Universal Robots helps companies solve labor shortages

Case Overview 

thyssenkrupp Bilstein is a manufacturer of high-tech suspension solutions for the automotive industry. With the deployment of nine UR10 cobots at its facility in Hamilton, Ohio, the company has achieved new growth. The UR cobots automate difficult tasks such as machine tending, assembly and product inspection, optimizing production while providing a better working environment. This enables thyssenkrupp Bilstein to further expand its business without having to hire additional workers in an environment with labor shortages. thyssenkrupp Bilstein plans to add another 40 UR cobots in the future.

Human-robot collaboration to address labor shortages

thyssenkrupp Bilstein was faced with increasing customer demands and fast-changing product requirements. On the one hand, the company needed to maintain a lean and flexible manufacturing process; on the other hand, it needed to increase its growth rate. Hiring more employees alone would not be enough to meet expectations. At the same time, the manufacturer made a commitment to existing employees: to significantly reduce ergonomically unsuitable tasks.

Aldo Albieri, Operations Manager at thyssenkrupp Bilstein, was the first to discover the potential of Universal Robots . While visiting small, family-owned machine shops, he saw how even manufacturers with little experience in using robots could use collaborative robots to perform complex tasks.

“They didn’t need a safety fence, and the cobots had wheels underneath so they could move around freely. That’s when it dawned on me,” Aldo Albieri said.

Since then, he has been checking on the use of the UR collaborative robots at the thyssenkrupp Bilstein Hamilton plant every other month for nearly two years.

When describing the Ohio factory’s adoption of Universal Robots’ collaborative robot arms, Aldo Albieri doesn’t hesitate to call it “transformative.”

“From the initial commissioning to the integration of the machine by the supplier, the entire process was very fast,” says Aldo Albieri.

Aldo Albieri quickly realised that in-house personnel had to be able to operate the cobots. The internal Industry 4.0 team at thyssenkrupp Bilstein, which was responsible for cobot applications, investigated different brands.

“We decided to use only one collaborative robot, and after many considerations, we chose to work with Universal Robots. We found that Universal Robots has the most advanced solution for more precise pick and place. The cobots are very easy to maintain and program , and have the best speed and repeatability,” he said.

"Presidential" collaborative robot lineup helps complete assembly tasks 

The internal Industry 4.0 team at thyssenkrupp Bilstein has now deployed nine UR10 collaborative robots. The UR10 collaborative robot has a reach of 51.2 inches (1300 mm) and a payload of 22 pounds (10 kg). In addition, a tenth UR10 will be used as an application test model in the future.

“We plan to install another 40 UR cobots,” says Aldo Albieri. “And the company has an interesting approach to naming our cobot ‘new colleagues.’ We needed a system that would allow us to name 45 to 50 cobots in a row. In the end, we decided to name them after American presidents. We have now deployed cobots from George Washington to the 10th John Tyler.”

One of the most notable applications at the Hamilton plant is the collaboration between our fifth cobot, James Monroe, and our sixth, John Quincy Adams. The two cobots work together to assemble a thyssenkrupp Bilstein Active Damping System (ADS). In this multi-step cycle, James Monroe first picks up an inner tube and delivers it to the puncher before placing it on the transfer fixture; John Quincy Adams then picks it up and loads it into the “joining station”; in the “joining station”, the cobot grabs an outer tube, assembles them together, and places it on the exit chute.

100% comprehensive inspection, ROI in 10-14 months 

Quality inspection is another task that is automated. A total of four collaborative robots at thyssenkrupp Bilstein perform instrumentation inspection, post-fill crimp inspection, and final part assembly inspection.

“Before, we would check two parts every hour or two to make sure we were still where we were supposed to be,” said Doug McLean, manufacturing engineer at thyssenkrupp Bilstein. “Now we have 100 percent inspection. The cobots deployed in the final assembly section have Cognex cameras that quickly move between inspection points to make sure all components are in the right place and that the labels are correct and valid. Every single part is inspected, and if a defective part is found, the cobot simply rejects it.”

自 thyssenkrupp Bilstein 开始在内部引入优傲协作机器人以来，投资回报率有了显著的提升。

“We have projects with longer payback periods and shorter ones,” says Aldo Albieri. “We think a payback period of 10 to 14 months is the right amount. Collaborative robots definitely have a shorter payback period than traditional industrial robots.”

Freeing up labor to complete other tasks helps achieve a faster return on investment.

Aldo Albieri explains: “The UR cobots not only give us more opportunities to grow and create more jobs, but also help us to transfer our most valuable human resources to new projects where expertise is most needed. We would never have been able to expand to three times our original size if we had relied solely on hiring new employees. The cobots have opened up a new avenue for growth and have allowed us to retain our existing employees. No worker has lost his job.”

Easy programming, add new applications with UR+

The engineering team developing the collaborative robot application had no previous experience with robotics.

“We started with simple pick and place tasks and worked our way up,” said Doug Mcle. “The next step was to figure out the collaborative robot interface, which was a little bit harder. But once we figured that out, we could use it for applications throughout the factory.”

Jordan Osterholt, process engineer at thyssenkrupp Bilstein, explains how he used the free Universal Robots Academy training modules on the Universal Robots website during the development phase: “I first learned how to program a cobot and then took what I learned and deployed the application directly using a test robot.

The demonstration robot has wheels underneath, which allows it to easily perform test tasks.

“We can plug the cobot into a regular 110V outlet and start testing right away,” said Doug McLemore. “With a traditional industrial robot, we would have to drill holes and bolt it to the floor. The cobot saves us a lot of time.”

In addition to deploying test robots to develop new applications, thyssenkrupp Bilstein also uses RoboDK software certified for the UR+ platform to enable plug-and-play functionality for the UR collaborative robots.

Doug McLean further explains: “Software simulation helps us understand if the cycle time is accurate enough to prototype and complete the configuration. We just focus on the computer screen, and when we deliver, the collaborative robot is almost ready.”

The Industry 4.0 team is working on mounting two UR10 cobots upside down on UR+ certified Vention 7th-axis reach extenders; the plan is to introduce new cobots to the shop floor every other month.

“There are so many potential applications to explore,” concludes Aldo Albieri. “The opportunities are endless.”

The UR+ platform provides users with tools such as end effectors and accessories, vision cameras and software. All products have been tested and certified to be combined with Universal Robots to ensure simple installation, reliable operation, smooth user experience and simple programming. It has the advantages of fast, smooth and low-risk integration.

thyssenkrupp Bilstein uses UR+ products:

RoboDK simulation and offline programming software

ATI QC11 Automatic Tool Changer

Vention 7th Axis Travel Extender