Wireless Robot Control for Auto Body Shops
In auto body manufacturing, robots equipped with grippers perform key work steps. The gripper control system relies on cables and connectors that are subject to regular wear and tear. If these fail during continuous operation, the system comes to a standstill, resulting in enormous follow-up costs.
- Client
- BMW Group
- Project area
- Germany, European Union
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Task
In the event that a cable-based control system on a robot fails, the BMW Group plant in Leipzig required a plug-and-play wireless replacement that would immediately bypass the defective cable connection.
The goal is to keep production downtime as low as possible and give technicians time to diagnose and repair the issue.
Implementation
R3 Solutions provided the customer with the “Robot Emergency Kit.” In an emergency, the customer immediately bypasses the failed cable connection using the Bridge-E wireless modules, thereby ensuring the system continues to operate. This is also possible over extended periods until a repair can be performed during the next scheduled maintenance window.
Result
The Robot Emergency Kit can be installed and made operational in less than ten minutes when needed. This reduces production downtime to an absolute minimum. With the conventional approach, which consists of diagnosis and repair, downtime of up to one hour would be expected. The kit has been in productive use at the BMW site in Leipzig for several years and also meets the requirements of complex robot systems.
Project Data
| Network size: | 3 devices |
|---|---|
| Real-time protocol: | PROFINET |
| Other data transmission: | none |
| PLC cycle time: | 16 ms |
| Coverage: | 5 m x 5 m robot cell |
| Roaming: | No |
| Monitoring: | No |
Daniel Thiel
Wireless Solutions Expert
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