In order to operate successfully in today's fast-paced and global market, manufacturing agility and output is paramount. The field of manufacturing for the medical industry is relying more and more on modular lightweight robotic systems to perform a range of tasks to keep up with the rapidly changing demand.

Lightweight robotics are being used more frequently to perform various duties on the manufacturing floor, including component and workpiece positioning, feeding and mounting of screws and/or bolts, performing test and quality check processes, and more. This allows for maintaining or increasing production, while decreasing costs and downtime.

Lightweight Robotics in Medical Manufacturing

In the medical industry, changes are a constant. Today's top medical manufacturers develop and create an incredible range of products, from the tiniest implantables to incredibly large and complex MRI machines and everything in between. Flexibility on the manufacturing floor is critical to keep up with both the continual updates to a company's catalog, as well as the ever-evolving technology always surrounding the medical industry.

Lightweight robotics are used in a wide variety of tasks on the medical manufacturing floor. They are used to aid in the assembly of products, as well as in performing quality check procedures. Unlike humans, robotic systems can complete the same task countless times without sacrificing precision. For example, when performing a quality analysis, a robotic arm can be programmed to inspect the exact dimensions of an implantable medical device and prevent imperfect pieces from continuing along the conveyor or assembly line.

Smaller, lighter, and lower in cost than traditional industrial robots, lightweight robotic arms have a wide range of benefits in the fast-paced world of medical manufacturing. However, there are still a number of challenges.

Challenges in Manufacturing

In today's manufacturing climate, plant supervisors and assembly line designers must overcome numerous challenges — the most difficult being flexibility. The ability to quickly react and adjust to product updates, new manufacturing procedures, or quantity changes is critical for plant managers, as well as the companies they work for.

Global demand, partnered with fast changes in technology in the medical industry, means that manufacturing is constantly evolving. A traditional manufacturing facility, even one utilizing lightweight robotic arms, is not designed to respond to these types of fluctuations. The inability to quickly adapt and change robotic systems can lead to a backup in production and lost potential sales, or expensive changes to a plant's setup and organization.

Unlike large-scale industrial robotic systems, lightweight robots allow for lighter, easier movement in smaller spaces. A number of lightweight robotic systems are available on the market from manufacturers such as Universal Robots, ABB, and KUKA, which are fully assembled standardized systems complete with drive. Other manufacturers, such as igus, offer robotic joint systems, which are modular, enabling them to fit into very small spaces, as well as easily adjust to different tasks. These systems, while used to complete similar tasks, are actually very different technologies with their own advantages and drawbacks.

Modular robotic joint systems like robolink D, pictured, allow for customization based on application requirements. (Credit: igus)

Lightweight Robots vs. Lightweight Robotic Joint Systems

Lightweight robotic arms are a complete physical system with included controller systems and software, which can be programmed to complete a range of tasks. These systems are an excellent all-in-one solution for light-duty tasks in manufacturing facilities, but are not able to adapt when changes to the robot's physical structure is required, or if a different controller, type of programming, or other changes are required. Robotic joint systems, on the other hand, are ideal for this type of flexibility.

Where a robotic arm is designed by the robotic manufacturer, a robotic joint system is completely modular. As the name infers, robotic joints are mix-and-match systems, based around the joint technology system to create custom robotic solutions for a range of applications and custom designed to fit into a range of spaces. If only a single joint is needed to complete a very simple operation, only the required components are purchased and installed, rather than the all-or-nothing robotic arm.

While much smaller in size than large-scale industrial robots, lightweight robotic arms still average several feet high, with space requirements for movement of the arm to perform its designated task. In applications where there is a tight space requirement, modular robotic joints can be designed specifically for that space, while still meeting all other application requirements. Modular joint systems, like the igus robolink system, can be adapted for custom needs as necessary and whenever needed for quick adjustment to the manufacturing facility or process, and using a range of available design, material, and drive options.

Rather than returning to the robotic manufacturer to inquire about software or controller changes and then working around the physical structures’ limitations, modular robotic joint systems can allow for facility operators to create and adapt robotic systems easily and as needed. For example, a robotic joint with five degrees of freedom is being used to install a single tiny lens into endoscopes, but technology updates require three lenses installed in each, while an adjacent robot installs fiber optic cables, all in the same space on the assembly line.

Custom robotic systems can be created to suit available space on the manufacturing floor. (Credit: igus)

While a lightweight robot may have to be expertly programmed and regularly inspected to work in such close proximity, a modular system can be changed physically to better suit this new arrangement. If, for example, a symmetrical robotic joint is already in place, an asymmetric one can be installed alongside, so the individual joints are on opposing sides to minimize the risk of the two systems interfering with one another. Another solution would be to reduce the reach of one system by eliminating a joint or shortening the body, then extending the reach of the new system, allowing two jobs to be completed in the same space as the initial, less-complex task.

In addition to allowing for much higher levels of flexibility, modular robotic joints also generally cost less than full robotic systems, as only necessary components are purchased, and manufacturers like igus also offer a range of cost levels. For an exceptionally light-duty application, the basic system can be purchased instead of a more expensive system and only utilizing a small percentage of its capabilities.

Conclusion

Today's fast-paced and global market demands manufacturing agility and flexibility. Unlike large-scale industrial robotic systems, lightweight robots allow for lighter, easier movement in smaller spaces, enabling medical device manufacturers to keep up with rapidly changing requirements. All in all, lightweight robotic joint systems are an ideal alternative for a wide range of manufacturing challenges across the medical industry. Their modular nature and ability to custom design an application-specific system allows manufacturers to save costs, maximize space, and increase plant flexibility and performance.

This article was written by Ellen Rathburn, Marketing Content Developer for igus (East Providence, RI). For more information, Click Here  .