Customer Stories

The world is no stranger to industrial transformation. Companies are proactively turning to digital technologies in a bid to create improvements in their operations — such as to boost efficiency and productivity, as well as to address manpower shortages.

Robotic automation offers tremendous potential for companies looking to optimise production while maintaining consistency and quality. For Hand Plus Robotics, a system integrator that specialises in robotic pick and place applications, assisting companies to successfully achieve their Industry 4.0 goals is part of their ultimate quest to commonise robotics deployment.

Transforming Production Processes with Robotic Automation

Hand Plus recently helped a Singapore-based automotive parts manufacturer who faced challenges with its metal stamping process. Pandemic-related restrictions exacerbated the manufacturer’s manpower-related issues, as the company relied heavily on its workers for production. In response to this gap, the manufacturer turned to Hand Plus for a solution that would not only address manpower shortages, but also increase their efficiency. However, a lack of space on the production floor and a desire to keep the total cost of ownership low were constraints that Hand Plus had to work with.

Together with the manufacturer, Hand Plus identified the inspection and kitting process as a suitable process for the implementation of robotic automation. A 3-axis gantry robot was initially selected but it was not ideal as the device had a large footprint and limited flexibility. Determined to find a more space-efficient option, Hand Plus turned to Mitsubishi Electric Asia for an alternative solution.

Mitsubishi Electric’s range of MELFA robots addresses a wide variety of automation application requirements. With both vertically and horizontally articulated versions available, the robot arms employ a double-arm structure for maximum freedom of movement while ensuring stability at high speeds. The RH-FR series of Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arms (SCARA robots) mimics the action of a human arm with an elbow, shoulder, and wrist, allowing for superb precision and speed. The 4-axis SCARA robots are compact and well-suited for point-to-point applications, such as pick-and-place, assembly, and case packing, where high-volume, fast-paced, and high-precision production or work is involved.

Reaping the Benefits

The choice of robot that allowed the manufacturer to improve their processes while keeping the total cost of ownership low was a key consideration throughout Hand Plus’s design, deployment, and integration process. As system integrators, Hand Plus had to carefully select an industrial robot solutions partner that offered them the right experience, tools, and resources to assure a successful integration process. Mitsubishi Electric Asia’s wealth of experience and extensive range of industrial robot solutions made them the natural choice.

By integrating the Mitsubishi Electric SCARA robot, Hand Plus was able to overcome the space constraints and the team proposed an inspection and kitting solution that fell within a 1.5m by 1.3m footprint. The new robotic solution allows the manufacturer to reduce up to 50% of their manpower requirements and to increase overall efficiency.

The seamless integration of the SCARA robot with Hand Plus’ 1+ Software Toolbox, which is based on a Robot Operating System (ROS) framework, allowed for shorter start up times and greater installation ease. As a result, the manufacturer is empowered with relevant machine data and insights to better optimise production processes and to improve maintainability.

While running the whole system, the 1+ Software Toolbox also captures data like the number of parts produced, percentage of rejected parts, and percentage of parts clearing quality control inspections. It also offers reports on the robot’s health, such as speed and position, and details on the exact defects encountered during production so the manufacturer can address specific areas of concern. The system also includes comprehensive safety functions like emergency stops and virtual walls to prevent malfunctioning robots from damaging the production set up, making the adoption of robotic automation solution a simpler and safer process for operators on the shop floor.

Moving Toward Industry 4.0 with Mitsubishi Electric

This integrated robotic solution has also brought Hand Plus’s customer closer to Smart Factory and Industry 4.0 concepts, placing them in a better position to drive further strategic and scalable digital transformation moves across the organisation. Having successfully integrated Mitsubishi Electric’s SCARA robot in this inspection and kitting solution, Hand Plus is now equipped to apply the same protocols in other applications utilising Mitsubishi Electric industrial robot solutions. With an extensive range of robots available, Mitsubishi Electric offers system integrators a wide range of options to address a myriad of application requirements and achieves some of the highest levels of reliability among industrial robot suppliers.

As an industry leader in factory automation, Mitsubishi Electric Asia can help both integrators and end users in the nuanced process of choosing the right robot, balancing application requirements with business priorities and budget restrictions.