How Industrial Robots Improve Product Quality in Manufacturing
Improving product quality is one of the top concerns for many manufacturers. Producing poor quality products can have a negative impact on a company’s reputation and bottom line. One of the biggest advantages of automating with robotics is increased quality. Robots are precise and accurate, which have a positive effect on manufacturing quality.
Automating repetitive tasks with a FANUC M20ia eliminates the risk of introducing human error, one of the biggest contributors to poor quality. Humans are not capable of producing the high level of repeatability that robots can. Workers may lose focus during tasks, suffer from muscle fatigue, or injury, all of which can cause product quality to suffer. Robots do not fatigue or lose focus, preventing part deviation from occurring and the compromise of product integrity.
Robots are programmed to carry out exact application parameters and paths, ensuring reliable, consistent, and repeatable operation. This means products will be manufactured accurately, resulting in uniform and high-quality items. All parts are handled the exact same way with each cycle run. For instance, polishing applications can be difficult to regulate quality when done manually. It is not feasible for workers to be able to replicate their movements and force applied to each workpiece. This may cause inconsistencies in part finishes with too little or too much material being removed. However, deploying a FANUC M710ic/50 for polishing can make quality control issues obsolete. Its precise movements are controlled through programming, ensuring all workpieces polished result in identical, smooth finishes. Robots excel at replicating processes, making them ideal for applications requiring precision such as painting, cutting, and arc welding, as their quality is unmatched by manual operations.
Robot precision can be enhanced through the addition of various types of robotic technology such as vision systems and force sensors. These systems provide robots with sensory feedback of sight or touch, allowing them to adapt while operating for elevated accuracy which in turn improves the quality of items manufactured. A FANUC LR Mate 200id deployed for assembly applications can be integrated with vision for extra guidance. Visual feedback is used by the robot to best determine how to accurately assemble parts together. Damaged parts are eliminated as robotic vision systems ensure products are assembled correctly, preventing quality from becoming jeopardized.
Industrial robots can also improve product quality through automating inspection applications. Robots integrated with advanced vision can be deployed to inspect parts for reliable quality control. Having a reliable and consistent inspection process is vital to ensuring product safety and quality, particularly in industries such as automotive and aerospace. Robotic inspection can detect flaws that may otherwise go unnoticed in manual methods due to the microscopic capabilities of robotic vision. Robots follow the same inspection guidelines for each part, ensuring no items are missed. Defective parts can be pulled from production, preventing them from reaching consumers and potentially having a negative impact on the manufacturer.
Automating with industrial robots can significantly improve product quality for manufacturers. After all, robots are designed to operate with the upmost precision and accuracy.