Deploying Robotic Cells PDF

2/14/23 DEPLOYING ROBOTIC CELLS IE454 Industrial Robots Dr. Majed Moosa Week 11 1 DEPLOYING YOUR ROBOTIC CELL Let’s start by looking at the complete robotic cell deployment cycle, as shown in the following figure.. Overview of phases in the lean robotics cell deployment sequence. 2 1 2/14/23...

2/14/23 DEPLOYING ROBOTIC CELLS IE454 Industrial Robots Dr. Majed Moosa Week 11 1 DEPLOYING YOUR ROBOTIC CELL Let’s start by looking at the complete robotic cell deployment cycle, as shown in the following figure.. Overview of phases in the lean robotics cell deployment sequence. 2 1 2/14/23 PREPARE PHASE: Zero Phase! ■ When you decide to deploy a robotic cell, it’s usually because you’re aiming to solve some issues in your company regarding productivity, quality, or output capacity. ■ In the project definition phase, you should identify the scope of your project . This includes: • The specific manual cell you intend to automate. • The metrics you want to improve. • A timeline for the project. ■ Once these have been defined, the next steps are to assemble your team and communicate these goals before you officially launch the project. 3 0.1 ASSEMBLE THE TEAM 4 2 2/14/23 ASSEMBLE THE TEAM BUT, Remember that sometimes the job title alone doesn’t capture all the responsibilities of a role. In these cases, people might overlook some crucial tasks. 5 0.2 EXPLAIN THE PROJECT One of your most important jobs is to explain what’s happening with the robotic cell deployment in a way that’s compelling yet free of problems. 1. START BY GATHERING THE INFORMATION • Why - Figure out why the company is investing in robotics before you discuss how you’ll go about doing it. When people understand the “why,” they’ll be able to better contribute to the “how.” • Scope—What is the cell (or activities in a cell) to be automated? Where does the cell start and end, in terms of the production process? • Schedule—On what (target) date will the cell be up and running? How about the main steps in between—when will they be completed? • Roles—Who will be assigned to each task? What is each person responsible for, exactly? 6 3 2/14/23 0.2 EXPLAIN THE PROJECT 2. DEVELOP A STRATEGY FOR ANSWERING QUESTIONS Typical questions might be: • Will I be safe around the robot? • What will I do during the project? • If the robot does this task, will there be anything left for me to do? • Are you planning to lay off all the employees? 7 0.2 EXPLAIN THE PROJECT 3. LAY THE GROUNDWORK WITH MOBILIZERS ■ Whenever a project is being “sold” internally, mobilizers are the people with the biggest influence on project dynamics. ■ The goal here is to prevent yourself from hosting a meeting to announce the project where all your employees hear is “Robots are coming whether we like it or not.” 8 4 2/14/23 0.2 EXPLAIN THE PROJECT 4. ANNOUNCE THE PROJECT ■ At the kickoff session, you’ll present the integration project as a mission to be accomplished. ■ Gather everyone involved in the project, and explain what each person (or team) will work on and why it’s important. ■ It is a good idea to meet where the action will take place, namely the relevant station on the factory floor. ■ This is where you’ll present that information you prepared earlier (in the “gather information” step). ■ Remember that your audience might not have the same background information as you, so avoid jargon, particularly when it comes to technical terms. 9 PHASE 1: DESIGN In this section, you’ll be working through the following steps: A. Manual task map and layout B. Robotic task map and layout C. Manual-robotic comparison D. Finalize the robotic cell concept 10 5 2/14/23 PHASE 1: DESIGN When you’ve completed the previous steps, what you’ll have is the design phase’s output : • The robotic cell plan • The equipment for the robotic cell— delivered and ready to be assembled Design phase overview. 11 PHASE 1: DESIGN ■ Let’s start with those two “mapping” steps, manual task mapping and robotic task mapping. These maps have the same underlying philosophy as lean manufacturing’s concept of value stream mapping ■ In lean manufacturing, every improvement project starts with a map of the current value stream 12 6 2/14/23 Example of a simplified value stream map. 13 PHASE 1: DESIGN Using the previous figure as an example, here’s how the map is created: 1. Identify who the customer is for a specific process and how the customer defines value. In this example, the “customer” is the shipping department. What the shipping department needs is 50 parts a day. 2. Break the process down into its various steps. Within each step, identify valueadded and non-value-added tasks, and measure how long they take. There are three main steps in our example: blank preparation, machining and quality assurance. For each of them, it’s possible to measure the time of valueadded tasks and of non-value-added tasks. The time to transport the parts from one step to another is also noted. A line at the bottom of the map illustrates the total cycle time of each step and the value-added time portion of it. 14 7 2/14/23 PHASE 1: DESIGN Using the previous figure as an example, here’s how the map is created: 3. Describe what (and how) information is transmitted among the different participants in the value creation chain. In this particular machine shop, the production control will receive information electronically from the shipping department requesting the parts. This in turn will send information electronically to the warehouse team so they will prepare their delivery to the blank preparation operator. The machining center sends back some information to the production control electronically for traceability purposes. 15 PHASE 1: DESIGN § Once you have the initial value stream map, you can create a new map of the ideal process. The “current” map and the “ideal” map are the basis of your project plan. § That’s exactly what we’re going to do for your robotic cell. In lean robotics, the “current” map is of the manual task map, and the “ideal” map is of the robotic task map. § The manual task map will be your starting point for understanding how the existing output is produced. Then your robotic task map will define how the robot can produce your desired output. • Once you have the two maps, you can proceed to the manual-robotic comparison step, where you’ll find out what you need to do to transition to a robotic cell. 16 8 2/14/23 A. MANUAL TASK MAP AND LAYOUT ■ One trap we too often fall into is starting to look for a solution without having clearly defined the problem. ■ We jump back and forth between trying to understand the current process and suggesting technical ways to accomplish it with a robot, which very soon becomes confusing. ■ We should start by doing the manual task map, which is a static snapshot of the starting point from which we will work to improve. ■ Manual task mapping is a lot of work up front, but it will save you far more work down the road by letting you see the problem more clearly and have all the important information at hand. ■ By documenting the manual task first, you’re helping break a bigger problem down into a set of smaller problems. 17 A. MANUAL TASK MAPPING STEPS ■ The manual task mapping process is like taking the value stream map and zooming in on a particular manual station. Manual task map and layout steps shown in overall design phase sequence. 18 9 2/14/23 A. MANUAL TASK MAPPING STEPS 1. IDENTIFY CELL CUSTOMER – The manual task map begins with the end of the process. This is aligned with the lean robotics principle of focusing on the robotic cell’s output. – In a factory, a manual station’s customer is the next operation in the manufacturing flow. 2. DEFINE VALUABLE OUTPUT – Defining valuable output means answering this question: what input does the cell customer need? – Put yourself in shoes of the operator (or machine) who receives the parts, and complete the sentence “As the manual cell’s customer, I need it to give me __ so I can __.” For example: ■ I need it to give me clean, visually inspected casing that arrives by conveyor belt every five minutes so I can assemble product SKU FTR002. ■ I need it to give me a 10-layer stack of 20 x 20 cm trays filled with part #DJ2-3322 so I can package them for shipment to the external customer. 19 A. MANUAL TASK MAPPING STEPS 3. DEFINE INPUT – The next step is to define what materials and parts are coming to the station, and how the parts are presented. – In this step, you’ll aim to make a note of any information that could be relevant to your robotic cell concept. ■ Nature of the Part(s) ■ Part(s) presentation 20 10 2/14/23 A. MANUAL TASK MAPPING STEPS 3. DEFINE INPUT ■ Nature of the Part(s); Here you’ll capture the following information: • Number of different parts ›› How many different parts are handled and/or processed at the station? • Characteristics of the parts ›› Dimension ›› Weight ›› Material ›› Other, if relevant • Variation in time ›› Are there changeovers at this station (in terms of the type of part being manufactured)? If so, how often? ›› Are you planning to manufacture new parts in the near future? 21 A. MANUAL TASK MAPPING STEPS 3. DEFINE INPUT ■ Part(s) presentation: In many applications, the robot’s main challenge isn’t handling or transforming parts—it’s simply being able to pick them up in the first place. (eg. Tied bag!) • Are the parts singulated (individually separated with space all around them)? • How do the parts arrive? ›› One by one ›› Stacked on top of each other ›› Arranged side-by-side ›› Placed randomly • Are they packaged? • Where are they? On a table; in a fixture, in a tray, in a bin etc Are they moving? ›› No, they’re stationary when picked ›› Yes, e.g. on a moving conveyor 22 11 2/14/23 A. MANUAL TASK MAPPING STEPS 4. DESCRIBE PROCESS At this stage, you’re capturing information on everything that happens between two points: when the input parts arrive, and when the output parts are received by the next station. • Take videos. Processes involve many dynamic interactions, so it’s a good idea to film the process from various angles. • Have the operator talk out loud and explain what he (or the machine doing the process) is doing. Ask him why he does specific actions. Keep asking “why?” several times to try to uncover the root reason. When you know the underlying reason why something is done, you can start being able to figure out whether a robot could achieve the same objective another way. •Pay attention to hidden tasks. Some minor steps might be trivial for operators but surprisingly difficult for robots. 23 A. MANUAL TASK MAPPING STEPS 5. DOCUMENT FLOW OF INFORMATION Information for the manual operator, where it comes from, where it goes, what it looks like and how it impacts something. What information comes into the cell? Is it transmitted electronically, on paper, verbally, or otherwise? How does it affect the task? How does the operator or machine know what to do and when to do it? Template for documenting flow of information. 24 12 2/14/23 A. MANUAL TASK MAPPING STEPS 6. MEASURE CELL KPIs The flow of information happens between the cell and other parts of the factory, as well as within the cell. What information comes into the cell? Is it transmitted electronically, on paper, verbally, or otherwise? How does it affect the task? How does the operator or machine know what to do and when to do it? ■ What are the current KPI targets ■ How are they measured? Template for documenting flow of information. 25 7. MANUAL TASK SUMMARY 26 13