The future of automotive robotics and the companies it depends on
In 2005, 90% of all robots were found in one place: car factories. Fifteen years later, that share had fallen to less than 50%, as every industry finds innovative ways to bring in robotic helpers. Even so, the automotive industry remains the main application for robots.
Without automation, car factories would have become obsolete long ago. It is essential for safety, quality and productivity. These robots are not designed to replace people. They are built to work together, aimed at maximizing the efficiency of the entire car manufacturing process. Back in 2014, people working with robots were 85% more productive than without them.
Automotive Robotics
Robots have been vital to the automotive industry for decades. They will become even more important as cars and production processes grow smarter. Robots work alongside people, performing a range of tasks, from welding and inserting parts on the assembly line to using lasers to detect faulty car components.
Ford, GM, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and virtually all car makers use cobots (collaborative robots) in their factories for functions such as painting cars, welding and conveyor work. In the future, such robots will become even more useful as traditional caged robots in car factories become outdated.
Here are six companies that are helping shape the future of automotive robotics.
Rethink Robotics
Robots from the company assist with material handling, machine maintenance, testing, inspection and even packaging finished products. The Sawyer robot works with tiny parts and can reach into confined spaces.
Auto parts maker Tennplasco used Rethink Robotics' Sawyer to build and inspect assembly line parts. One robot did the work of two people.
Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation robots used in car assembly help in body shops, from installing parts and painting vehicles to assisting with inventory management and quality control.
The company is developing robots that will help automate electric vehicle production. Rockwell offers various technologies and robots to scale up an EV manufacturing plant.
Kuka
Kuka's wide range of robots and software enables automation of car manufacturing processes. For example, the company's software is installed in ready-made robot applications and can run everything from 3D visualization to simulation.
Kuka robots can handle heavy loads and perform tasks such as welding, waterjet cutting and assembly line inspection. Kuka produces at least 18 robots for automating the automotive industry, which do everything from laser welding and washing to creating seat components for BMW cars using three-dimensional geometry.
Acieta
The company builds FANUC robots for automating assembly lines. They have a wide range of motion and can perform many tasks. The robots can be used for everything from making automotive components (pumps or engines) to welding large body panels and small brackets.
Acieta has installed more than 4,400 industrial robots for car manufacturing at plants in North America.
Robotic Vision Technologies
The company develops 3D vision software for robots and auxiliary bots. Single Camera 3D, compatible with all major industrial robots, helps find and identify various car parts in less than 0.1 seconds.
Robotic vision helps car makers improve efficiency by recognizing different automotive parts and sending fault alerts. Robotic vision technologies are trusted by some of the world's best-known manufacturers, including Boeing, Ford and Toyota.
Universal Robots
The company has created a range of robots that integrate into car production lines. The robotic arm, which mimics the movement of a human arm, provides extra precision in various car manufacturing processes.
These devices can replace human operators in dangerous, dirty or monotonous jobs, freeing workers for more complex and productive tasks.
In 2018, Spain's leading automotive magazine Autorevista presented Universal Robots with its annual industry leadership award for "radically transforming industrial robotics."
