Tailor-made Robot Manager relieves employees from manual work

• Procedures for chamfering sheet metal are still traditionally carried out manually – a tiring and energy-draining activity. 

• To relieve workers from this repetitive work and improve operational efficiency, Zühlke develops the Robot Manager – a tailor-made software that allows for an intuitive and automated operation of Bystronic´s Mobile Bending Robot.

Processing sheet metal is a job that requires hard work and meticulous attention to detail. To relieve factory workers from tedious tasks, most of the process steps are already automated, allowing workers to focus on securing the best quality, while keeping productivity high. The chamfering of sheet metal, however, is still carried out manually – a tiring and inefficient task. A high-performance programming software – the Robot Manager - brings relief.

Efficiency and precision through automation

“Our customers want their parts to be produced as fast and efficient as possible”, says Christoph Rüttimann, CTO of Bystronic Group, “and automation is the best way to achieve this.”. For this purpose, Bystronic developed the Mobile Bending Robot that not only speeds up the production process but releases the workforce from their tiring, energy-draining manual work. Zühlke developed the high-performance software that allows end-users to intuitively operate the robot and other stations in the bending cell.

Usability at the centre of development

The development of a complex software such as the Robot Manager, was a major project that Bystronic didn´t want to take on on its own. The tight deadline aiming towards the start of an important fair, was another challenge, which is why Zühlke was brought in as a partner. Zühlke´s extensive knowledge across different disciplines helped develop the high-performing software that not only streamlines the operational process but provides the end-user with the best possible experience. An agile approach ensured the rapid time-to-market and a timely deployment.

Process-oriented, intuitive user guidance

The result was the Robot Manager – a tailor-made piece of software for macro-programming of bending robots which form part of Bystronic’s bending automation. Using the Robot Manager’s intuitive 3D interface, users generate and simulate the desired automation steps for bending operations in an offline programming environment – a process innovation that results in greater efficiency for the operator and a more attractive work process for the user.

Zühlke´s vast experience with complex development projects, allowed to implement all requirements and needs in record time.