The growing ubiquity of industrial robots promises to transform industry forever. But first, factory engineers need to make the challenging decisions about which automation technologies are right for their facility. What type of robot do we need? What are the challenges to integrating the machines into production? And how do we maximize the productivity? Let this insightful conversation from industry leaders help inform your decision making.
Overview
The robotics and automation boom of the past few years has created a dizzying number of robotic systems, along with myriad features and option. Even experienced factory or motion control engineers may have trouble navigating a crowded marketplace. And when pressure to increase productivity and efficiency mounts, engineers are more likely to make an ill-informed choice.
To maximize the investment in robotic hardware, underlying software and other support elements, there are many factors to consider. This roundtable session will help viewers discover the varieties of industrial robots available to them, the options of each and tips for optimizing their installation and operation.
Speakers
Edgar Sotter is a Senior Director of New Product Technology in the CSA Group. His team looks to the technology horizon for new developments and applications that could present opportunities for CSA’s Test, Inspection and Certification business. Prior to joining CSA, Edgar worked as Senior Director, Product Strategies & Client Solutions at Systems with Intelligence Inc. (SWI), a manufacturer of monitoring products for the electrical sector. Edgar has 20 years of combined academic, technical and business experience. He has a PhD in electronic engineering from Universidad Rovira I Virgili (Spain), an Executive MBA from the University of Toronto (Canada) and a Bachelor’s of Science in electronic engineering from Universidad del Norte (Colombia).
Over the past 34 years, Dean Phillips has been a leader in the technology sectors and the world of smart manufacturing. His is a continuous advisor to the smart manufacturing advisory committees with Society of Manufacturing Engineers and PMA Precision Metalforming Association. Phillips has been a speaker on IoT, AI, robotics, VR and AR. He is the creator of reality safe, a VR / AR safety training solution for manufacturing, working with Purdue. Phillips has spent the majority of his time advancing IoT, maintenance and safety to be more predictive and develop outcome based solutions. He has been on the board of directors for SME and an advisor for TTU, MTSU and TCAT. He has been a contributing lecturer on big data and it’s value and need for artificial intelligence to filter the information into actionable items. Phillips provides safety and development to cobot users and assists universities to outline expectations from manufacturers.
For over 20 years Justin has been connected with robotics, independent cart, and automation. Spending time in field service, engineering, and then sales, he has continued to gain knowledge and industry experience in a wide variety of applications.
Bryan is currently self-employed as a freelance and consulting roboticist. He previously spent 6 years working in Germany at ABB in the Robotics & Discrete Automation Division. Here, he was part of a team developing a new light-weight robot arm, or cobot. He was responsible for testing and analyzing the various sub-systems of the robot arm such as the drive unit and gripper as well as components such as slip-rings and harmonic drives. Bryan is particularly well-equipped to discuss these typical robot arm sub-systems and components. Bryan holds an MSc (Engineering) degree in Mechatronics, from Stellenbosch University. His master's thesis involved the development of a robotic arm concept for key-hole surgery procedures. The thesis also had a substantial computer vision component which provided the positional target for the robot arm.
Aaron Prather is the director of Robotics & Autonomous Systems Program at ASTM International, where he oversees standards development, training and workforce development efforts, and R&D funding. Prior to joining ASTM, Aaron was the senior advisor for robotics R&D at FedEx, where he developed and deployed numerous systems into their global operations. Prather has written numerous articles about robotics and their role and impact on workforce development. He is on numerous boards and committees that develop curriculum for robotics training.