Computer industry automation pundits have constantly claimed that machine learning technology enables automation robots to teach themselves to perform any business process set before them. Technicians still have to guide automated manufacturing equipment to do their jobs in accordance with all of the best practices for a given process. Go over these four tips and see if you can streamline the programming process.
1. Try New Training Methods
Perhaps no other industry is as loaded with buzzwords and empty promises as the automation space, but some of the new machine learning-based training methods that have come around in recent years really do live up to their promises. These leverage the power of spatial technology that allows training models to get a better grasp on the area they’re going to be working in. This can significantly cut back on how long it takes to get a robot up and running.
2. Work With Original Equipment Vendors
Any business that wants to automate its equipment should work with an authorized robotics system integrator to make sure that they’re getting components that perform in a particular way. Once you have equipment from the original manufacturers, you’ll be able to check their documentation and see what the best way to program your robots is. Most vendors provide specific instructions to end-users, but the fast pace of the industry means that most technicians probably never get an opportunity to check out any of them. Taking the time to read through can solve countless problems before they start.
3. Build a Complete Database
Store information in a collective database that all of the machines attached to your network can access. Once your technical staff finishes a program, they can then send it out quickly to all of the robots your organization invested in. Large organizations that have automated entire sections are going to want to make certain that they have a single area to store all of their programs because these can quickly get jumbled up if staffers have to manage working robots and fill manufacturing orders at the same time.
4. Always Fall Back on Conventional Programming
Most modern manufacturing robots are trained rather than programmed in the traditional sense. Writing a conventional algorithm that explicitly tells a machine what to do each time it encounters a repeated task is still the best way to ensure consistent results, however. Trained models will sometimes make up solutions that don’t fit the problems they’re designed to address. This isn’t an issue when working with procedural programming languages. Technicians simply author a piece of software that guides the robot through the entire course of a particular process. Though it might take longer than a training course, this is still the most effective way to tackle the issue.
Every manufacturing process is very different, so you want to make sure that whatever you do makes sense for your given industry. That’s perhaps the best tip that any professional could ever give. Because industrial robots in the manufacturing industry are financial investments, it’s vital to make sure that it is programmed correctly.