How cobots increase the efficiency of test stations

Collaborative robots, known as cobots, can fundamentally change the way companies test their products. The ‘Cobot-supported test stations for intelligent technical systems (CogeP)’ project from it’s OWL offers engineers and developers innovative solutions for the more efficient design of test stations for intelligent mechatronic systems. The integration of cobots promises a flexible and scalable test process design that can give companies a decisive competitive advantage. A well-structured approach to planning and implementation is important here. The it’s OWL project offers solutions for this.

In the it’s OWL project, the focus is on integrating cobots into previously manually operated test stations and ensuring flexibility and scalability. The development of generic behavior models, the creation of a safety concept and the identification of solution patterns are also central components of the project.

What are test stations?

Test stations are special areas in production facilities where products are tested for functionality and quality. Various tests are carried out here to ensure that the products meet the required standards and specifications. Test stations play a crucial role in quality assurance and help companies to identify and correct faulty products at an early stage.

The development includes the creation of generic behavioral models and sequence diagrams that map the central test station control. These models are merged into a digital master which, as part of a digital twin, forms the basis for modeling adaptable inspection systems. A key success of the project is the identified solution patterns for cobot-supported testing processes, which offer reusable expertise and significantly optimize the design process.

Can also be used without specialist knowledge

A special set of tools to support the systematic design of cobot-supported test stations has been developed to facilitate the planning and validation of robot movements. This tool enables early visualization and plausibility checks of the motion sequences and is particularly suitable for planning engineers without expert knowledge of robot technology.

Tools for the systematic design of cobot-supported test stations.

Practical approach: From rough planning to implementation

At the beginning of the planning process, the layout dimensions are recorded pragmatically in an Excel list containing the poses (as a combination of position and orientation) of the test specimen, cobot and test features. An ideal sequence coordinator implemented in Python reads this information and generates the movement sequences of the cobot. The visualization takes place in the offline programming and simulation environment RoboDK, which contains a Python API and the kinematic model of the cobot. This allows planning engineers to validate the layout at an early stage and make any necessary adjustments.

Advantages for companies

The systematic approach to the development of cobot-supported test stations improves the adaptability of test systems to changing requirements. This enables companies to design more flexible and efficient inspection processes and to compete successfully in a dynamic market environment.

 

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