Universal Robots and Raise Robotics said the autonomous system stands on its own within one 13-story project. | Source: Universal Robots
Construction workers require extensive safety equipment to install glass panel brackets at altitudes of up to 1,000 feet. This essential task not only puts employees at risk, but is also repetitive and tedious. To keep workers safe and free to perform higher-value tasks, US-based glazing company Harmon Inc. is using technology from raise Robotics and Universal Robots A/S to automate its processes.
Harmon is an early adopter of the technology and says it has achieved a rapid return on investment (ROI) so far. Additionally, the Bloomington, Minnesota-based building facade company said the robotic system improved worker safety as well as consistency and precision of installation. The three partners said the robots provide a three-fold multiplier for manual labor and rewards within one 13-story project.
Typically, installing fasteners for glass facade panels in a high-rise building requires workers to align, drill and torque brackets to exact specifications while hanging from the side of the building. Not only is the task not ergonomic, but the risk of injury is significantly higher if tools or brackets fall on the floor below where other workers may be.
“Safety is always our top priority,” said Don Birmingham, general superintendent of Harmon Church. “I think any contractor would agree with that if they could get the job done efficiently and eliminate all safety hazards. “For the operator, I think it’s better to be on a ledge controlling a robot than hanging on the edge of a building.”
raise Robotics uses two UR20 arms.
Raise Robotics uses two UR20 collaborative robot arms from Universal Robots for its innovative construction platform. The San Francisco-based company mounted these two cobots on each mobile robot base. The UR20’s small footprint and control box allow for easy integration into mobile applications.
“Universal Robots has done a great job of making the arm very power efficient and easy to integrate into a DC power solution, so you can plug the arm directly into a battery and have the robot operate completely wirelessly. It’s a construction site,” said Gary Chen, co-founder of Raise Robotics.
Additionally, the UR20’s IP65 rating provides raise’s customers with confidence that they can use the robot in extreme temperatures as well as harsh environments such as dust and rain. The company has successfully operated its robots in temperatures ranging from -20°F to up to 120°F.
To develop the system, raise said it used a variety of resources from Universal Robots, including online technical documentation and support through myUR. We also used the Universal Robots website and the forums on GitHub.
“The support from UR has been fantastic,” said Conley Oster, co-founder of Raise Robotics. “UR’s dedicated application engineers were available to help with any issues or questions we initially encountered. The UR community and forums have also been very helpful to us. We have always been able to find solutions in a timely manner.”
Harmon says robots reduce manual requirements.
Harmon reported several improvements since deploying the raise Robotics system. For example, the manual installation process for facade brackets typically requires two to four workers. In comparison, robots require only one person to manage per installation location.
“It’s about three times the increase compared to the traditional workforce,” Oster said. These multipliers provide a quick ROI for the robot, typically breaking even on the robot at around 13 floors based on a monthly rental, amortizing the robot based on the number of installations on each floor.
The system doesn’t work any faster than manual labor. It’s also more precise, precise and consistent, the company said.
“In manual installation, typically about 30 percent of all fasteners are not installed in the correct location,” Oster said. “Using robots like ours with a total station allows us to accurately place fasteners at the edges of a building or in the center of a building. “It can be installed within ±3/16 of an inch, which is far better than what we have seen with manual installation.”
Finally, the system also includes software that provides instant insight into field data and historical logs. This provides accurate torque values and alignment for every bracket in real time, unlike random quality checks that are typically performed several times on each floor.
Harmon had “off-the-shelf” data that allowed the team to adjust anchor locations before installing the glass walls.
“I think the biggest benefit we had was the reporting of where the anchors were installed,” said Harmon’s Birmingham. “The sooner we discover deviations beyond specification, the easier it is to eliminate them in the future.”
Register now to save 40% on your conference pass!
