The sealants are applied at Ford via a KUKA LBR iiwa cobot. Without the requirement for safety fences, it works alongside human workers and provides relief during the work process. Workers at Ford’s Cologne plant benefit from the adaptability, sensitivity and learning ability of the lightweight KUKA LBR iiwa robot.
According to Michael Koch, production engineer at Ford-Werke GmbH, “the feedback on the new co-workers has been overwhelmingly good”. Since November 2017, four lightweight robots from the robotics firm KUKA have taken over the complicated and tedious task of applying the sealing seam where workers used to do it. They were easily incorporated into the current production line.
Production facilities are increasingly incorporating so-called human-robot collaboration (HRC). Assistants, both human and robotic, are not yet a standard component of body-in-white production setups. However, companies that want to remain competitive must move towards digitalisation and improve their production methods. This enables the automation of various monotonous jobs that are difficult for humans.
Four LBR iiwa light robots from KUKA have been introduced at the Ford plant in Cologne. The robots apply the defined amount of sealant in exactly the same position every time. This ensures a high degree of sealing of the vehicle body and avoids the need to rework the paintwork.
The LBR iiwa robot learns the exact movement sequence, which it can then execute independently. No additional space-consuming protective measures are necessary, as the robot’s sensitive features enable it to recognise obstacles. “Our employees can now concentrate on a smooth work sequence,” says Michael Koch, production engineer at Ford.
At a Ford plant in Saarlouis, Germany, the KUKA LBR iiwa robot is being tested for autonomous gap calibration and flush mounting in doors and mudguards. Human-robot collaboration is also feasible for downstream work processes such as quality control.
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