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Motoman Robots Improving Automotive Manufacturing

Industrial robots have been a part of the automotive industry for years, dating back several decades. In fact, the automotive industry was the first industry to integrate robotics to the production line. Today the use of robotics has drastically expanded within the industry with more processes becoming automated with robots. Motoman, one of the top robot manufacturers in the world, is helping automotive manufacturers grow their robot fleet.

Motoman robots are improving cycle times, automobile quality, productivity, and worker safety within the industry. Vehicles are complicated to manufacture with a number of parts requiring numerous steps and processes for their production. Yaskawa Motoman is easing the complexity for automotive manufacturers by providing robotic automation solutions. Some of the most common automotive applications have been vastly improved with the automation of Motoman robots and they include:

  • Welding - Arc welding is one of the most common types of welding used in the manufacturing of cars. Motoman is the world leader when it comes to arc welding robotics, so it is no surprise Motoman arc welding robots like the Motoman MA1400 are popular amongst automobile manufacturers. Motoman arc welding robots provide precision and high repeatability making them ideal for welding complex parts such as axles and they are capable of working completely autonomously. Motoman spot welding robots, such as the Motoman ES165N, are used to produce durable spot welds for car frames to ensure all vehicles produced have longevity and high quality.

  • Material Removal - Car manufacturing relies heavily on material removal processes including cutting and trimming. Motoman material removal robots improve the efficiency of these processes with their precision and consistency. A Motoman MH50-20 can be used to cut precise shapes for carpet to be used on car floors with speed and repeatable results. While a Motoman HP20D can perform waterjet cutting to create casing to be used for vehicle dashboards. Motoman MA2010 can make quick work of creating rails for a truck through plasma cutting.

  • Painting - Painting was the first robotic application in the automotive industry and today’s Motoman robots continue to ensure all car parts are painted to an even and uniform finish. Their accuracy ensures the correct amount of paint is applied with every part, reducing wasted materials and any errors due to overspray. Multiple Motoman paint robots like the Motoman HP50 can work together to quickly paint large components such as car frames to further reduce cycle time.

  • Assembly - Smaller automobile components are assembled by Motoman robots as these processes require the need for accuracy and speed, which is hard to accomplish with manual assembly. Motoman assembly robots including the Motoman MH6 can be integrated with vision systems to provide additional guidance for complex tasks such as driving screws into car motors. Vision systems also help Motoman robots to identify different parts while also helping to increase assembly speed.

  • Material Handling - Material handling applications like part transfer are challenging in the automotive industry due to the size and weight of vehicle parts. Motoman robots ease the nature of these tasks with options like the Motoman MH165 which is capable of lifting high payloads. Their material handling robots make quick work of lifting large body panels and transferring them to the next work stations, often at rates of less than a minute per part.



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