Collaborative Robot Applications at GKN Aerospace’s Fokker Business

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The use of Collaborative Robots (Cobots) is an emerging technology that is developing at a fast pace. Within GKN Aerospace’s Fokker business a project is initiated to accelerate knowledge of application of this technology. Goal of the project is to get familiar with the technology and possibilities of a Cobot. The primary difference between Cobotics and a conventional Robotics approach is that the technology can safely exist in a human operating environment without caging or other hard guarding.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">Both Fokker Aerostructures and Fokker Landing Gear wanted to gain experience with this technology and worked together in the preparation of 2 projects to be showcased in their companies.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">Fokker Aerostructures concentrated on the application of handling of an Automatic Drilling Unit (ADU) for the production of the A350 Outboard Flap. Task of the Cobot was to pick-up an ADU from a table and insert the ADU in a drill jig. Goal of the project was to free-up well trained workers for more difficult tasks and have the robot work on “simple” tasks.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">Fokker Landing Gear concentrated on the application to use a collaborating robot on the shopfloor as an assistant for the operator to apply an even and bubble free bead of sealant for a limited number of bushings. Goal of the application is to reduce operating time and to initiate a repeatable and improvable proces.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">The paper describes the results of the mentioned projects. Specific topic in the paper will be the safe operation between humans and robots ( HRC = Human Robot Collaboration).</div></div>