The use of Collaborative Robots (Cobots) is an emerging technology that is developing at a fast pace. Within GKN Aerospace’s Fokker business a project is initiated to accelerate knowledge of application of this technology. Goal of the project is to get familiar with the technology and possibilities of a Cobot. The primary difference between Cobotics and a conventional Robotics approach is that the technology can safely exist in a human operating environment without caging or other hard guarding.
Both Fokker Aerostructures and Fokker Landing Gear wanted to gain experience with this technology and worked together in the preparation of 2 projects to be showcased in their companies.
Fokker Aerostructures concentrated on the application of handling of an Automatic Drilling Unit (ADU) for the production of the A350 Outboard Flap. Task of the Cobot was to pick-up an ADU from a table and insert the ADU in a drill jig. Goal of the project was to free-up well trained workers for more difficult tasks and have the robot work on “simple” tasks.
Fokker Landing Gear concentrated on the application to use a collaborating robot on the shopfloor as an assistant for the operator to apply an even and bubble free bead of sealant for a limited number of bushings. Goal of the application is to reduce operating time and to initiate a repeatable and improvable proces.
The paper describes the results of the mentioned projects. Specific topic in the paper will be the safe operation between humans and robots ( HRC = Human Robot Collaboration).