Even for manufacturers that have yet to introduce any of the technology, the term ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ and its abbreviation ‘4IR’, are hard to escape. Describing the integration of various technologies, 4IR is already transforming the way that industry operates, opening new possibilities for faster production and more informed decision-making.
In the context of industrial automation, 4IR brings together automated machinery, including robots, with intelligence and connectivity which allows smart production decisions to be made in reaction to changing requirements.
The unprecedented pace of 4IR presents a steep learning curve for most UK manufacturers, many of which are lagging in their adoption of these technologies. A good example is robots. Acknowledged as a key component of a 4IR-enabled ‘smart factory’, the rate of UK robot adoption is much slower than in other countries. Whilst Germany has 164 robots per 10,000 employees, the UK has just 71.
Consider that Germany was 27% more productive than the UK in 2017 and the potential impact of this becomes clear. In my experience, the pattern of robot adoption in the aerospace sector is consistent with the pattern in other sectors, with the major manufacturers more likely to embrace them than smaller companies.
This is reflected in the Department for Business Innovation & Skills’ 2016 UK Aerospace Supply Chain Study which found that a reluctance to invest in modern production technologies is leading to a lack of global competitiveness. Another theme which emerged was that UK aerospace is losing market share to overseas suppliers and isn’t keeping pace globally.
Compare this situation with the heavily automated and continually thriving UK automotive sector. In this instance automation was introduced at OEM level and filtered down to the suppliers, leading to an increase in the number of local jobs. In the aerospace industry, this hasn’t happened. The BIS study found a lack of awareness within smaller companies of the need for continuous improvement.
A digital transformation
Yet the aerospace industry is transforming. The growing trend towards the electrification of aircraft, for example, is creating orders for new and different parts. Recent years have also seen increased demand for flights leading to faster production requirements, some of which are being met by foreign competition, not least China, which has made significant strides in aircraft design and manufacture.
Keeping pace requires greater productivity and flexibility. Robots can provide this. There are a wide range of applications where robots are suitable from material handling through to surface treatment and composites production. Most aerospace manufacturers and suppliers have an area of their process which could be vastly improved by robot technology. It’s just a matter of spotting it. Our role as a robot supplier is to educate the aerospace industry about how best to find these opportunities.
That robots could be effectively deployed in the aerospace supply chain is demonstrated by an installation undertaken by leading multi-speciality chemicals manufacturer, Solvay. At its application centre in Derbyshire, four ABB robots are being used to help test, refine and demonstrate methods for reducing the cost and time associated with the creation of composite materials and parts for aerospace.
Two of the robots work independently in separate processes. An IRB 6700 is used to pick a square from one roll and lay it at a 90° angle on top of a second roll of material to create a 0/90 cross-plied prepreg. Performed manually, this was a time-consuming process.
An IRB 4600 picks up eight pieces of ply geometries associated with a component and deposits each piece individually to create a 2D composite ‘blank’ which is subsequently trimmed by a robot.
The other two ABB robots – an IRB 4600 and 6700 – handle and trim pre-formed parts prior to the curing stage. These robots have helped Solvay demonstrate the value of adding automation to its customers through achieving reduced cycle times, repeatability and high accuracy.
Whilst UK aerospace suppliers should follow these forward-thinking initiatives, they should also consider other advanced technologies. Cloud platforms and offline programming complement and increase the benefits of robot systems.
Robot suppliers are introducing digital solutions which can convert data into actionable information. This can be accessed remotely via the cloud so that engineers can adapt and optimise systems without visiting the site. For aerospace manufacturing companies, this can mean the difference between making orders on time or losing out on profits.
Robots also offer the flexibility to handle new parts as well as modify existing processes. Reprogramming and configuration changes have been greatly simplified by developments in offline programming tools that can be used to create and test new set-ups without interrupting production. Simulated 3D models of the robot cell are created, including grippers, torches, positioners and parts, so that cycle times can be assessed before uploading the program.
Unlock new opportunities
Lessons learned by organisations that have implemented a 4IR strategy demonstrate the wisdom of starting small. The best approach is invariably to start by picking the tasks that are easiest to automate, and then moving on to tackle more complex jobs as you build up experience.
Just like the adage ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’, taking the first step towards 4IR can help to unlock new opportunities for improved performance and productivity. By starting simple, UK aerospace suppliers can make the steep learning curve of 4IR much less daunting, putting them in good stead to prosper competitively through evolving global markets both today and into the future.
