A recent Roland Berger study, which analyses the impact of robotics in logistics, provides some interesting data in this regard.
It indicates a cost reduction of between 20 percent and 40 percent and an improvement in productivity of between 25 percent and 70 percent.
Increased production and cost reduction is already a reality for many small and medium-sized companies that are experiencing increased profitability and reduced production costs thanks to the automation of certain processes using mobile manipulators such as Robotnik’s RB-KAIROS+.
For 20 years, Robotnik has been a leading European company in the design and development of autonomous mobile manipulators, which, in short, are the natural evolution arising from the union of cobots and AMR.
A mobile manipulator is a robot that integrates a robotic manipulator arm into a mobile platform, combining in a single product the advantages offered by both systems: the precision, dexterity and flexibility of one, and the autonomy and mobility of the other.
Robotnik’s RB-KAIROS+ is a mobile manipulator designed for industrial applications in SMEs that extends the working area of a robotic arm, allowing it to work in different locations.
RB-KAIROS+ is extremely useful for industrial applications in SMEs such as pick and place because it is completely autonomous.
It is not only able to perform a task without human intervention, but also to self-manage and make decisions, thanks to its ability to access, generate and process information.
RB-KAIROS+ can be configured with a wide range of sensors and components found within the UR+ ecosystem, as it is a UR+ certified product
One of the great advantages of this Spanish company is that, in addition to open software and hardware, Robotnik has its own tools to provide the end user with an easy configuration and installation of the mobile manipulator.
The advanced user interface (HMI) or the Fleet Management System (FMS) allow a simple and intuitive operation of the robot or the fleet of robots, as the case may be.
From its launch until today, the RB-KAIROS+ has been in demand for applications of different nature and in different sectors. Here are some examples:
- WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) recycling plant: RB-KAIROS+ picks and places small dismantled components from workbenches and transport them to the final destination or further processing system.
- Pillow factory: handling, qualification and quality processes of the products.
- Building construction: the RB-KAIROS+ can be used in construction robotics to performs evaluation and error detection tasks in the construction process, as well as finishing plasterboard walls in ACCIONA’s new Demo Park building.
- Gear factory: this mobile manipulator performs pick and place and handling tasks in the company’s metal gear production line. It has managed to minimise the failure rate and potential risks that can occur during production and, in turn, reduce the delivery time and price of the parts they manufacture.
The simplification and automation of production processes is one of the major contributions of collaborative mobile manipulation to Industry 4.0.
A workspace where humans and robots can work together safely makes the results infinitely more efficient, making the task easier for operators, optimising resources, reducing costs and therefore achieving more efficient results.
