Robot helps protect humans from RSI risks
March 1st 2007

Three powerful robots are protecting human workers from the risks of repetitive strain injuries at a manufacturer of suspended flooring panels.

Suspended flooring systems are frequently used in new-build offices and other working environments where computers are used. The space beneath the floors allows cabling to be run freely to each workstation without looking unsightly or causing a trip hazard.

Access to the cabling is by lifting one or more panels, a procedure so simple that it does not hamper the regular reconfiguration and update needed by professional computer networks.

The robots are RV12SLs, the largest and most powerful made by Mitsubishi Electric, and installed by systems integrator Barr & Paatz.

The panels are made of steel clad chipboard and weigh 12kg each. Originally a conveyor belt collected them from the production cells, transporting them to the packing area, where they would be manually stacked 38 high onto fork lift truck pallets.

Sterling Paatz, who led the design and installation team, says "This was hard physical labour.

The first few panes onto the pallets had the operatives bending over, and the last few had them stretching up. Additionally, every other panel has to be inverted so that the polished steel surfaces face each other, rather than risk them being scratched by contact with the chipboard side." The Mitsubishi RV12SL robots have a payload of 14kg and reach of 1.4m, so are able to cope comfortably with the panels and, with six axes of motion, the manipulation was easily accomplished.

The company offers a wide range of articulated-arm robots, from small units that can be installed directly next to or inside machinery and systems for handling small components, to the mighty RV-Series.

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