Luke Wilkinson, design and product development manager at Matara, looks at the growing use of aluminium over steel in robot guard frames and the reasons behind its rising popularity
It is estimated that there are around 23,000 robots operating in industrial settings in the UK. The automotive sector is the largest user employing over 9,000, with the food and drink sector recently rising to second place.
With their ability to perform repetitive tasks accurately, swiftly and consistently, it’s not hard to understand why the use of robots across industry is growing. A survey conducted by the British Automation & Robot Association showed sales of robots in the UK to be 7.5% higher in 2020 from the previous year.
Whilst the benefits of using robots in industrial settings are clear, it’s important to take into account the potential safety risk they pose; not of a science fiction nature, but a very real, present in the here and now type risk that primarily stems from people accidentally getting in their way which can have serious consequences if the machine is fast moving, carrying a heavy payload and so on. [Read more…] about Robot cell guarding: When adaptability trumps strength
