Research project »Robokoop«

For decades, robots have already been successfully used in car body production by the automotive industry. These are large, heavy robots that work behind safety fences.

Due to the development of smaller, more cost-effective Lightweight Robots, new automation options have also emerged for some years. The projects initially realized in practice were often a matter of very complex production tasks, which are executed by the Lightweight Robots. The necessary investment budgets are correspondingly high.

Kemmler + Riehle has been working on the development of changeable workplace and logistics concepts for a long time. Standardized modules have been developed which enable production to be adapted to changing product variants and changing production numbers without time-consuming and expensive conversion processes.

The idea arose to enhance the development of these adaptive systems by the integration of Lightweight Robots as an automation component.

Kemmler + Riehle has therefore decided to launch the research project "Robokoop" in collaboration with the “Institut für Arbeitswissenschaft und Technologiemanagement der Universität Stuttgart (IAT)”. The project was funded by the “Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF)” as part of the funding initiative "KMU-innovativ".

Together with other project partners, a concept was developed in which Lightweight Robots are used variously in the environment of manual workstations. The workplace has been designed so that it can be used by humans or robots or by humans and robots at the same time.

The concept was implemented in a demonstrator for the assembly of valves and presented at the MOTEK 2016 to the specialist audience. In the model factory of the Fraunhofer IAO the demonstrator is used for permanent test and presentation purposes.

Manual workplace for valve mounting with Lightweight Robot

The addressees of these solutions are especially small and medium-sized enterprises. Because at a lower degree of automation in smaller batch sizes, investment budgets are correspondingly smaller.

If you are interested in the topic "Lightweight Robots in a Collaborative Environment", please do not hesitate to contact us.