Guide To Suppliers

Anyone planning to move towards a smart factory needs to choose carefully when considering possible robotic solutions. Should it be an industrial robot or a collaborative robot (cobot)? The answer will depend on your specific needs.

Traditionally, to identify defects and scratches in production has required the sensitivity and knowledge of technicians with extensive experience. But owing to rising labour costs and shortage of skilled labour, manufacturers need to automate processes that once relied on the senses of experienced human workers.

As the UK’s customer-facing businesses plan their reopening strategies, keeping consumers and staff safe from COVID will be a key priority. In a bid to prevent future outbreaks at high footfall, everyday environments like supermarkets, bars and gyms, OMRON has teamed up with UV Systems UK to produce an autonomous robotic sterilisation system that guarantees to kill the virus without damage or harm to surrounding goods.

While the view conjured up by thoughts of smart factories is often one of pristine green field sites with the latest technologies in place, the reality for many manufacturers is very different. Legacy equipment and unconnected lines are more often the norm, along with a wide variety of technologies and differing levels of capability. However, the benefits of digitalisation can be enjoyed by any manufacturer, as Omron explains.

OMRON Industrial Automation Europe has signed a new distribution agreement with OnRobot, the Danish manufacturer of tools for collaborative robot (cobot) applications. This will enable OMRON to offer OnRobot’s products – which can be fully integrated with the OMRON TM cobot – to its customers in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

OMRON’s latest industrial robot, the new i4H SCARA, is designed to meet the demands of mass customisation, allowing manufacturers to produce high mixes of products at low volume to offer a wider array of goods to people. The i4H SCARA follows the recent release of the i4L light duty SCARA robot.

The virtual exhibition from Omron enables visitors to walk through a 360-degree virtual tour, guiding them around ‘the factory of the future’ – one in which different innovations have been introduced to increase flexibility, enhance efficiency and boost productivity.