Who Uses Industrial Robots?
With each year the number of active industrial robots grows. Articulated robots simply outperform humans on a number of tasks, producing better quality products. They are a sustainable manufacturing method that allows companies the flexibility to adapt to ever evolving consumer demands.
Industrial robots are automating a wide variety of industries. More traditional industries for six axis robots include the automotive, aerospace, warehousing, and electronics industries. The FANUC R2000ib/210F is commonly used by automotive manufacturers for welding car frames. While the FANUC Lr Mate 200ic can be deployed for electronic device assemblies. Advances in robotic technology has led to the expansion of robotic automation into less conventional industries such as retail, food, medical device, pharmaceutical, and entertainment. As robotic technology advances, the list of companies using industrial robots continues to grow.
Industrial robots got their start in the automotive industry. Today automotive manufacturers are still the largest user of industrial robots. Ford, BMW, Telsa, and Nissan are just a few of the many automotive manufacturers who have automated their production lines with robots. Telsa’s latest factory in Nevada will be almost completely automated by robots. Inside Ford’s factories, robots are used for welding automation, painting, and assemblies among many other robotic applications. KUKA is one of the top robotic manufacturers in the world and is considered the number one robot supplier to the automotive sector. Their KR 210 is popular for vehicle production lines. Tier-one supplies to these automotive companies use arc welding robots like the Motoman MA1400 to build their respective automotive components.
Retailers have also implemented industrial robots for both manufacturing their products and for customer service. In 2015, Best Buy launched their customer service robot “Chloe” in their Manhattan store. The FANUC Lr Mate 200id/7L robot is used to retrieve customer merchandise that is ordered from kiosks, helping to supplement store workers. Amazon has also implemented robots in their warehouses to aid with product fulfillment. The robots in Amazon’s fulfillment centers help workers retrieve items for processing online orders. The use of robots significantly speeds up order fulfillments which helps to ship orders quickly.
Sportswear company Adidas opened its first robot automated factory in 2017 and a second in 2018. Adidas has deployed robotic automation for manufacturing their athletic shoes. Even cosmetic companies are automating their productions with robots. Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido has integrated robots into their factories to help their workers and solve employee shortages.
Electronic manufacturer Foxconn is a Chinese company that builds Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft products. They have been automating their factories since 2016 with industrial robots. Electronic devices are often comprised of delicate and extremely small components, making human assembly difficult. Using a FANUC Lr Mate 200id for electronic assembly is more efficient, better for handling small parts, and allows for a clean work environment preventing electronic components from becoming compromised by dust or other particles.
Aerospace manufacturer Boeing first adopted industrial robots for painting their airplanes. The extremely large fuselages made it difficult for manual painting. Robots with their long reaches and controlled movements are better suited for painting aircrafts, improving cycle times and paint finish quality. In addition to painting, Boeing now uses robots for automated drilling and fastening applications. Robots Done Right recently purchased some FANUC Lr Mate 200ic robots that were previously installing rivets to a fuselage. Robots ensure the accurate construction of fuselages for the production of incredibly safe airplanes.