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£600,000 lab will show how robots can solve users’ problems

05 November, 2018

Omron has opened a robotics innovation lab at its UK headquarters in Milton Keynes. The lab, which represents an investment of £600,000 with a creation of five new jobs, will show potential users how robots could enhance their applications.

Omron says that while UK manufacturers are enthusiastic about the potential of robots to increase their productivity and to ease labour shortages, they are reluctant to make substantial capital investments in robotic technologies without knowing that they will provide a definite return-on-investment for their own applications. The new lab is intended to provide them with a proof-of-concept demonstration that will closely replicate their application.

“Many of the manufacturers that we meet see robots as the ideal solution to the problems they are currently facing, such as difficulties in recruiting qualified, experienced personnel,” explains Omron’s marketing manager, Dan Rossek. “The new robotics lab provides a platform that can be quickly configured to give an accurate representation of the impact that robots will actually have on the customer’s own production line, as well as allowing us to demonstrate how our other products can be quickly integrated to increase the benefits provided by the robots.

“The lab also gives us a better understanding of our customers’ needs and provide a powerful tool that helps convert interested leads into satisfied customers,” he adds.

Omron plans to use the lab to showcase its portfolio of industrial robots, including its Scara, six-axis and high-speed Delta machines. Visitors will also be able to see Omron’s AIVs (autonomous intelligent vehicles) in action. These are designed to transfer raw materials and products between production cells and loading and unloading machines, allowing manufacturers to move personnel to more productive tasks.  

One of the technologies being demonstrated in Omron's new robotics innovation lab is high-speed Delta robots

The lab also shows how the robots can integrate with other Omron sensing, control and motion technologies, as well as its cloud-connected and AI-controlled management systems. It will also go beyond manufacturing processes to demonstrate how robots can enhance the efficiency of other parts of a factory, such as packaging and the distribution of materials.

The lab has a flexible layout that allows the cell configuration to be adapted rapidly to match the steps and conditions found in customers’ own production lines. The robots offer a wide range of easy-to-change handling heads, simplifying set-ups, even for complex processes.




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