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„Industrial Robotics Company“ offer solutions for the furniture industry

2022 March 210
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„Industrial Robotics Company“ offer solutions for the furniture industry

Robotic solutions for the furniture industry offered by Industrial Robotics Company can be used widely and successfully within the furniture industry. Industrial robots are worth using even for small-scale production. Using robots becomes especially relevant when skilled workers are in short supply. Employees working in a team with a robot can achieve much more.

The use of industrial robots in the furniture industry is not intended to replace people but rather to improve their working conditions. By entrusting some production tasks to robots, people can do other jobs and make better use of their knowledge and skills. Industrial robots are great at performing tedious, hazardous and physically demanding tasks.

A few processes where robots can best contribute to furniture production:
RoboMill

A robot that performs functions similar to those of a carpenter. Which works using different tools and machining methods to process small furniture components was developed by Industrial Robotics Company.

This robot has a number of machining stations positioned in a semi-circular around its circumference. RoboMill uses a number of different grippers to hold and process furniture components. Grippers can be changed automatically, so no manual interference is required. The robot rotates around its axes and performs different tasks at different processing stations. The stations can be equipped with tools to route, drill, cut, plane, turn, or grind. The parts that RoboMill works on can be of different sizes and shapes. They have an automated feeding and removal system, ensuring the robot can operate autonomously. There is no need for any templates or moulds, which reduces the time required to prepare the robot for component processing and, in effect, shortens the production time.

RoboMill is a great robotic carpenter.

It works well even when the number of parts produced is relatively small. There are many different processing stations positioned around the robot in the same robotic cell, so RoboMill substitutes for a number of highly skilled people working at different machines. Using a robot will create new possibilities to produce more sophisticated furniture components and upskill employees at the same time. Productivity, efficiency, repeatability, throughput, and quality can be kept more consistent and controlled better. Unavoidable human errors are removed from the equation. RoboMill is controlled via a touch screen, using a proprietary Industrial Robotics Company’s user interface that is very simple and intuitive to operate. Existing factory employees can be easily trained to operate RoboMill. Any CNC operator will acquire the skills necessary within half a day’s training.

Sanding, grinding and polishing are extremely labour-intensive processes. When a worker does long hours, the consistency and quality of the sanding process deteriorate gradually, as hands tire and overall physical fatigue are experienced. Robotising such jobs not only helps maintain consistent quality but also improves working conditions for the employees who used to sand products all day long. These employees can be upskilled to operate the robots or transferred to perform other, less tedious tasks. Arguably, a robot cannot do 100% of the job; however, what is left for a human operator is to finish the edges and corners where the robot could not reach, as well as do a final visual inspection to pass the product.

RoboSand

The sanding, grinding, and polishing robot developed by the Industrial Robotics Company, is a great solution for furniture manufacturers who sand products as a part of their daily activity. The software developed by IRC is user-friendly and requires no programming skills. It is highly flexible and intuitive. RoboSand can sand flat surfaces; it can also sand assembled products. There is an option to change sanding pads and sanding or brushing tools automatically. As long as the sanding pads are changed in time, high and consistent quality standards will be maintained, saving costs, re-work charges, and wasted time further down the line.

RoboSand is ideal for sanding flat as well as volumetric products.

There are a number of pre-defined sanding paths that an operator can choose from. Alternatively, he or she is free to define a new path more suited to the product in question. RoboSand performs the tasks by keeping the sanding pressure constant. It does exactly the same number of cycles every time and it does not stop until the job is complete. RoboSand dramatically reduces the time required to sand any product. People are saved from breathing dust, their working conditions are improved, just like the quality of a finished product, which is a win-win for all. What is more, RoboSand has the option to change tools and move from being a sanding robot to becoming a routing, drilling and milling machine. Optional functionality can be added and programmed based on any factory’s exact requirements.

RoboSpray

Another process that has been robotized for furniture manufacturers by Industrial Robotics Company is spraying. The job is performed by RoboSpray – an industrial robot that can paint, lacquer, spray glue or even sandblast & ice blast. RoboSpray is trained by simply showing it what needs to be done.

The unique EASY TO TEACH technology has been developed for relatively simple, programming-free (no-code) robot training. Human movements are recorded while the process is being performed, which are then depicted in a graph on the proprietary software that allows editing each point individually or a part of the graph as required. Once any editing is done, the graph gets converted into a robotic language, and the robot is good to go. While human movements are tracked, a record of coordinates in space, tool angle and time stamp are registered. This allows to replicate or adjust human movements as required so that the robot performs the tasks at its best. Industrial Robotics Company’s unique robot training solution allows the robot to become an integral part of any manufacturing process very quickly. Complex robot training is avoided, so no additional skilled labour needs to be hired.

Simple and intuitive training opens doors for smaller and medium-sized manufacturers into the world of robotics. More complicated processes can be robotized across manufacturers that produce in relatively small batches. Robots pay off quicker, as they can do so much more now.

RoboCut

Packing products into boxes for transportation is something rather universal across different manufacturers. If you use corrugated cardboard to make your boxes if you require over 50 different box sizes or types to pack your products, and if you use in excess of 8,000 m2 of cardboard per month, think of RoboCut. An autonomous robot plotter that prepares box templates on demand. Save space, save cost, and stay in control of your box supply. On top of all other benefits, using RoboCut is more sustainable, as you prepare as many boxes as required, when required and on-site. What is more, you get better output from cardboard sheets because RoboCut comes with a software planner that helps you organize your box and inlay requirements in the smartest and most efficient way possible, leaving you with minimal waste.

RoboCut has a printer that can print order numbers or any required codes on the inner side of any template. Codes are for internal reference purposes, they should not be confused for any exterior marking or labelling. Once RoboCut prepares the templates, a human employee needs to fold the boxes and glue them into shape. The robot can work 24/7, so there will always be templates ready for when the shift starts. RoboCut comes with proprietary user-friendly software that allows an operator to tell what box size is required and choose from the proposed set of FEFCO templates or upload a DXF file and get an exact bespoke template cut out.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Industrial robots in furniture production increase productivity while maintaining or improving product quality. This is only one of the many indisputable reasons to use robotic solutions from Industrial Robotics Company. One of our customers Medienos Era Ltd have installed a variety of solutions from Industrial Robotics Company, such as RoboCut, for packaging manufacturing, RoboMill for small part processing, RoboSand for sanding flat and assembled products and RoboSpray for painting and lacquering furniture.

Different operations have been robotized for different reasons: packaging manufacturing robot allowed for 3 people to be relocated to perform different tasks within the factory; spraying robot has increased efficiency and throughput by working non-stop and providing pace for the operator working alongside; sanding robot is doing a job quicker and more consistently than human operators did before and is also stepping into a position where it is extremely difficult to find labour; RoboMill is providing a skill set that is very difficult to obtain nowadays, as younger workers are not willing to work with open blades, router heads and/or drills. It also saves space on the factory floor and does any job quicker than professional carpenters on average.

Introducing these robotic solutions into the factory has significantly increased production flexibility and efficiency, simplified production planning and supervision processes, enabled the company to collect and accurately analyze processing data in real-time, improved quality and ensured consistency across a varied product portfolio, as well as reduced the amount of floor space required to perform all of these operations.

Industrial robots – the future of the furniture industry worth thinking about today!

Installing robots from an Industrial Robotics Company in any factory does not require any special skills or labour. All robotic systems come with very intuitive and EASY-TO-USE software or programming-free training technology. Take steps today to avoid staffing issues, and loss of income due to limitations in throughput, efficiency, or quality control. The future is where robots help workers perform tedious and dangerous tasks, not where workers keep performing hazardous robotic operations. Soon a person who sands products with the help of a robotic arm will be easier to find than a person who has to use his or her own hand to sand these products. Human and robotic skills put together will help factories stay relevant and competitive in the market. What looks like the future today will become inevitable tomorrow. Gain a significant competitive advantage, stay ahead of the competition, and get in touch now!

Our industrial robots are designed to perform repetitive tasks with precision, freeing up valuable human labour for more essential tasks. Our robots also help to reduce costs by eliminating the need for manual labour, thus reducing the risk of human error and improving the accuracy of the production process. Whether you are looking to upgrade your production process, increase efficiency, or enhance the quality of your furniture products, our industrial robots are here to help. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn how we can help you revolutionize your furniture production.


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