Robotics Special Report: Big Data is the New Currency

New software systems for robotics collect and analyze data to increase OEE, protect against cyberattacks, and predict failures.

Anne Marie Mohan

Jul 31st, 2020

Kawasaki Robotics Trend Manager failure prediction software is designed to help companies avoid unexpected downtime by allowing them to predict failures and fix issues before loss of production.

A 2019 business intelligence report, “Robotics, Innovation 2 Implementation,” from PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, noted, “The future of robotics in the manufacturing space will be defined by big data and the ability of AI systems to analyze and act on production information.” It adds that, “Future factories will utilize big data collection and analyzation to empower robots to make on-the-fly decisions in the middle of production, even when presented with unfamiliar scenarios.”

Gerhard Schubert GmbH is among those companies that have embraced big data by developing a solution for its modular, robotic packaging systems that it says provides meaningful analysis of the key figures and 100% protection against Internet attacks. Now integrated into every new robot-based TLM packaging system—which offers both primary and secondary packaging capabilities—is Schubert’s industrial gateway, GS.Gate. GS.Gate allows detailed evaluations of system productivity to be called up, and the results can be viewed either on the GRIPS.world customer platform or on the machine operating terminal. From this analysis, Schubert says, “potentials and possibilities can then be derived as to how the OEE [Overall Equipment Effectiveness] ratio of the line and therefore the added value can be improved.”

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Also operating in the new currency of big data is Kawasaki Robotics failure prediction software, Trend Manager, designed to help companies avoid unexpected downtime by allowing them to predict failures and fix issues before loss of production. The software, which allows users to maintain control of their information, monitors motor current and robot condition during operation and generates a failure prediction date using the data. When Trend Manager detects an abnormality, a warning alarm is sent to the user via email, saves the data, and logs it for reference.

Download the Playbook

For more information on trends in robotics, download Packaging World’s new Packaging Robotics Playbook, 2020 Edition.

PMMI Guidance on ANSI Standards for Robotics

When getting started with robotics, a question often arises as to which standard(s) apply to a machine. Or stated differently, “Is this a robotic system that does packaging, or a packaging machine that includes a robot?”

PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies recommends that machinery users apply the ANSI B155.1 standard for packaging and processing systems to the packaging system as a whole, and make use of the type-C standards, which deal with detailed safety requirements for a particular machine or group of machines, as guidance to meet the requirements of B155.1. By applying the B155.1 as the base standard and drawing on the specific applicable requirements of R15.06 (a U.S. national adoption of the international standard ISO 10218-1 and -2), machinery users can achieve the best of both worlds—packaging and processing machinery with automation.

Knowing how to apply the industry standards can assist in developing productive, safe, and effective solutions. PMMI can assist. Contact Tom Egan, Vice President of Industry Services for PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies at tegan@pmmi.org.