Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SmoothTool (Welding SmoothTool)

Teaser

In Europe alone, SMEs working with welding robots spend €240M on changeovers between production series and leave an additional €80M on the table in lost revenues every year. The reason for this is two-fold: 1) with current welding robots on the market, changeover between...

Summary

In Europe alone, SMEs working with welding robots spend €240M on changeovers between production series and leave an additional €80M on the table in lost revenues every year. The reason for this is two-fold: 1) with current welding robots on the market, changeover between batches requires offline programming based on a CAD model and; 2) SMEs usually do not have the in-house skills needed for programming and changeover, so they must hire an external integrator which further adds to their production costs. As a result, SMEs must be extremely flexible and often have to judge whether it is profitable to accept small series orders.

To solve this problem, we are developing the SmoothTool – a patent-pending sensor that fits on any robot welding head. Using the controller, the operator traces the welding path with the sensor. Our software learns by demonstration and automatically programs the robot. No complicated instruction manual and no expert required. Benefits of SmoothTool for the society are clear as our SmoothTool reduces changeover time by +80%, with the potential to add at least €1.4Bn in combined net profits for 10,000 metalworking SMEs in Europe by 2023.

The main objective of the SmoothTool project is to launch the fully commercial SmoothTool solution on the European market by 2021. In order to do this, we need to perform customer pilot tests to validate the robustness and superior performance of the solution, and the profitability of our operations. Thus, the conclusion of our Phase 1 Feasibility Study is to continue the SmoothTool project.

Work performed

This Feasibility Study has enabled our company to perform key activities for validating the commercial and technical feasibility of our SmoothTool project. Firstly, we have held over 9 in-person meetings that allowed us to gather all necessary information to complete the project, resulting in successful negotiations to carry out pilot tests and close initial agreements for future product distribution. Prototype tests and demonstrations were also carried out with key prospects. The initial feedback of our product has been very positive. The request of adding specific features e.g. weaving to circles came after fruitful dialogue with potential distributor and end-users. Importantly, as a result of these activities, we have made some changes to our product, which will speed up the process to market. Previously, the main focus was on industrial robots but the complexity in this product became more evident throughout the process as well as the market feedback. Thus, we concluded that the best way to market was through a more convenient product that is based on collaborative robots and commercialized via a licensing business model. Additionally, we have improved the system design of the future Industrial SmoothTool solution and defined the technical specifications.

Secondly, we have strengthened our IP asset portfolio obtaining “Approved” status for our core patent, and guaranteed our freedom to operate in our primary target markets – Germany, UK and France. We have also developed a clear IPR management strategy together with our IP firm.

Finally, based on the information gathered, we performed a detailed bottom-up market analysis including a 5-year revenue and expense forecast, user needs analysis, competitor analysis, business model analysis, risk analysis, logistics plan and financial plan. Unique selling points were also refined and a step-by-step commercialization plan was developed. All of this information has been compiled into a detailed Business Plan covering 2019-2025. Fundamental for reaching our ambitions, this Feasibility Study and Business Plan will also generate confidence among our customers, partners and future investors. Specifically, we will use this Feasibility Study and Business Plan to attract external funding (including EIC Accelerator) for the completion of the final phase before market launch – validating the industrial SmoothTool with pilot customers.

Final results

In the field of metal manufacturing, the most prevalent robot welding technology on the market requires programming using a controller. Most SMEs do not have an integrator skilled in robot programming and are thus forced to hire an external expert for each series set-up. It takes a long time to place the torch head on the joint and the programming controller is highly non-intuitive making it impossible for robot operators to do it themselves. As a result, average set-up costs are €2,000, making it unprofitable for manufacturers to run small series.

There is only 1 welding robot on the market today that claims to have learning functions – Kinetiq Teaching by Yaskawa (JAP). While this solution provides a touchscreen controller, it is not designed to meet the needs of small series manufacturers. Complex and cumbersome programming is still required, and operator training takes 4-6 days just to commission the robot. Accuracy depends on a trained human eye, which compromises uniformity across workpieces. Moreover, it is a closed learning function that is not designed to work with third-party welding robots.

Developed with direct feedback from SME welders and operators, the SmoothTool will be the only product that is fast, intuitive and reliable enough to meet their needs. Our novel approach uses a proprietary high-accuracy sensor and user-friendly joysticks that enable record-fast changeover, without programming. For the first time, manufacturers will be able to profitably produce very small series of just 10 pieces, compared to the typical 100- piece minimum. Benefits of SmoothTool for the society are clear as our SmoothTool reduces changeover time by +80%, with the potential to add at least €1.4Bn in combined net profits for 10,000 metalworking SMEs in Europe by 2023. And, with full compatibility across robot brands and a competitive price point, the SmoothTool will be the only product on the market that can deliver a ROI of under 1.5 years

Website & more info

More info: http://www.smooth-robotics.com.