Much like cell phones are capable of doing more than a phone call, cars can do much more than just drive and park. In recent years the automation industry has advanced a lot with the enhancement in the technology. It has worked hand-in-hand with the major tech giants so as to sustain in this technology-driven world and in order to deliver the most advanced, safe and comfortable vehicles.
Undoubtedly, there are several ways in which cars are improving the lives of the drivers and other vehicles around them in terms of safety, getting from a place to another place, hassle-free and a ride filled with entertainment. In the coming years, there will be more advancements in this industry taking one step closer to the digitized environment.
Here are the top 4 robotic applications that have changed the world of the automotive industry:
Robotic Hand: Although the entire industry is run by the industrial robots to handle most of the jobs in the completion of cars, most of the manufacturing operations are done by the help of a robotic arm. To reduce the weight applied and the stress caused on the human arm due to repetitive movement. The “arm” comes with sensors, actuators and simulated nerves, muscles, and tendons that reduces fatigue and increase manual dexterity. This application reduces the gap between the assembled parts, which means a significant reduction in noise caused by wind.
Collaborative Robots: As collaborative robots are efficient and easy to use, the automotive industry uses it more frequently now. As introduced by BMW, collaborative robots really help the car mechanics to deal with the daily tasks, as getting hard/dirty job can not only exhaust the workers but injuries may lower their self-esteem and dedication towards works.
Robotic Painting: Robotic painting is just another technology in the automotive industry. It helps the workers in a way that the time required to paint a ca by a human is reduced by the robotic much less than 50%. The results are the same that of the task done by a human but the efforts made are negligible.
Robotic vision: This technology helps where human eyes can’t exactly determine the faults in the car. The robots are built with lens and cameras to find the errors and faults. This increases the overall productivity in the end results. So that later in the process of manufacturing the efforts made to find the errors is reduced.
These are only of few of the robotic applications that are being used in the automotive industry. Several projects are being put into action to enhance productivity, security, and reliability thereby reducing price and delivery time. There are certainly many interesting innovations coming up for this industry. You can find several software to automate almost everything, which eases the life of human beings. Mechanicsta is one such software which is automated for the tasks. They are dedicated to providing auto shop managers or owners the flexibility to access their information from their home or office. They also want to make use of other types of computer devices such as laptops, tablets and also their mobile phone to manage their business from wherever they are. Mechanicsta is an automotive repair software for modern auto repair workshop that helps managers and owners in organizing their technician’s time, customer invoices, and information to help make the shop more effective, efficient, profitable and productive.
There is one major question to understand the automation technology in car mechanics.
Could car mechanics be really automated?
A lot of the production of cars at the factory is automated, and to some extent, the answer to the first question is probably “yes” for certain tasks; however, it would be a herculean task to do so. Keep in mind that there are a lot of specialty tools made specifically for mechanics to enable them to be more productive.
There are hundreds of different models of cars running on the roads that might require service which is only possible with the help of a mechanic.
A second hurdle would be that mechanics often do more than just replacing parts – they often need to perform other functions such as diagnosis, troubleshooting, and inspecting components. So even if you could program a robot to do every step necessary to perform a complicated procedure, such as replacing a timing belt, you still have those issues to contend with.
Many parts are very difficult to access, especially without special tools, and require special manipulation and techniques to install and remove – and processes couldn’t be completely standardized. This not only includes fasteners that are rusted on, but plastic clips that could break wiring connectors that need to be released, and parts that need to be greased before they’re installed. Add to that the fact that a wiring harness or a screw could end up just about anywhere after it’s removed and you need some way to find it again to make sure it gets reattached properly.
Thus, automating everything could be a little tough. There will still be need of the car mechanics to reach the parts, where robots fail to access.
“The ability of the machines to register any difference in each vehicle on the line improves our quality by providing a custom-like build.” – Ford engineer, Thomas Burns