Industrial robots are ubiquitous, performing many detailed, repetitive tasks that are integral to our modern economy. Researchers believe they have a way to make their operation more energy efficient.
The team, led by professors Stefan Seelecke and Paul Motzki from Saarland University in Germany, developed a new robotic gripping system that can reduce noise pollution in the workplace while cutting energy consumption by 90%, as Interesting Engineering reported.
Robotic tasks include assembling circuit boards, inserting components, and loading and unloading parts while continuously consuming multiple gigawatts of electrical power, as a press release detailed. In addition, the parts are heavy and tend to wear out over time.
Many of their gripper systems are made of heavy components and work pneumatically with compressed air, earning them the nickname of "bang bang actuators" from all the noise they generate.
"This existing technology sets limits on the extent of miniaturization that can be achieved, and small-scale grippers systems with small grip points are particularly hard to realize," according to the press release.
New drive technology based on shape memory alloys could help revolutionize their design, making them lighter, smaller, and more energy efficient.
The Saarbrücken gripper, named after the university's hometown, is a fully electric system composed of bundles of ultra-fine wires made of nickel-titanium alloy.
The material can toggle between two different crystal lattice structures with the application of electric current. When a charge flows through it, the wires heat up and become shorter. When it's turned off, they cool and return to their original length.
This means they don't require a steady flow of energy to operate like pneumatic grippers do and they're much quieter, reducing both energy consumption and noise.
Depending on the application, the team estimates that its Saarbrücken grippers could achieve over 90% energy savings compared to traditional pneumatic ones.
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Should the government continue to give tax incentives for energy-efficient home upgrades? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Absolutely 💯 Given that the average energy use for an industrial robot is estimated to be 21,915 kilowatt-hours annually, according to a study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, the savings could add up.
Robots can be invaluable to agriculture, recycling, and even helping to assist our beleaguered pollinators. Improved components can help with longevity and efficiency, helping reduce overall costs for consumers.
"The transformation on the way to a sustainable use of resources is proving robotics and automation to be key technologies," said Susanne Bieller, general secretary of the International Federation of Robotics.
"Intelligent automation reduces production costs: This helps battery technology achieve a breakthrough in e-mobility for example or fuel cells production for hydrogen-power as an alternative to fossil energy. At the same time, highly efficient production technology reduces CO2-emissions," Bieller added.
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