kwiecień 11, 2022

New proposals presented at International Robot Exhibition 2022

Various efforts are being made around the world to make factories ‘smarter’, but it is said that automation and improving transport efficiency in factories is lagging behind advances in manufacturing. In response, at the 2022 International Robot Exhibition, Yamaha Motor, which develops both robots and mobile products, integrated concepts and resources from both fields to offer new proposals focusing on transfers and transportation in factories, connecting one factory to another from the micrometre to kilometre level.

Automated transport to link production facilities

It has been 10 years since the German government and private companies began promoting the idea of Industry 4.0 (the Fourth Industrial Revolution). With the start of this movement, Yamaha Motor is coming out with an initiative to create smart factories through the use of advanced technologies, such as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, in its production facilities around the world. However, there are still differences in the definition and perception of what a ‘smart factory’ is, and many factories are facing challenges in realising the term.

At the International Robot Exhibition 2022 (iREX 2022) – one of the world’s largest robotics events – held at Tokyo Big Sight from 9 to 12 March, many companies showcased a variety of products and technologies aimed at making smart factories a reality. Yamaha Motor’s stand also attracted attention, with a focus on transport in factories under the ‘μ to km’ concept.

“Production facilities are constantly moving things, from transporting small components to fully assembled sub-assemblies. However, compared to construction or assembly work, transportation processes and operations have not yet been fully automated or streamlined,” – says Kentaro Hoshi of the Sales and Marketing Section of the Yamaha Robotics Division. “Therefore, we have integrated our unique ideas and resources in robotics and mobility, as we are involved in both fields, to come up with proposals for transportation, from the micrometer level to mid-range transportation connecting plants and factories.”

Creating value unique to Yamaha Motor through collaboration

Yamaha Motor’s stand at the International Robot Exhibition in 2022

Improving transport efficiency involves many factors, from distance and time to the environment. The integration of robotic and mobile technologies is essential to seamlessly connect processes, equipment and plants.

“At iREX, we showcased a variety of products such as the linear conveyor module, driverless vehicles and electric vehicles for both indoor and outdoor automated transport,” – Hoshi continues. “However, although we are all part of the same company, everyone involved in the development of these products works independently of each other, such as doing their own R&D and sales. This was the first time we showcased our collaborative work and not only confirmed that we could create value unique to Yamaha Motor by working together, but it also helped motivate us to take things to a higher level by adopting a start-up mentality.”

The response and praise from visitors was very positive: “With Yamaha Motor’s achievements in robotics and mobility, as well as its involvement in many different industries, the company understood its strengths and what makes it different and was able to make its presence felt in this space.” The venue also hosted around 1.4 times more business negotiations than any other event.

“Until now, the time spent on transfers and transport has not always translated directly into production efficiency. We intend to accelerate the automation of production facilities by adding functionality to these processes and linking them together. This, in turn, will free up labour resources that would have been absorbed by the heavy burden of running transport operations and lead to solutions that allow people to work smarter,” – Hoshi concludes.

Main models on display at iREX2022