The automotive industry is a complex ecosystem where vehicle makers rely on an extensive network of manufacturers to produce the components they assemble into finished products. These “tier suppliers,” as they are known, make everything from seats, doors, and windows to electronics and powertrain parts.
The scale and repetitive nature of tasks in vehicle assembly plants often necessitate automation and robotics. However, tier suppliers frequently make parts that require more nuanced handling and human oversight. In those environments, industrial manipulators are essential. These indispensable tools empower workers to complete tasks quickly, efficiently, precisely, and safely while maintaining control of the processes.
This article explains the many benefits of industrial manipulators for tier suppliers in the automotive industry.
Why Automotive Component Manufacturers Need Industrial Manipulators
Companies that produce automotive components face many challenges. They operate under constant pressure to increase their output, meet high quality standards, and, in many cases, manage a diverse inventory of parts varying significantly in size, weight, and fragility.
As they strive to meet those goals, they also must make the well-being of their workforce their top priority. Manual handling of heavy, bulky, or awkwardly shaped components poses significant injury risks. This includes poor ergonomics that can potentially lead to musculoskeletal disorders.
Material handling is a leading cause of occupational injuries, with improper techniques for lifting and moving items accounting for a significant percentage of painful injuries and the accompanying productivity losses. Addressing these challenges requires systems that protect workers and enhance their capabilities. Leading tier suppliers are discovering that industrial manipulators are the ideal solution.
Beyond Basic Lifting: Understanding Human-Operated Industrial Manipulators
Knowing the difference between human-operated industrial manipulators and their robotic counterparts is crucial as you learn about these solutions. While both can provide mechanical assistance in material handling, industrial manipulators are designed to work with a human operator, augmenting their strength, reach, and precision.
They aren’t programmed to perform tasks autonomously. Instead, they become extensions of human capabilities, allowing a single employee to lift, move, reorient, and place loads that would otherwise require significant physical exertion, multiple workers, or less controlled and potentially dangerous methods like hoists or forklifts.
At Dalmec, we take a human-centric approach, developing systems that create a state of “weightless” handling, counteracting a load’s mass and allowing the operator to focus on precise manipulation and positioning. We achieve that state through various balancing systems, which are precisely tuned to the specific weight of the object being handled.
Enhancing Safety and Reducing Product Damage
Beyond improving ergonomics, industrial manipulators play a critical role in enhancing safety within automotive component manufacturing facilities. The manual handling of large or heavy parts carries risks of accidents, such as dropping loads, collisions, or losing control of a component during movement. These incidents can cause severe injuries to the person completing the task and even other workers nearby.
Mishandling of loads also poses the risk of damaging valuable components. Whether that means an item must be scrapped or can be salvaged through rework, that scenario causes a financial loss either way.
Industrial manipulators provide a carefully controlled and stable method for handling loads. The component is securely gripped by a custom-designed end effector, such as a vacuum gripper, clamp, hook, or magnetic attachment. This secure attachment minimizes the risk of the load slipping or falling as the worker lifts and moves it, and the smooth and controlled movement further reduces the likelihood of accidents.
Tight spaces can be especially treacherous for workers moving items manually, increasing the risk of collisions or missteps. A manipulator’s ability to reach over machinery or navigate in close quarters with a stable load significantly reduces those dangers. The operator maintains direct control over the movement, allowing for immediate adjustments to the surrounding environment. If there is any uncertainty about how to complete a movement, the worker can stop the manipulator and have it hold the load in place as long as necessary for them to decide on the best course of action.
Manipulators also reduce the physical strain on employees, contributing to a safer workplace. Fatigued workers are more prone to errors and accidents. By minimizing the physical stress associated with manual handling, manipulators help ensure that operators remain alert and focused on their tasks, further enhancing overall safety.
Boosting Efficiency and Productivity
Maximizing throughput is second only to worker safety for automotive component manufacturers. Industrial manipulators deliver significant improvements in efficiency and productivity for these companies, enabling a single employee to handle loads that might otherwise require multiple people. That frees up valuable labor resources that a company can allocate to other tasks, which is particularly helpful in the current business climate, where labor shortages are a significant concern for many manufacturers.
Using a manipulator to move and position components more rapidly also contributes to faster cycle times. Repetitive lifting and manual maneuvering, which can be slow and physically demanding, become much quicker and more fluid with power assistance. This is especially true for tasks involving precise alignment or insertion, where the manipulator’s ability to hold the component in a weightless state allows the operator to make fine adjustments with speed and accuracy.
The process of loading components into a container is a good example. Manually lifting and placing multiple heavy parts into a shipping crate can be time-consuming. With a manipulator, the operator can quickly and safely grip each component, move it to the required position, and gently release it, significantly accelerating the loading process.
In addition, the reduced risk of damage to components during handling helps increase efficiency and productivity. This reduction in waste and rework also directly translates into lower manufacturing costs.
Versatility and Adaptability in Dynamic Automotive Manufacturing Environments
Automotive component manufacturers typically produce an array of parts, often with varying production volumes and ongoing design iterations. This requires adaptability — a trait of human workers that is not present in fully automated systems.
Industrial manipulators, while often customized to maximize their benefit in specific tasks, take their directions from an employee. They can also be modified easily, such as changing the “gripper” at the end of an arm. These characteristics mean a system can be quickly adapted to handle different components on the same production line or moved to a different workstation entirely.
This adaptability is crucial in a sector that frequently deals with product variations, short production runs for specific vehicle models, or the need to reconfigure production lines to accommodate new component designs. Retooling a complex robotic system for a new part can be complicated and costly. In contrast, switching out a manipulator’s end effector and making minor adjustments to its balancing system is relatively quick and straightforward, minimizing downtime and maximizing the system’s benefit.
Easy Integration into Existing Manufacturing Workflows
Automotive component manufacturers find that they can integrate human-operated industrial manipulators into their workflows easily and seamlessly. These solutions can be mounted and positioned in various ways based on the space available, the configuration of a production line, etc. This flexibility allows a company to place the manipulators where they are most needed, whether at a workstation for assembly, alongside a conveyor for loading/unloading, or in a packaging area.
Additionally, a solution’s controls are typically intuitive and designed for ease of use, allowing operators to learn how to utilize the manipulator quickly. This minimizes the need for extensive training and provides for rapid deployment within a facility.
Ultimately, integrating industrial manipulators doesn’t require a factory floor redesign or changes to existing processes. Instead, they are introduced as tools to enhance specific material handling tasks within the current operational framework. What’s more, data gathered from manipulators can potentially be integrated into a manufacturer’s production monitoring systems, providing insights into efficiency and productivity.
Final Thoughts
The role of human-operated industrial manipulators will become even more critical for component manufacturers as the automotive industry continues to evolve, with increasing complexity in component design and ongoing pressure to improve efficiency and productivity. Automation and robotics will undoubtedly continue to advance, but the need for flexible, adaptable, and human-centric solutions for material handling will remain.
The ability of manipulators to assist with a wide variety of parts, adapt to changing production demands, and, most importantly, protect the health and safety of the workforce makes them an essential investment for automotive component manufacturers. They represent a technological evolution that complements, rather than replaces, the invaluable skills and judgment of human operators.
If you have questions about how customized industrial manipulators can benefit your automotive component manufacturing operations, contact us at your convenience. Whether you are ready to leverage solutions now or simply want to educate yourself on your options, our team is happy to talk with you.
Understanding how easy it is to implement industrial manipulators and how they can improve worker safety, enhance product quality, and improve productivity positions you to capitalize on these advantages whenever it makes sense for your organization. Knowing that Dalmec is a pioneer and leader in this area also provides reassurance that the solutions you implement will be designed and supported by the industry’s most skilled and experienced professionals.
