The PerspektiveArbeit Lausitz (PAL) project is a centre of excellence for the future of work in Saxony and Brandenburg. Its aim is to design innovative technologies and data-driven assistance systems in such a way that they can be implemented in businesses in a way that is people-centred, cost-effective and practical. The focus is particularly on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that face challenges such as a shortage of skilled workers, rising quality requirements and increasing complexity in production.

A key approach of PAL is the close integration of research and practice. Solutions are developed and tested in collaboration with companies, and then made available to other businesses via demonstration centres, workshops and guidance documents.

Priority Project 3: Systems for the intuitive use of robots in manufacturing

A key component of PAL is Priority Project 3, which addresses issues relating to the simple and intuitive use of robot technologies in manufacturing.

Current situation and objectives

Many companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, face the challenge that automation is often perceived as complex, expensive and difficult to implement. At the same time, manual tasks such as welding or deburring frequently lead to high workloads and inconsistent quality.

Priority Project 3 addresses precisely this issue and aims to

• develop intuitive operating concepts for robots,
• lower the barriers to entry, and
• create human-centred automation solutions for manufacturing.

Approach: Intuitive robotics

The project makes particular use of collaborative robots (cobots), which are characterised by their ease of use and flexibility. Rather than complex programming, the focus is on ‘learning by doing’: production staff can train the robots directly using teach-in procedures and adapt programmes (see Fig. 1).

The research is based on real-world manufacturing processes – in particular

• automated welding of small batches and
• robot-assisted deburring.

Results and findings

The findings from the project clearly show that intuitive robotics offers significant benefits for businesses:

Productivity and quality

• Reduction in process times whilst maintaining stable output
• Reproducible and consistent quality, particularly through automated motion sequences
• Improved process reliability for repetitive tasks

New opportunities

• Automation makes economic sense even for small batch sizes
• Flexible adaptation to changing components

Ergonomic perspective

A key finding is the change in work activities:

• New roles are emerging, e.g. set-up operators and machine operators (see Fig. 2)
• Tasks are shifting from physical labour towards control and monitoring duties
• Physical and monotonous strain is decreasing, whilst cognitive demands are increasing

It is clear that
robots do not replace humans, but rather provide targeted support.

Transfer into practice

The results of the practical project are being actively disseminated, for example through:

• Living Labs as demonstration centres
• practice-oriented guidelines
• Workshops and events held directly at companies

These formats enable companies to familiarise themselves with technologies in an accessible way, overcome reservations and make informed decisions regarding their own transformation processes.

Procedure for converting manual welding processes

In collaboration with the project partner Caleg Schrank- und Gehäusebau GmbH, a demonstrator component made from DC01 (2 mm sheet thickness) was developed and manufactured (see Fig. 3a). This component features both straight and curved contours and measures 467 x 458 x 199 mm. 

A procedure for automating this welded assembly has been developed (see Fig. 4). First, the current condition of the component is analysed and tolerances are recorded. The component is then checked to ensure its design is suitable for automation, and a suitable clamping fixture is manufactured (see Figs. 3b and 3c). The clamping fixture is based on the ‘fixed corner’ principle and comprises various clamping and stop elements. Preliminary tests are carried out to determine the optimum welding parameters. Finally, the components are welded automatically, the welds are evaluated using non-destructive and destructive testing methods, and a cost-effectiveness analysis is carried out.