Automation and the use of robotics are becoming more prevalent across industries to improve productivity, quality, save costs, and increase employee safety.

Manufacturing and assembly lines specifically can also benefit greatly from the use of automation in processes, such as screwing and fastening.

We have collected some of the most important benefits that robotic screwdriver/fastener systems can provide.

Cycle time reduction

Reducing cycle time is a strategy in production, which improves productivity and quality by lowering the time needed for a specific process.

Most production processes often have some variation involved with them, which can create significant discrepancies in timing between workstations. This can lead to inefficiencies and unidentified quality issues on the workpieces.

The automation of processes within production and assembly lines, such as fastening and screwing can contribute to shorter cycle times along with better productivity and quality.

Easy setup and flexibility for new production projects

The setup speed and flexibility are also important factors to highlight, as the key benefits of robotic screwdriver systems.

State-of-the-art solutions, such as the Plug’n’Produce Screwdriving Tool allows manufacturers to adopt automated screwdriver solutions on their lines, without having to dive deep into programming issues or hire specialists to set the system up.

This easy-to-use tool was created to be used with collaborative robots (cobots). It provides safety, seamless robot integration, and collaborative work with humans in their working areas.

The ability to recalibrate the solution quickly allows manufacturers to change any attributes in the fastening/screwing applications instantly, and meet the ever-changing customer requirements and market trends.

In the age of the COVID-19 pandemic, flexibility and adaptability are key components that will decide whether a company will thrive or fail in turbulent economic conditions.

Uniformity and lower variation in quality

We have touched on this briefly in our first point, but it is hardly easy to overemphasize the importance of continuity and uniformity in the quality of outputs.

As the legendary filmmaker and producer, Akira Kurosawa once put it, “There is nothing that says more about its creator than the work itself.”

Manufacturers know that high-quality products are a prerequisite to customer satisfaction and brand image.

Robotic screwdriver solutions can help companies provide better uniformity, and lower variation in quality. Constant and predictable outputs can reduce the quality issues and the production of scrap materials.

Simple, cheap repair and maintenance

As innovative, robotic screwdriver systems are becoming more easily accessible to manufacturers across the board, the costs related to maintenance and repairs are also becoming more affordable.

With proper use and timely maintenance, these solutions can function flawlessly, without unexpected interruptions in the assembly processes.

Long-term return on investment

While robotic systems can have slightly higher investment costs initially compared to manual, and machine supported screwdriver/fastener solutions, it is important to think long-term to see the bigger picture.

Higher investment costs are complemented with the above-mentioned benefits, such as higher productivity, output quality, shorter cycle times, more flexibility, uniformity, and lower scrap rate.

Moreover, most of the safety issues and work environment hazards can be avoided through the use of robotic screwdriver systems. Employees are moved from strenuous, monotonous, and potentially dangerous manual tasks to performing more value-adding activities in the production process. The risk of personal injuries and health hazards can be reduced significantly, which can contribute to decreased absenteeism, lower fluctuation, and improved morale at work.

Learn more about our Plug’n’Produce Screwdriving Tool, which is an innovative system for screwing and fastening applications.

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