ADHESIVE DISPENSING ROBOT – ROBOTIC DISPENSING
Repeatability and accuracy are two things which don’t come easy when working with liquids such as adhesives. The introduction of robots and automated equipment has provided answers to issues of repeatability and accuracy within dispensing and a range of other tasks, offering fast, repeatable and precise operation, with offerings such as an adhesive dispensing robot.
The rationale for adopting robotic automation has now been handed down to the next generation of automation, Cobots. Cobots (Collaborative Robots) are much smaller than traditional robotic automation systems, making them useful in areas of tight space such as an adhesive dispensing process on an assembly line. Capable of being equipped with any number of end of arm tooling options, Cobots be used to complete repetitive tasks using industry standard equipment.
Why use Dispensing Robots?
As can be justified when comparing any automation solution to the manual alternative, benefits of dispensing systems include cost-effectiveness, time savings, accuracy and repeatability. However these benefits are further amplified when applied to certain applications, for example awkward or hard to reach areas and small part assembly.
Glue Dispensing Systems
Most commonly, robots are deployed for dispensing tasks to automate gluing and bonding processes within assembly lines and other production scenarios. With Cobots being able to coexist on the assembly line alongside operators, deployment flexibility allows for the automation of most glue / adhesive dispensing tasks.
By having a robot dispense the proper amount of glue, it standardises the whole gluing and bonding process. Robotics turns the task from a variable one, to a measurable one with data and results, allowing manufacturers to pinpoint issues, analyse and readjust where needed.
Robotic Adhesive Dispensing
As robots are capable of moving and manipulating items in any number of ways, robots can be applied to a wide range of dispensing tasks, from adhesives within Electronics or Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), to decorative finishes within Food Production.
Using a Cobot arm for robotic dispensing, the use of industry standard dispensing tools can be preserved and used with the robot if required, giving manufacturers complete control over the desired output.
In addition to equipping the robot with the dispensing tool, some processes may benefit from instead having the robot manipulate the item and present it to a stationary tool. Approaches such as this can be beneficial where instead of assembly line integration, a cell approach is more appropriate (i.e batch or high-mix production scenarios), with operators loading unprocessed parts and the robot dispensing completed parts.
Operating in pre-defined programmed paths, quality is not a moving target for automated dispensing robots. The repeatability of robotic adhesive dispensing, and their consistency to dispense accurate amounts of adhesives, is a key benefit which leads to a more consistent output and cost savings where errors may have previously occurred.
Robots are highly accurate, for example Cobots have accuracies of up to 0.1mm meaning a far greater accuracy to correctly dispense glues or adhesives evenly when compared to manual operation. Comprising of 6 axis, Cobots can easily access awkward areas which allows for dispensing onto small and narrow surface areas.
Following pre-programmed paths, robots will always repeat processes with the same speed and precision, meaning the same amount of adhesive is dispensed in the same place every time. This level of accuracy can assist in making processes more measurable, enabling management to understand what quantity of adhesives they require and how long a given task will take.
Due to the way they can be programmed, programming patterns can make it possible to deliver a range of desired dispensing outputs. Providing the dispensing tool allows for it, beads, arcs, circles and dotted lines are all achievable, giving greater control and flexibility to the manufacturer.
As robotics and automation develop in parallel with the continuous technological advancements and innovations, an increasingly recognised benefit is the ability to ‘connect’ machines allowing them to communicate with one another. This level of interactivity between machines and the factory is referred to as ‘The Internet of Things’ (IoT), and it allows us to identify issues, collect data in real time.
Reeco aim to provide the highest standard in service and support. From initial discussions to final installation, Reeco offer support at every stage of your projects journey, from proof of concept to sophisticated safety systems, remote access systems and bespoke service packages.
