It’s always interesting to speak with the people who work first-hand, everyday, with industrial robots and with all the different applications. So, I took it upon myself to sit down with a few of our technicians to do a quick ‘Q&A’ session, and here is the result:
Q: What is the most common problem you see while out in the field?
A: Teach Pendant and cable damage. Often times, cables get run over by forklifts in the factory or warehouse, splitting wires and causing loss of communication to the robot. Here at KC we see cables come in constantly for repair, which is typically an easy fix. If there is a problem with the cable, it’s possible that it will cause a ‘short’ to occur in the teach pendant, making it fail, as well.
Q: If there was one thing you could recommend to a customer, what would it be?
A: Stock spare parts. We also encourage customers to keep an extra robot on hand, in case the working robot goes ‘down’ and needs servicing. We believe maintaining an extra robot would prove to be cost-effective; for every hour or day that they’re system is down and not producing, the customer faces an economic loss, regardless of severity.
Q: What are the most common types of applications that businesses use robotics for?
A: Material handling, welding, and palletizing.
Q: Describe the most interesting system you have worked on.
A: A golf ball testing system. The robot held a driver and was programmed to swing and hit a golf ball. This system tested the swing patterns and the distance the golf ball would go.
Q: What is your favorite thing about working as a service technician in this industry?
A: Interaction with the customer and the variety of the applications we get to work with. It’s always gratifying to attain solutions for the customer.
Q: What do you, with your expertise, believe are the benefits to implementing a robotic system?
A: Implementing a robotic system really forces businesses to increase the quality and repeatability of their part throughout their entire process. The various applications are dependable and can run 24/7, which is only to their benefit.
You must log in to post a comment.