Brady Schuerman (right) and Ethan Smith of JMP Solutions delivered a tag team presentation on robotic applications to attending ISA members at our September 18 meeting held at Rumsey. Schuerman began by naming the common plant robotic functions, which include packaging and palletizing, food processing, tube and pipe metalworking, and machine tending. He noted that people tend to think and solve problems related to work while robots make consistent repetitive movements.

In carrying out robotic applications Schuerman said that good communication between the client and project team is extremely important for success. The project manager must develop a clear scope of the application, paying attention to the client’s throughput metrics and worker safety. To meet schedules the manager must identify the purchased items on the critical path that can create holdups. Some level of contingency helps in making deadlines. Also team members who can envision what can go wrong are helpful.

Both Schuerman and Smith continued by showing and explaining videos of actual applications that illustrate robotic project trends. One automotive video, for example, showed a robot picking up a spare tire and placing it in the trunk of a car on an assembly line. It was an example of a robot collaborating with a human. The robot lifts and places the heavy tire. Rounded and padded edges as well as force sensors protect the collaborating worker. A convenient pushbutton restarts the robot if it’s stopped for safety or other reasons.

Other videos illustrated vision guided robots, tube and pipe threading and inspection, light detection and ranging, auto-guided vehicles, food handling (corn dogs and muffin packaging), automatic food processing washdowns, and high payload (entire car) manipulation.

The presenters noted that the technology is advancing so fast that regulatory bodies can’t keep up to produce standards. Vendors step in to fill the vacuum.