Cobots for quality inspection

Fifteen UR3e cobots from Universal Robots have been installed in new production cells for autonomous manufacture of breakstem fasteners, reducing production costs by approximately 10% and shortenening lead times by up to 70%. They are producing approximately 350 million fasteners per annum from across the company’s product range.
 
The new cells fully integrate four previously independent processes, improving conditions for machine operators by eliminating 5.5 million pounds of manual handling per year. Within the manufacturing process a UR3e cobot randomly selects a component for batch sampling and performs a pre-programmed quality inspection. This involves degreasing, drying, deburring and feature inspection through a digital micrometer. The cobot then performs an automated destructive test by placing the part in a Stanley Smart Gun to record the break load of the components.
 
Vitalij Rodnov, advanced manufacturing engineer at Stanley Engineered Fastening said: “We needed to increase throughput and productivity in order to meet demand across our fastener product range. Freeing up our machine operators from this repetitive task allows them to add more value elsewhere in the process, delivering better profitability and shorter lead times.”
 
“Stanley Engineered Fastening is a great example of a company smartly using collaborative automation to make its business more successful and resilient”, said Mark Gray, country manager, UK & Ireland at Universal Robots. “Our cobots are helping transform so many organisations whose potential would otherwise be constrained by labour shortages, limited production space or rising production costs.”

www.universal-robots.com