Michael Rolsted, Technical Manager, Bossard Denmark A/S, Denmark
Teamwork of robots and employees
Robots will soon become part of the regular office environment. That is the vision of Universal Robots, a Danish company specializing in robots for small and medium-sized businesses. Their goal is to make robot technology affordable for companies of any size. Today, Universal Robots has over 300 employees, compared to just three entrepreneurs eleven years ago.
Situation
A number of challenges need to be met in order to use robots profitably in smaller businesses. Quality and safety are crucial because robots must reliably withstand all the vibrations and stresses caused by repetitive movements. This is where Bossard came in.
Task and implementation
Universal Robots tasked Bossard Denmark with the development of fasteners that reduce work effort while offering higher precision and reliability. In addition, the solution had to be eco-friendly and allow for easy application of the adhesive. We presented our solution in a workshop at Universal Robots: a self-adhesive screw that eliminates the need for manual assembly. As a result, the customer saves a lot of time and is able to ensure consistently high quality.
Result and customer benefits
The screw we designed has an ultra-precise partial coating of adhesive microcapsules. This millimeter precision ensures that the microcapsules are crushed and harden at the right time and the right place when the screw is inserted. The coating also contains a lubricant to prevent the adhesive from affecting the installation torque during the assembly process. In addition, we proactively tested loosening the fastener during development. Bossard Denmark has its own labs where such testing can be performed quickly and reliably. The resulting screw meets all major standards. The fastener we developed for Universal Robots has a very specific design and is used solely for their robots.
Now Bossard Denmark has become a versatile partner for Universal Robots. In some cases, we even take on supplier selection and quality assurance and ensure consistent quality. We also provide consulting services for the entire product development process and have been part of research and development projects on multiple occasions.
Emerging robot industry in Denmark
We are experiencing growing demand for quality solutions and consulting from Danish companies competing on their innovation power – and the need is particularly great in the robot industry. We are very proud to be working with Universal Robots and to be able to contribute to their impressive growth and high quality standards.