Objective. Testing 50 test benches of a high temperature testing laboratory without operators
Our client had a quality laboratory where it carried out the lifeme test on 50 equipments in parallel. This laboratory has a particularity and it is the high temperature that reaches inside due to the nature of the tests that are carried out. Until now, the tests were carried out manually with highly specialized personnel with protection against temperature and very controlled exposure times.
Our client’s ambition was to automate these tests. The ‘easiest’ solution, which would be to incorporate a robot per testing bench, became unfeasible from cost point of view. An innovative solution tailored to our client’s project was needed. That is why it was decided to go for an AMR with a built-in robot.
Solution. A collaborative robot that moves between the test benches
The first step was to understand how the laboratory worked, what tasks were performed in each test bench, the cycle times and the equipments that were needed to be tested at any time. Our work began with an analysis phase and collection of requirements.
Afterwards, we began with the definition and design of the equipment, which had to be ‘ad hoc’.
We selected an AMR platform as the mobile element that would allow us to go from test bench to test bench, eliminating the need to have a robot per test bench. A collaborative robot was incorporated through its own structure to carry out the tasks of manipulating the controls of the equipments that had to be tested. This is how an AMR system with robot was designed.
In addition, it was decided to incorporate a computer vision camera into the collaborative robot for two reasons: the controls of the equipments to be tested are not always in the same position since there are different variants and the position of the equipment in the test bench has some tolerance. Thus, through the computer vision camera and the own algorithm that was developed, it was possible to position the AMR more precisely and communicate to the robot where the controls were on each equipment.
After this complex equipment development process, 2 thermal cameras were added to monitor the correct functioning of the testing and we carried out the programming and communications between all the elements of the new system.
A reprogramming of the security zones of the scanners incorporated into the AGV was also carried out. New areas were added to control the approach of operators to the AGV environment while the robotic arm is in operation. In this way we guaranteed the security of the system and the collaborative environment with the operators. In case someone approached within these safety zones, the robot will remain static until they are free again.
After all the design, integration and programming work of the equipment, the equipment was tested for more than 6 months in the testing laboratory. The robot was able to move through the 50 test benches efficiently, position itself in front of each equipment to be tested, perform the control manipulation tasks and record and control the results of each test.