Robotic arms are taking over the manufacturing industry and if you are looking to take your business to the next level, it is something you may want to consider. This is because there are many benefits to be reaped from the same.
However, even if it is a wise investment, this kind of motorized arm poses a potential safety hazard in your business. Of course, you do not want to end up facing lawsuits from injured employees and the like.
In that regard, you want to put measures in place to ensure that your robot arm brings returns and not losses. Here are some of those measures.
Control Self-learning Robots
Self-learning machines are the next big thing (or they already are) and rightfully so because they eliminate the limitations that come with default programming. However, a self-learning industrial robot arm poses some safety hazards as well.
To mitigate this, you would need to have control over your robotic arm if it is a self-learning one.
Address Wear and Tear
Just like any other machine, your robotic arm is susceptible to wear and tear. Now, with that, the arm is likely to malfunction and pose a safety risk. You do not want to wait until it gets to that point so what you need to do, is to inspect your articulate arm for signs of wear and tear.
That way, you can identify potential issues and address them in good time before they cause fatalities at your workstation. The best course of action would be to enlist a professional to handle the inspection.
Install Accurately
There’s no telling what an improperly installed robotic arm might do, but we are almost certain that it could harm the people surrounding it, or even cause damage. To that effect, you want to buy one with clear user instructions and detailed installation steps.
In case you do not trust yourself to handle the installation, you can always get a professional to do it.
Check Components for Authenticity
A robotic arm is a valuable asset for any business and unscrupulous people are aware of this and would do anything to make a large profit out of it. It is no wonder then, that you will find machines in the market with fake electronic components.
As you can imagine, a counterfeit robot arm is prone to serious programming errors and malfunction, and to avoid this, you want to look out for signs that you are about to purchase a fake product such as misspelling errors in the labeling.
Schedule Regular Maintenance
Other machines need frequent servicing for them to function optimally and it is not any different for your robotic arm. You, therefore, want to schedule regular maintenance sessions with a professional to ensure that your articulate arm stays in top condition.
Watch Out for Human Error
A robotic arm needs to be programmed and set so that it can work as expected but you or your employees can error when it comes to that especially if you are first-time users. Although this is understandable, it doesn’t mean that you will be exempted from the consequences that come with such errors.
What you, therefore, need to do is ensure that your industrial robot arm is programmed and set up correctly before it begins operating to avoid any fatalities that may be caused by human error.
Tips for Using Industrial Robot Arms
Now that you know what measures need to be put in place to reduce the risks associated with robot arms, here are several things you need to keep in mind when using one.
Robots don’t have human intelligence- Sure, cobots, and robots can improve efficiency in almost any production setting, but they are not as intelligent as humans, or rather, they are not perfect. That means that your robotic arm can make a mistake.
With this in mind, you will be in a better position to mitigate the risks that come with working with one.
Workers need to be trained- Machines are operated differently and there is always a first time with everything. You cannot purchase a robot arm and expect your employees to use it without training as that would simply be setting yourself up for failure.
By having your employees trained, you reduce the risk of them mishandling your articulate arm or worse still, damaging it.
Operation should be done from a distance- If your robotic arm has to be operated by a human being, they should not be within its reach while it is working. Allocate an area from where your employees can control the machine remotely to avoid injuries.
Supervision is necessary- The best workplace best practices stipulate that employees should not be micro-managed as this helps them build self-drive and shows that the employer has faith in their abilities. However, when employees work in the same place as robots, you want to ensure that they are supervised.
That way, impending dangers can be averted.
Deny unauthorized access- Usually, accidents will be caused by employees who don’t know how to operate machinery. As such, you want to limit access to authorized persons when it comes to where your robot arm is positioned. This reduces the chances of damage and injuries.
Refer to user instructions when in doubt- Whether it is you or your employees operating a robotic arm, it is important to always refer to the user instructions whenever in doubt. You don’t want to risk injuring yourself or someone else or causing costly damage to the machine just because you did things blindly.
Control the speed when necessary- Sometimes, the speed at which a robotic arm operates presents an issue. During such times, you need to adjust the speed and you can do that by either manipulating the motor voltage or current.
Final Thoughts
As a business owner, you will probably assign the riskiest tasks to a robotic arm, and rightfully so. However, the arm needs to complete the tasks without harming anyone or causing damage. This guide is supposed to equip you with precautions and tips that will ensure tasks are completed safely and we hope it has.
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