Where Robots and eepos Aluminum Cranes Work Hand in Hand
KUKA, the robot manufacturer, trusts eepos for human-machine collaboration.
KUKA Roboter GmbH is one of the world's leading suppliers of industrial robots, specializing in the development and production of industrial robots, controllers, and software.
When manufacturing robots, KUKA relies on seamless human-machine collaboration, and on the support of eepos aluminum crane systems.
The orange KUKA robots are regarded as highly efficient and powerful solutions for production lines. They perform recurring tasks quickly and precisely, maintaining a consistently high level of quality. Naturally, KUKA's Augsburg headquarters makes full use of its own technologies when setting up production lines, relying on its solutions for its own manufacturing processes.
Ergonomic set up at Workstation 2
In several stations where screwing takes place, KUKA employees work at ergonomically optimized workstations with the eepos one crane systems. Edmund Bahr explains the decision for this partial automation: "We have an incredible variety of robot variants, along with constant improvements to our product lines. That's why we decided to deliberately rely on our employees here and use of their flexibility. The screwdrivers provide better Ergonomics and safety on the eepos crane systems. Otherwise, we would have had to automate the screw feed as well, which simply isn't worth it."
Regarding the digital connection to the cloud-based software platform KUKA Connect, Bahr adds: "The robots and screwdriver controls fulfill everything one expect under Industry 4.0. They receive their orders via the internal system and automatically register with quality control, logging and acknowledgement. This means that all relevant information for every assembly step and the equipment used is available in the KUKA cloud at all times."
Assembly with eepos cranes and KUKA lightweight robots
Overall, the main line at the automation expert's facility was set up according to two principles:
- Automation only to the extent that it's cost-effective and makes sense.
- Automation is used wherever heavyweights or dangerous substances are involved, or where it is worthwhile for reasons of occupational safety, process reliability, or economic efficiency.
Edmund Bahr
Production Manager at KUKA, Augsburg
“At KUKA, Industry 4.0 means that all machines work together with people to achieve the best possible work results”
The modular system is impressive
"When assembling the robots, Edmund Bahr chose the aluminum crane systems from eepos, impressed by the overall concept of the modular system: 'The variety of eepos components, along with the clarity and consistency of the system, gives us the flexibility we need here in production."
The eepos crane profiles with their item grooves, attachment options, jacking points, and the service stations, gave us significant planning freedom. Moreover, additions and modifications can be implemented quickly and easily.
All employees appreciate the lightness and smooth operation of the crane systems at their workstations. We are particularly impressed by the wide range offered by the eepos modular system. The cost-benefit analysis confirmed the value of both the overhead and jib cranes. Employee feedback has been consistently positive - we would choose eepos again without hesitation."
The eepos crane system reduces strain when positioning and holding loads
KUKA's innovation is evident at individual production stations, where KUKA employees, the HRC-capable lightweight robot LBR iiwa, and eepos crane systems collaborate seamlessly on assembly screwing processes.
Edmund Bahr's experiences have been consistently positive: "The eepos crane system excels at handling parts and screw systems, relieving workers of positioning and holding tasks. The LBR iiwa collaborates with employees to screw individual components together into assemblies. The lightweight robot complies with all relevant safety regulations for collaborative systems. If a worker touches the robot arm, it stops immediately. Additionally, the KUKA controller monitors all processes and communicates everything to the relevant systems."
A look into the future
Through implementing human-robot collaboration, KUKA has become a pioneer of “Manufacturing Industry 4.0”: with fully networked, consistent hardware and software structures for KUKA tools, all built on the flexibility of aluminum crane systems and floor conveyor systems.
Volkhardt Mücher, Managing Director of eepos GmbH, sees this as crucial for the future of manufacturing in Germany: "The collaboration between crane systems and robots is only just beginning. Conventional tools will increase their productivity many times over thanks to robots, and cranes will make a decisive contribution to this."
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