3DForce, a company from Szczecin involved in injection mould production, CNC machining, product design and 3D printing, automated one of its repetitive production processes using a Dobot CR10A collaborative robot. The solution was selected with igus support and purchased via the RBTX.pl platform. The implementation covered the process of fitting O-rings onto connectors and placing completed sets into cartons. The aim was to increase efficiency, reduce the share of manual labour, improve repeatability, and prepare a more versatile workstation for further automation applications. According to the project description, the trigger for discussions on robotisation was a routine visit by an igus sales engineer to the customer. During the meeting, the possibilities of the RBTX.pl platform and the use of a robot in the selected operation were discussed.
This was not the first collaboration between 3DForce and igus. The company had previously used iglidur bushings, drylin linear guides and robotics-related solutions. 3DForce also appeared on the igus:bike route as an example of a facility where engineering solutions and digital manufacturing support the development of new products. In this case, the company decided to automate a task that was not technologically complex but required precision, consistent quality and workforce involvement. The task involved fitting O-rings onto connectors and placing completed sets into cartons. Although simple in nature, such operations can generate costs and burden personnel when carried out manually on a continuous basis.
Robot selection and workstation configuration
A 6-axis Dobot CR10A cobot was selected for the application. The robot was purchased via the RBTX.pl platform, and the solution was chosen in cooperation with RBTXpert Aleksander Szepietowski. According to the information provided, it is a collaborative robot with a payload of 10 kg, a reach of 1,300 mm and repeatability of ±0.03 mm. On the RBTX.pl platform, the device is positioned for applications requiring greater reach, precision and load handling, including packaging, machine tending, assembly and part transfer.
Initially, the robot was intended to work in a different project and perform another process, but it was ultimately implemented in the 3DForce application. According to the description, the decisive factors were the versatility of the device and its ease of use. In the configured workstation, the cobot is responsible for picking components, fitting O-rings onto connectors, controlled placement of finished sets, and preparing components for the next stage of the process.
The workstation was supplemented with a vision system. In this application, its role is to detect the position of components arranged irregularly on the conveyor belt and identify parts ready for picking. Such a solution increases robot autonomy and improves operational accuracy under real production conditions, where part position may vary. As stated, the vision system comes from the same manufacturer as the robot, which was intended to simplify and accelerate implementation thanks to free add-ons integrated into the robot programming environment.
Implementation and operational results
One of the key elements of the project was the ease of programming the workstation. In practice, this matters not only at the commissioning stage, but also later when adapting the application to process requirements and during day-to-day operation by the production team. In the case of 3DForce, the implementation was assessed positively in terms of ease of start-up, operational stability and low-maintenance operation. The robot performs the repetitive operation with high accuracy, while employees can be reassigned to more complex tasks.
The information presented indicates that automating the O-ring fitting process brought several specific operational effects. These included a reduction in the number of employees needed for this operation, high process repeatability, stable workstation operation, greater autonomy thanks to the vision system, and faster, more predictable execution of the task. The workstation is also intended to serve as a basis for further automation of production processes.
The project description also emphasised the importance of post-sales support. According to 3DForce, cooperation with igus did not end with the selection and purchase of the robot, but also covered consultations, advisory services and after-sales support during workstation integration. This implementation model may be particularly relevant for companies that are beginning robotisation in stages and expect a solution focused on a specific production problem rather than a broad reconstruction of the entire plant.
The 3DForce case shows that automation can start with a single, well-defined operation. In this project, not only the cobot's parameters were important, but also matching the solution to the actual need, the possibility of purchasing via the RBTX platform, and the workstation's flexibility with future applications in mind.
