Applications & Innovations

Applications & Innovations conference presentations for Automate 2024.

Stereo Imaging Use Cases and Challenges

Stereo Imaging Use Cases and Challenges

Depth perception is a requirement for various warehouse robotic applications such as autonomous navigation, pick & place and palletizing. The common methods to achieve depth perception are stereo, time-of-flight, and lidar.

In this talk, we will discuss the following:

  1. Trade-offs between 3D vision technologies for robotic applications,
  2. Stereo imaging and its key design drivers,
  3. Use cases of deploying stereo imaging in various warehouse robotic applications, and
  4. Common challenges in real-world scenarios and tactics to tackle them.

Stephen Se, Senior Engineering Manager, Depth Sensing, Teledyne FLIR - Machine Vision

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No One Does It Alone

No One Does It Alone

To do Robotic Abrasive Processing correctly and gain the full ROI an End Customer & SI are looking for, it takes an ecosystem of partnerships. Featuring real-world examples from both the technical and business side, this presentation will apply beyond Robotic Abrasive Processing to give insights and learnings that can be applied to your area of automation expertise.

3M Abrasive Robotics Application Engineer Tyler Naatz, and 3M Senior Global Robotics Portfolio Manager Michelle Frumkin, discuss the types of players it takes to be successful, why it's good that everyone has their expertise, the different types of partnerships there are, and the aspects of how to make those partnerships work.Michelle Frumkin, Senior Global Robotics Portfolio Manager, 3M Company

Tyler Naatz, Senior Application Engineer, 3M

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Using Robots for Finishing or Material Removal

Using Robots for Finishing or Material Removal

Finishing and material removal automation is not easy. Applications look easy on videos, but to implement them properly into production systems to get a stable repeatable result requires huge knowledge about robotic finishing.

Investing in robotics for finishing or material removal can be your best decision or your biggest nightmare depending on how you have chosen your partner and setup. Only systems that work reliably provide you with an ROI.

Manual finishing processes such as grinding, polishing, and deburring require a high level of expertise from the operator, but even more from your robotic solutions implementation team. A wrong choice can jeopardize the entire project and carry the risk of losing 100% of your investment.

During the session, you will learn from experience and best practices of what are the most important things to focus on, as well as mistakes being made and how to avoid them.

Michael Haas, Vice President, FerRobotics

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Enhanced Robotic Abrasive Methods

Enhanced Robotic Abrasive Methods

Learn the importance of proper abrasive selection and optimal parameter settings for automation, while leveraging AI to autonomously program robots, enabling them to work on almost any part within minutes, delivering superior, faster, and more consistent results.

Nick Orf, 3M Abrasive Systems Division - Application Engineering Manager, 3M

Satyandra K. Gupta, Co-Founder & Chief Scientist, GrayMatter Robotics

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Multi-Robot Coordinated Motion

Multi-Robot Coordinated Motion

Demanding industrial applications from cold spraying to additive manufacturing are increasingly deploying multiple robots in a coordinated fashion. For cold spray coating, leading industry deployment involves a dual-robot system, where one robot holds the part and the second robot holds the spray gun to impinge metal powders onto the part. For wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), the welding robot, the positioner, and the metrology inspection robots all need to be coordinated to ensure high-quality end products. This talk will discuss issues and the latest advances that arise in such coordinated operation of multiple industrial robots, including: 

  • Overall control architecture integrating sensors and robots from different vendors.
  • Kinematics calibration of multiple robots.
  • Redundancy resolution.
  • Tracking accuracy through motion adaptation and learning

Use case results for cold spraying and WAAM using ABB, FANUC, and Motoman robots will be presented.

John Wen, Professor and Head, Electrical, Computer, & Systems Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

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Humanoid Robots

Humanoid Robots

The manufacturing industry is experiencing a tight labor market as fewer and fewer workers are available to – or want to – fill physically challenging, laborious positions. In this session, Apptronik’s co-founder and CEO Jeff Cardenas will explore how supplementing workers with humanoid robots powered by AI technology can increase employee productivity, decrease injuries on the job and give workers the opportunity to focus on higher-level tasks at work.

In the year since he delivered his talk, “Humanoid Robots: The Only Automation Solution Not Limited To What It Can Do Today, Nor Tomorrow” at Automate 2023, Apptronik has made monumental strides towards making the vision of allocating physical labor to the robots a reality. In August, Apptronik unveiled Apollo, the world’s most capable humanoid robot designed to transform the industrial workforce and beyond as the first commercial humanoid robot that was designed for friendly interaction, mass manufacturability, performance, and safety.

In this session, Jeff will discuss real-world use cases for humanoid robots both in the near-term and long-term. His talk will span how humanoid robots will initially focus on tasks that involve gross manipulation and later expand and meet an even wider range of use cases in the future that involve dexterous manipulation – all while providing the human workforce with the ability to focus on roles that are most fulfilling and uplevel their impact.

For a long time, we’ve talked about humanoid robots as the future of robotics and automation. But with this year’s advancements, we are now talking about humanoid robots in the present – in shifting from special purpose automation to multi-purpose to general purpose automation, the manufacturing and logistics industries will evolve dramatically in 2024 and beyond. This session will cover that new reality and how to get ahead.

Jeff Cardenas, Co-founder and CEO, Apptronik

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The Link Between Automation and Machine Tools

The Link Between Automation and Machine Tools

Robot sales in the US continue to rise year over year with more companies in many different industries adding robots to their operations. Smaller machine shops, however, have been reluctant to automate their machine tools, even though they know it can boost productivity by double digits and help them solve their labor challenges. But fears of automation’s cost and drain on precious time and resources have posed major barriers to entry for these businesses.

What if automating machine tools could be done faster, cheaper and easier? New advances in automation and the adoption of cobots, or collaborative robots, are making that a reality. Cobots are easy to set up and teach; allowing production to quickly resume even on the first day the cobot arrives. Plus, cobots can do dull and repetitive jobs better suited to automation, freeing up people to focus on higher-level tasks. In addition, cobots offer the flexibility to scale up production on the fly, especially in low-volume/high-mix environments that require frequent part changeover.

This session will go over all the key factors to consider when evaluating automated machine tending, what it can do for your operations and the various ways to integrate robots and cobots to machine tools. There will also be a discussion on cobots and how their new features are making them more user-friendly to operate and program than ever before.

Greg Buell, Staff Engineer - General Industry and Automotive Segment, FANUC America Corporation

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Development of A Low Profile, Power Dense Actuator

Development of A Low Profile, Power Dense Actuator

This session will discuss Robotics engineers’ need for motion control solutions that offer leading edge performance and reliability while navigating around tight design constraints. Power density continues to be a cornerstone in robot actuator design, but this is often compromised by additional functionality required of actuators and their cabling. We will examine a new solution to these problems through the development of Harmonic Drive’s LPA-20 actuator that optimizes power density while integrating a servo drive with options for CANopen® or EtherCAT® communication protocols.

Brian Coyne, VP of Engineering, Harmonic Drive LLC

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Worker-Centric Mobile Robot Integration

Worker-Centric Mobile Robot Integration

Recent advancements in mobile robot technology have made it increasingly accessible for integration into manufacturing and production environments. Reduced investment costs and the persistent challenge of attracting and retaining manufacturing workers have fueled a surge in mobile robot projects. Despite the available technology and funding, a substantial number of robotic process automation projects worldwide encounter difficulties, with Ernst and Young's study reporting challenges and setbacks ranging from 30% to 50%.

This raises the question: What hampers automation progress in manufacturing, and why do so many projects face obstacles? The answer partially lies in a disconnect between emerging technologies and the workers who have traditionally performed tasks being considered for automation. They often lack a substantial voice in the automation transition, despite their invaluable expertise honed through years of experience. As mobile robots increasingly become part of their workspace open, honest consultation can help minimize the challenges, but maximize opportunities for owners and workers.

While worker safety remains paramount in integrating mobile robots into manufacturing, it is equally critical to consider their expertise, experience, knowledge, and overall well-being. Automation should not replace human workers but enhance their capabilities. It should leverage human strengths for higher-skilled and more complex tasks. To achieve smart and effective automation, a comprehensive understanding of existing processes, strengths, and vulnerabilities is essential. Who better than those who engage with these processes daily to provide this insight? Mobile robots excel at routine tasks, allowing humans to focus on creativity and critical thinking.

This presentation offers a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities associated with mobile robot integration in manufacturing. It delves into the distinctions between stationary and mobile robot integration, with a particular emphasis on their impact on workers. Unlike stationary collaborative robots, mobile robots engage more intimately with workers, necessitating deeper consideration of their well-being and expertise. In a world where respect, responsibility, and equitable treatment in the workplace are increasingly advocated, recognizing workers' input is pivotal.

Manufacturing workers are the undisputed process champions and experts. Their insights are invaluable for successful automation. This talk underscores the importance of not only protecting workers but also empowering them as key stakeholders in the ongoing automation journey. By merging technology with workforce expertise, we can unlock the full potential of mobile robots in manufacturing while upholding principles of respect and shared responsibility.

In conclusion, integrating mobile robots into manufacturing offers substantial potential for p

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The Rise of the Advanced Manufacturing Team

The Rise of the Advanced Manufacturing Team

For the past 30 years, industrial automation has undergone relatively few changes to the way automation is designed and deployed. Traditional automation technology was developed (and priced) for high-throughput manufacturing, making it most accessible to those who could afford complex, custom integration services. This left small and medium-sized businesses, the ones who would benefit from the democratization of automation, behind.

Over the past year, Vention has done extensive research on the impact that recent innovations, specifically the platforming of industrial automation, have had on the industry. We found that small and medium-sized businesses that were previously hindered by capital investment barriers are now leading the charge in adopting the Manufacturing Automation Platform (MAP) and do-it-yourself (DIY) automation because of their accessibility and low barrier to entry. The result? More manufacturers are leveraging their internal resources to create the Advanced Manufacturing Team.

Supported by intuitive and easy-to-use technology, Advanced Manufacturing Teams are built to drive the industrial automation roadmap across manufacturing plants, regrouping expertise in mechanical design, industrial control, and robotics into one team. Instead of relying on external engineering service firms, these teams embrace DIY industrial automation technologies and resources within MAP, such as user forums and an e-commerce website, alongside easier-to-use industrial automation components, to develop deep process knowledge and deploy self-designed automated solutions themselves.

This session will dive into Vention’s research on DIY automation and the Advanced Manufacturing Team. The research spans over one year and looks at manufacturers from small to enterprise size, and across 17 different industries to create a holistic view of manufacturer adoption patterns of DIY automation.

Etienne Lacroix, CEO, Vention

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Automated Manufacturing Scale Up

Automated Manufacturing Scale Up

Many manufacturers launching new products are challenged with how to scale their manufacturing operations, with capital equipment investment being a major consideration. With new products and new processes, come several challenges that are not as prominent in steady-state, mature product manufacturing. There are many more risks and unknowns, but with some planning and thought around some of those risks, they can be mitigated to enable a successful manufacturing ramp-up. In this session, I will share some of the considerations for manufacturing scale-up. We’ll talk about some best practices and pitfalls I have seen from the perspective of an automated equipment builder.

Topics Include:

  • Considerations for Implementing a Phased Ramp-Up Plan
  • Automation Concept Development 
  • Mitigation of New Automated Process Risks
  • Considerations for Autonomous Operation
  • Use of Digital Twin Technologies
  • Early Planning of Data Architectures
  • Planning Transition to Operations

Chris Knorr, Vice President, Business Development North America, Eclipse Automation, Part of Accenture

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Cobots in Machine Tending

Cobots in Machine Tending

Collaborative robots excel at loading and unloading machined products, and their [benefits] have revolutionized manufacturing for high-mix, low-volume machine shops. Nearly twenty years after their “launch,” cobots are increasing productivity for manufacturers of all sizes across the machining and metal fabrication industry. Explore the benefits and wide-ranging practical applications of cobots in machine tending with Justin Crump, Application Engineer at Universal Robots. He will use this session to share real life case studies of cobots tending machines, advise on best practices that streamline manufacturing processes powered by cobots, and present emerging and cutting-edge technologies in the collaborative automation space.

Justin Crump, Application Engineer, Large Accounts, Universal Robots

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The Fusion of 3D Vision and AI

The Fusion of 3D Vision and AI

LMI's fusion of 3D vision technology and AI has revolutionized industrial sectors, particularly in robotic weld inspection. Traditional methods often fall short, making 3D vision and AI indispensable for ensuring weld quality. LMI's systems have successfully monitored weld quality in high-volume environments. Combining traditional measurement tools with AI for defect detection has proven crucial.

  1. Enhanced Precision and Accuracy: 3D vision and AI improve precision by capturing the weld's three-dimensional structure accurately, reducing the risk of defects like porosity and cracks. This precision ensures reliable defect detection, minimizing structural failures.

  2. Speed and Efficiency: 3D vision and AI enable rapid, real-time inspection during welding, eliminating production delays. This efficiency leads to cost savings and increased throughput, enhancing competitiveness.

  3. Data-driven Decision-making: AI quickly analyzes vast amounts of data, identifying deviations from quality standards and predicting potential issues. This proactive approach enables prompt action and process optimization.

  4. Cost Reduction: Early defect detection reduces rework, scrap, and recalls, while efficient inspection reduces labor costs. Long-term benefits include improved product quality and reduced liability, making the investment cost-effective.

LMI's 3D vision and AI technology offer efficient, accurate, and cost-effective weld inspection. These tools enhance precision, speed, and safety, contributing to long-term cost reduction and competitiveness. Embracing these technologies is essential for meeting modern production demands and ensuring component reliability.

Collin Bristow, Territory Manager, LMI Technologies

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