Ford Motor is undertaking a trial at its assembly plant in Cologne, Germany where collaborative robots, also known as co-bots, are being used to help workers fit shock absorbers to Fiesta cars.
The robots will ensure perfect fit and will avoid workers from having to access hard to reach places.
Ford says that fitting shock absorbers onto its Fiesta model is a task in itself due to the pinpoint accuracy involved and the introduction of robots will ensure perfect fit every time.
The robots have been assigned to more than 1000 workers to identify the areas where the co-bots are doing good and to give feedback on areas where improvement is needed.
The robots at the assembly line will lift the shock absorber and automatically position it into the wheel arch, before pushing a button to complete the installation.
These robots have also been designed to be not just human-friendly but also to ensure human safety at work. They are equipped with sensors and can detect an arm or even a finger and stop their work to ensure worker safety at the plant.
Ford says that such robots are already in use in pharmaceuticals and electronic industries. These robots have been developed over two years in partnership with German robot manufacturer KUKA Roboter.
Ford Europe vehicle operations director Karl Anton said: “Robots are helping make tasks easier, safer and quicker, complementing our employees with abilities that open up unlimited worlds of production and design for new Ford models.”
Ford, KUKA Roboter key account manager Klaus Link said: “We are proud to show the capabilities of our new generation of sensitive robots that are supporting and collaborating with Ford workers by carrying out ergonomically difficult and technically challenging tasks.
“As part of our close partnership with Ford and based on the feedback from employees, we are looking forward to further challenges.”
Image: Ford introduces co-bots to assist its workers at its German plant. Photo: Courtesy of Ford Motor Company.
