In an interaction with Industry Outlook, Ajay Gurjar, Director & COO, Yaskawa India Private Limited, shares his views on the challenges in adoption of industrial robotics and how they can be addressed.
Industrial robots are playing a crucial role in factory automation and the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 14 per cent till 2026. How do you see the current evolution of this market in India? What are the major factors driving its growth?
The Indian Industrial Automation Market size, which was valued at $5 Billion in 2018, is further expected to grow at a CAGR of 12 percent during 2017-2023 and will reach $4.43 Billion by 2023. As per a survey, there are 74 robotic units per 10,000 employees globally.
The recent developments in factory automation have led to the growth of the sector. This has also got a boost as the industrial sector is opening up to various technologies that are innovative and cater to the needs of the customers. The leading factor driving its growth is the move towards Industry 4.0.
The articulated robot of traditional industrial robots is expected to hold the largest share of the market, both in terms of value and volume. One will find articulated robots in automotive industry where they are used on a wide scale for various tasks such as welding, assembling, handling, dispensing (gluing and painting), and processing (cutting and polishing) as well as spot welding and painting. In the current scenario, one will also find these robots in high demand in the electronics, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Due to increased demand for COVID-19 testing and production, articulated robots & COBOT can be deployed to achieve seamless automation in the pharmaceutical sector.
What are the major expectations of manufacturers from industrial robotics solution providers? How can those expectations be met comprehensively?
In today’s world, the ways to use a robot have evolved on a large scale. In the early times robots manufacturers used to give one program code and that was used forever. But with the advancement in robotics, each cell is developed in a way that works for every scale. It can make from a car to a cell phone in large quantities. There are five major expectations which we have identified for the manufactures that could help them meet the current needs.
•Flexibility: There should be constant change. Also, the software should be designed in a way that they can be sufficiently open for future changes. This would make the investment of the manufactures future proof.
•Customizable: Each business is different. The software should be designed in a way that it fulfills all the different aspects of varied business.
•Ease of Use: The technology in the machines should be developed in a way that the operators could use it with ease.
•Data Compatibility and Interoperability: As mentioned earlier, with varied business comes variety of expectations. Making standard software with basic and generic function is the best solution.
•Adaptability: With ever increasing demands, the industry demands high adaption rate. The manufactures are expected to make a digital twin that would do the same work of the original machine.
The expectations are very basic but if they are fulfilled in the correct way it could help them take the full advantage of the flexibility and also help in reducing the automation rate.
How is Yaskawa India positioned in this market? What role does it play in bringing about a revolution in manufacturing with robotics?
Coined by Yaskawa, ‘Mechatronics’ is a word being freely used today by everyone. In India, Yaskawa started its journey with the business of PLC in 1980 and AC drives in 1990 and steadily expanded its Robotics applications presence since 2005, to accommodate growing customer needs.
Today, our India operations span the length and breadth of the country becoming a central hub for our future goals, which is headed by a vigorous team. The Robotic solutions that we offer have core strengths majorly in applications like Arc welding, Spot welding, Handling, Pick, pack & palletizing, foundry & forging, Painting, and many more which serve to the industries viz. automotive, machine tools, FMCG, textile, plastic, and rubber, building automation, metals & mining, healthcare and other upcoming sectors.
With the rapid changing demands of the market, Yaskawa India also plans to bring a revolution in robotics manufacturing by providing highly flexible robotic technologies and automation solutions to its OEMs, system integrators and tier 1 & tier 2 suppliers. Recently to deepen our roots in India, Yaskawa opened a new branch office in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. This new premise in Gujarat will deliver Robotics applications and drives and motion control products and support local customers in optimizing their systems and processes through its strong sales, service, and technical support team. We also would help in strengthening the market by developing various skills for the work-force and future generations.
In industrial robotics, integration of robots with the existing system is one of the major challenges for manufacturers. How can this challenge be addressed? What is Yaskawa doing in this regard?
Yaskawa has always tried its level best to provide solutions to the major challenges in industrial robotics. Yaskawa Robot Product range and all industrial communication and integration option availability have always made the integration process easy with the existing system. Also, Yaskawa has introduced the concept of I3-Mechatronics with Yaskawa Cockpit, a three-dimensional digital data solution. The detailed theory of Integrated, Intelligent & Innovative solution describes on how Yaskawa is empowering the next generation by synthesizing its knowledge of mechatronics technology where industry is looking to work in future.
Yaskawa has made the work easier by providing ROS-I drivers for its YRC100micro, DX200 and DX200 controllers. Specific Unified Robot Description Formats (URDF) for simulating Yaskawa robot arms are also available. As Yaskawa’s ROS-I driver is an open-source software and built using the powerful MotoPlus™ SDK. The driver enables highly deterministic applications for force control, vision, and general sensor integration and helps to create real-time applications.
This next-generation ROS framework extends the digitalization of manufacturing environments through the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), the Cloud and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Compatible with multiple platforms, ROS 2.0 is designed to support multi-robot systems, real-time control, enhanced security and more, offering a pathway to more advanced industrial solutions. With the advancement of ROS 2.0 with multi-robot systems, the future of manufacturing will have a mix of intelligent robots with dynamic trajectories and other advanced features.
Cost is a significant factor impeding the rapid adoption of robotics. How do you see the advent of robotics as a service? How can it be achieved and what is Yaskawa’s approach for the same?
We have all heard of the concept of production “lights-out manufacturing”. In this concept the manufacturing is handled automatically with no human presence on-site. With the new wave of automation, Yaskawa will work with the help of the same concept. This helps us to improve quality while eliminating errors and reducing variability and will also help in cutting down the manufacturing cost.
Yaskawa is ready with robots that will be ready with all the adaption to the new technologies. We have also developed software that makes the robots smarter. The robots with these softwares will have a proper vision system that will help in adopting the latest generation of technology and can integrate information with multiple sensors. For example, the robots can make use of the spectral analysis that will check the quality of a weld when it is made or reducing the amount during the post manufacturing inspection.
Yaskawa, seeing the needs in the medical sector, has footprint for service robot industry that will help in medical treatment and social welfare areas. Determined to meet this need, Yaskawa has made Leg Rehabilitation Robot & Collaborated with ReWalk. Utilization of this device will contribute to the stabilization of the quality and quantity of physical therapy and reduce the burdens placed on the medical caregivers.
The articulated robot of traditional industrial robots is expected to hold the largest share of the market, both in terms of value and volume
Where do you see this market in the near future? What is the future road map for Yaskawa India?
Yaskawa India has already planned for its future endeavors on YASK AWA’s 100th anniversary in 2015. Our Vision 2025 is to contribute to solve customer needs and issues. Also, adding some new values to the society with the help of evolution of core business and expansion into the new fields by applying mechatronics technology. Yaskawa India’s future road map is to set Factory Automation/Optimization and Applications of Mechatronics Technology. We are trying to focus our efforts in particular areas. Few of them are as follows:
•Humatronics: Promote development of medical and welfare markets
•Food & Agri: Promote automation in food production and agriculture market
•Energy Saving: Reducing electricity consumption through energy saving equipment
•Clean Power: Establish energy creation, application, and storage business
•Skill Development: Conceive and implement projects of high social impact and strengthen the market by developing skilled workforce to address Industry 4.0 manpower needs
Yaskawa has identified the challenges that are faced by the robotics industries and with deep thoughtfulness and our Vision 2025, we will solve all the customer requirements and develop more ideas.
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