Energy Efficiency Potentials of Different Robot Design Concepts

Abstract:

Rising prices and political conditions are increasing the pressure on manufacturers to increase their energy efficiency. While measures for energy intensive processes such as heating or material transformation have been researched in large number in the last year, less effort has been put into the area of robot-based operations. In contrast to that, large potentials can be expected by optimizing the load-to-weight ratio in pick-and-place or assembly tasks. This paper thus researches the energy efficiency potentials of three robot concepts. The standard serial unit is compared to a parallel robot and a hybrid approach between the two, the PARAGRIP. In addition to a review of the current state of the art, a simulation is presented demonstrating saving potentials of more than 40 per cent in an industrial application scenario.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 840)
• Pages: 8-15
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.840.8
• Online since: June 2016
• Authors: Eike Permin*, Jelena Kurilova-Palisaitiene, Tom Mannheim, Kai Buhse, Robert H. Schmitt, Burkhard Corves, Mats Björkman
• Keywords: Energy Efficiency, Parallel Manipulators, Robot, Self-Optimization

References

[1] Information of the German Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi), found on: https: /www. destatis. de/DE/Publikationen/Thematisch/Preise/Energiepreise/EnergiepreisentwicklungPDF_5619001. pdf?_blob=publicationFile (checked Jan 4th, 2015).

[2] R. Schmitt, E. Permin, Characterization of Future Key Performance Indicators and Constraints for Self-Optimizing Assembly Systems, In: R. Schmitt, Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Measurement Technology and Intelligent Instruments ISMTII 2013, 1st July - 5th July, 2013 Aachen, Germany.

[3] Information provided by ABB (technical specification sheets), as e. g. on: http: /new. abb. com/products/robotics/industrial-robots/irb-140/irb-140-data (checked Jan 4th, 2015).

[4] A. Shaik, T. Nkgathoe, G. Bright, A 6 DOF Robot Design and Simulated Energy Usage Comparison, In: IEEE (Eds. ), 6th Robotics and Mechatronics Conference (RobMech), 1st ed., 2013, p.34–39.

DOI: 10.1109/robomech.2013.6685488

[5] P. Ystgaard, T. B. Gjerstad, T. K. Lien, A. P. Nyen, Mapping Energy Consumption for Industrial Robots, in: D. A. Dornfeld and B. S. Linke (Eds. ), Leveraging Technology for a Sustainable World, 1st ed., Heidelberg: Springer, 2013, p.251–256.

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-29069-5_43

[6] P. Klüger, Roboter, die nichts zu tun haben, schicken wir schlafen, Industrieanzeiger 42 (2009), pp.32-33.

[7] Z. Liu, W. Bu, J. Tan, Motion navigation for arc welding robots based on feature mapping in a simulation environment, Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing 26 (2010), pp.137-144.

DOI: 10.1016/j.rcim.2009.09.002

[8] D. Meike, A. Senfelds, L. Ribickis, Power converter for DC bus sharing to increase the energy efficiency in drive systems, in: Industrial Electronics Society, IECON 2013 - 39th Annual Conference of the IEEE, vol., no., pp.7199-7204.

DOI: 10.1109/iecon.2013.6700329

[9] Paryanto, M. Brossog, M. Bornschlegl, J. Franke, Reducing the energy consumption of industrial robots in manufacturing systems, In: International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, May 2015, Volume 78, Issue 5, pp.1315-1328.

DOI: 10.1007/s00170-014-6737-z

[10] T. Trung, J. Kotlarski, B. Heimann, T. Ortmaier, Dynamics identification of kinematically redundant parallel robots using the direct search method, Mechanism and Machine Theory 52 (2012), p.277–95.

DOI: 10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2012.02.002

[11] L. Yan, G. M. Bone, Are parallel manipulators more energy efficient?, in: H. Zhan (ed. ), Integrating Intelligent Machines with Humans for a Better Tomorrow, 1st ed., Piscataway, New Jersey, USA, 2001, p.41–46.

[12] B. Corves et al., A New Way of Grasping: PARAGRIP - The Fusion of Gripper and Robot, in: Grasping in Robotics. ISBN: 978-1-4471-4663-6, Springer, London, 2013, Chapter 17.

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4471-4664-3_17

[13] C. Brecher et al., Integrative production technology for high-wage countries, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, (2012).

[14] R. Schmitt et al., Metrology assisted assembly of airplane structure elements, in: Procedia CIRP, DOI 10. 1016/j. procir. 2014. 10. 073, 2014, pp. S. 116-121.

DOI: 10.1016/j.procir.2014.10.073

[15] J. Kurilova-Palisaitiene. et al., Industrial energy efficiency potentials, An assessment of three different robot concepts, submitted to International Journal of Sustainable Engineering (2016).

DOI: 10.1080/19397038.2017.1284280

[16] T. Javied, T. Rackow, R. Stankalla, C. Sterk, J. Franke, A Study on electrical Energy Consumption of Manufacturing Companies in the German Industry with the Focus on Electric Drives, in: Proceedings of the 48th CIRP Conference on Manufacturing Systems, Ischia, (2015).

DOI: 10.1016/j.procir.2015.10.006

[17] E. Müller, T. Löffler, Improving Energy Efficiency in Manufacturing Plants – Case Studies and Guidelines, in: W. ElMaraghy (ed. ), Life Cycle Engineering in the Sustainability Age, 1st ed., Windsor, Ontario, 2009, p.465–471.

[18] Information provided by German Association of Energy and Water Industries BDEW, found on: https: /www. bdew. de/internet. nsf/id/energiemix-de (checked Jan 4th, 2015).

[19] Information provided by the International Federation of Robotics, found on: www. ifr. org/industrial-robots/statistics/ (checked Jan 4th, 2015).