both stamping presses and press brakes,” he says. “They’re also adding lasers, welding cells, and even CNC turning and milling machines, all in an effort to become more vertically integrated and avoid having to subcontract work to other shops. Automation becomes the next logical step to stay competitive.”
Healy should know. He has broad experience in this industry sector and suggests that many fabricators and stamping houses – especially job shops and others engaged in smaller quantity, non-automotive manufacturing – were “left behind” in the first automation wave. High-mix, low-volume work didn’t make sense for robots before, but the technology has finally caught up. “Collaborative systems now meet shops where they are,” he says.
Granted, Healy is a fan of all things cobotic. He contrasts the “hard” industrial automation used around transfer presses and fixed robotic cells with systems that are more flexible and easier to implement while also friendlier than traditional industrial robots.
“For example, in a transfer system or any other high-volume robotic application, the automation is locked in – it can only do what it’s programmed to do,” he explains. “But whether it’s tending a stamping press, press brake or bandsaw, a cobot lets you use that asset in different ways. You can roll the cobot in when you need it, move it out of the way for short runs, even knock out a quick prototype to win the next job. That flexibility matters, especially when every dollar of your automation investment has to work across multiple machines.”
Keeping up
And yet, anyone shopping for a cobot might hear comments suggesting that “friendly and flexible” equates to “slower and less accurate” than a so-called industrial robot. Not so, says Healy, at least not anymore.
“If we’d had this discussion two years ago, those arguments might have held water, but that’s all changed,” he says.
He points to the sixth-generation UR Series as proof, a fast yet friendly droid he describes as “an industrial robot with collaborative features,” one that rivals traditional robots in payload, reach and joint speed while remaining light enough to move between machines.
“A UR15 weighs about 40 kg,” Healy says. “By comparison, an industrial robot with the same reach and payload can weigh three to five times that. And because F = ma, less mass means faster movement with less force. You get speed without sacrificing safety.”
That combination of power and portability is what makes cobots so appealing to small and medium-sized manufacturers. Operators can reposition or reconfigure them without a forklift, transitioning from a press brake to a stamping press or wash station in minutes.
“That’s really the secret,” he adds. “The UR Series is fast, precise, and strong, but with a risk assessment, it can still be safe enough to work side by side with people.”
At the risk of rubbing salt in the skilled labor wound described earlier, many shops also face frequent turnover. Because of this, new operators often have to learn robot setup and programming on the job. The pressure is high to get them producing parts quickly, but few shop owners and supervisors want to spend training dollars on someone who might only be around for a few months.
UR’s cobotic offering helps to eliminate much of this angst, says Healy. Thanks to what’s known in automation circles as power and force limiting technology, the arm stops instead of damaging an expensive die, smashing a gripper or sending an operator to the emergency room. This capability not only makes cobots safer than their industrial counterparts but also easier to teach.
Making it work
The result? A system that Healy suggests is more forgiving and friendly than a traditional industrial robot, but can now compete in the same arena.
“There’s no need for a full-time programmer or automation engineer in many applications,” he explains. “Instead of writing code or wading through complex control panels and teach pendants, an operator can simply guide the robot arm by hand to record its movements, then fine-tune the path on a touchscreen.”
This card-carrying member of the cobot fan club concludes with one final piece of advice: Don’t go it alone. Healy and his team have seen too many shops attempt to install robots themselves, only to discover that integration, programming and safety compliance are tougher to achieve than they initially appear. His recommendation? Find a partner who understands your process and can help you get it right the first time.
“Automation isn’t a solo sport,” he says. “The right partner can turn a good idea into a reliable, predictable and, above all, safe production system.”
Regardless of whether folks want to go it alone or work with a robot system integrator, the best chance to realize the success and ROI from an automation investment is to have a champion in your company – someone identified as owning the automation and who can help adapt to new parts and cross-train others in the organization.
From Healy’s experience, manufacturers who empower a champion have a much higher success rate than those that make the hardware investment but fail to take the people investment seriously. The champion should spend time talking with the production staff, understand the processes that exist both before and after the process to be automated, and then be involved in selecting and deploying automation technology.
“An added bonus is if the champion comes from the shop floor, someone who already knows the people and processes,” he says, then points out how cobots can be a powerful recruitment and retention tool for fabricators.
One example comes from Processed Metal Innovators in Wisconsin. Erik Larson, vice president of operations, has discovered how robots appeal to younger workers who are often hard to hire for manufacturing positions and even harder to retain once onboard.
“Soon after installing our first robots, we began looking for someone who could fill a robotics and technology lead position,” Larson says. “We quickly found that many of our younger employees were interested in applying. They enjoy smartphones and computers, so it’s only natural that they’d also like an opportunity to work with and program robots.”
The path forward
Both gentlemen are keenly aware of the pressure facing stamping and fabricating shops today. Between the chronic skilled labor shortage, dramatic variation in part shapes and lot sizes, and revenue streams built on razor-thin margins, it’s often challenging to convince shop owners to automate, no matter how badly it’s needed.
For starters, you often handle parts that vary dramatically in size and shape, which means the end-of-arm tooling requires frequent adjustments or even replacements. On top of that, you need easy access in and out of the press – not just to set up the robot and swap dies, but also to run the machine manually for prototyping or for parts that simply don’t make sense to automate.
For those who decide to automate, he adds, do your homework first. There’s plenty of learning material available, starting with the Universal Robots Academy. Also, don’t hesitate to reach out to other shop owners and production managers who’ve already made the leap. Ask questions, learn all you can and, as Healy is quick to point out, find a qualified A3-certified integrator to support you and your team on the journey.
Once you’ve done all that, the key is to find a family of parts large enough to keep a single press busy.
“That’s how you make it work,” Healy says. “Find a product group that fills 75 or 80 percent of that machine’s capacity, then work with your partner to develop automation that matches the intended mix of parts. That way, they’ll understand the challenges you’re facing and what you’re trying to accomplish. It’s the best way to ensure a successful, profitable outcome and to be ready for the next project. Because there will be another. The country’s need for automation will only grow as more manufacturing returns to the United States.”
