Give Me a Hand with the Grind, Rob!

25 April, 2023

The lack of trainees and qualified workers is a real problem for Kopp Oberflächentechnik AG, a medium-sized company from Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In its search for a new solution that is easy to operate and enables many employees to work with robots, the company came across Wandelbots.

The Company: Kopp Oberflächentechnik AG

Kopp Oberflächentechnik AG is a professional when it comes to surface technology: grinding, powder coating, painting, assembling – the company, made up of 80 employees from Villingen-Schwenningen in the southwest of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, is a real jack-of-all-trades. Founded in 1994, much of the work today is still done by hand, although robots have been used since 1999.

The Challenge

The lack of trainees and qualified workers is a real problem for the company. To remain fit for the future and to be able to continue producing, the company has been using robots since 1999. In its search for a new solution that is easy to operate and enables many employees to work with robots, the company came across Wandelbots. Another challenge for the medium-sized company is that tasks in surface technology – such as manual polishing, grinding, or brushing – are strenuous and require a great deal of effort. Automated processes offer an attractive alternative here, with which flawless surfaces can be achieved. At the same time, they relieve employees of monotonous and dusty work. “Humans are versatile, creative, mobile, and quickly get used to new activities. The robot, on the other hand, is extremely precise, delivers high quality consistently, performs dangerous work, and does not tire even when performing very monotonous tasks,” says Riccardo Diolosa, technical project manager at Kopp Oberflächentechnik AG.

Here Is How Wandelbots Teaching Has Helped

Wandelbots Teaching allows a large number of employees to work with robots – at low cost and with minimal training. Regardless of whether an employee is already a robotics professional or not, no prior knowledge of programming is required to work with the no-code solution. The technology offers programming-free and uniform operation of all industrial robots for productions up to batch size 1. The robot path is first traced on the workpiece by hand with the input device (the TracePen) and recorded by the software during this process. The captured path can then be edited, tested, and executed via the intuitive 3D user interface of the teaching app. The software automatically generates the manufacturer-specific robot code.

What Kopp Oberflächentechnik AG Says About the Success

“Finding new skilled workers or trainees is impossible sometimes. Nowadays, no one wants to sand or paint. Young people want to work with new technologies. Wandelbots Teaching makes that possible.” Riccardo Diolosa, Technical Project Manager, Kopp Oberflächentechnik AG

What Wandelbots Teaching Has Changed

Thanks to Wandelbots Teaching, many employees at Kopp Oberflächentechnik AG can work with robots. At the same time, they are relieved of monotonous and physically stressful tasks – and with the highest precision and repeatability. Overall, the automation of unpleasant tasks makes the workplace more attractive for employees and thus, helps to counteract the shortage of skilled workers. “We have found that robots add value to our jobs and give our employees perspective. Employees are transformed from performers to instructors, which increases the quality of their work. They like working with robots, they can develop themselves further and feel motivated by the new challenge. This attracts both new trainees and skilled workers,” says Riccardo Diolosa.

For more information about Kopp Oberflächentechnik AG, click here.

Keywords:

Innovation SME