While the use of mobile robotics has already become established in the manufacturing industry – especially in the automotive sector – the topic is still uncharted territory for the process industry. Sectors and industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and food could also benefit from mobile robotics in order to automate process steps. Last but not least, it is important to counteract the shortage of skilled workers. SpiraTec recognized these opportunities at an early stage, built up a team of experts and supports its customers in planning, projecting and integrating mobile robotics. Initial use cases show impressive results and confirm SpiraTec’s pioneering role in this field.
In times of labor and skills shortages and social change, where work-life balance is more important and shift work is increasingly difficult to fill, companies are looking for new, efficient and automated solutions. Mobile robotics offers new opportunities here – also in the process industry – that need to be explored. Autonomous mobile robots (AMR) play a crucial role in this context, as they can find their way around and move in changing environments free of fixed installations. This opens up completely new opportunities in the process industry for automating a wide range of tasks.
Laying the foundations
However, the process industry is still in its infancy when it comes to mobile robotics. SpiraTec has now achieved a breakthrough in a current use case to create important foundations for the future use of mobile robotics solutions. For the first time, it was possible to show how the interaction between humans with their manual tasks, a collaborative robot (cobot) and a mobile robot solution can succeed in a process engineering environment by means of a process control system (PCS). The goal was to map an upstream task in which mutual communication between the process control system and the cobot is ensured. A mobile robotics solution can then be added as a further component in the next step.
Jens Bunert, SpiraTec’s Industrial Robotics Services Manager, explains: “For one of our customers, we implemented an integrated pick and place application as part of a cobot project. The focus in the use case was on communication, which was controlled via MQTT connection of the cobot via automation and industrial software. The interaction between the process control system and the cobot enables the use of a mobile robot for intralogistics tasks in the future.” Feasibility studies have also been carried out in other customer projects, proof of concepts and automation concepts have been created, and the cost-effectiveness of the use of mobile robotics has been considered.
SpiraTec as a consulting party
As early as two years ago, SpiraTec dedicated itself in detail to the topic of robotics in the process industry and set up its own location to offer manufacturer-independent consulting and solution services. During this time, a powerful team of experts has been formed at the SpiraTec site in Dortmund, which is ideally positioned to support and advise its customers in this hitherto rather unclear market. Under the Robotic Process Design service module, the focus is on planning, project planning and integration of mobile robotics and software connection to production systems (DCS or MES).
Jens Bunert confirms: “On the one hand, requirements are growing due to social changes and challenges where the use of mobile robotics can be valuable. On the other hand, system diversity is increasing, as various suppliers of mobile robots are active with different control and management systems and international, overarching standards are currently still lacking.”
SpiraTec is on hand here as a consulting party that keeps track of developments on the market and supports customers in this regard. The SpiraTec Group’s interdisciplinary expertise and services in process engineering, industrial IT and automation come into their own. Jens Bunert is certain: “In the future, mobile robotics will become an integral part of the process industry and contribute to maintaining competitiveness here.”
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Jens Bunert Project Manager Industrial Robotics Services (300 dpi)
