On 16 October, Koninklijke Metaalunie asked the Dutch government for more practical support for SME manufacturers that want to raise their labour productivity. This was reported by Metaalkrant. The call is part of Metaalunie's input for the budget debate of the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The reason is clear: because of the ageing population, the number of people available for work is barely growing, while demand for staff is increasing. Anyone who wants to grow production has to do more with the same people. Robotisation, automation and digitalisation are the obvious ways to do that.

What Metaalunie is asking for

According to Metaalkrant, Metaalunie names four points:

Structural support for adopting technology: multi-year implementation programmes and structural funding, so companies do not depend on separate, short-term schemes.
A more usable WBSO: investigate whether the scheme can be made more accessible for process innovation and for technology that companies find hard to introduce on their own.
Targeted financing of productivity investments: according to Metaalunie, a company that deploys robots or digitalises its production does not automatically fit schemes designed for high-risk research.
Policy for complete production chains: labour productivity as a concrete goal for the whole chain, with support that also reaches smaller manufacturers.

Metaalunie is positive about the 500 million euros for the National Agency for Disruptive Innovation and the 3.3 billion euros for the National Investment Institution. However, the organisation wants to see more clearly how existing SME manufacturers can benefit from them.

Whether new schemes will come, and in what form, is not yet known. What is clear is that robotisation in SMEs is high on the agenda.

Buying a robot is step one

When investing in a robot, attention often goes to the robot itself: the brand, the reach, the accuracy and the software. That makes sense. But the productivity gain only comes when the robot keeps running day after day, without someone constantly having to step in to fix a fault.

This matters especially in SMEs. A robot is often bought because no extra people can be found. If that same robot regularly stands still, someone still has to step in, and part of the gain is lost.

The dress pack determines how reliably a robot runs

An industrial robot needs a package of cables and hoses running along the arm to the tool: power, data, compressed air, cooling water or welding wire, depending on the application. That package is called the dress pack. It moves with every movement of the robot, and at the wrist on axes 4 to 6 it is also twisted.

If the dress pack is not properly matched to the robot and its motion pattern, the familiar problems arise:

Torsion at the wrist: cables and hoses are twisted on every cycle and break over time.
Rubbing along the arm: a package that hangs loose rubs against the upper arm or the surroundings with every movement.
Wrong slack: too tight puts tension on the connections, too loose causes slapping and snagging.
Heat and spatter: on welding robots, an unprotected hose burns through.

A cable break in the dress pack stops the robot, even though the robot itself is fine. You can read more about the causes in Cable breaks on your robot: causes on axes 4 to 6.

What to look for in a new robot cell

If you are having a robot cell built, it pays to include the dress pack in the design from the start, rather than only once the robot is in place. Questions to answer beforehand:

Which media need to reach the tool: power, data, compressed air, cooling water or welding wire?
How does the robot move: which axes rotate the most, and how far?
Does the package run internally through the arm or externally along the arm?
Is the robot mounted on a linear axis, so that a cable carrier is also needed?
How will you quickly replace a worn hose later, preferably during a planned stop?

In Choosing a dress pack for your robot you can read how to determine the build-up, hose size, holders, retraction system and heat protection. Starting from the basics? Then first read What is a dress pack?

From engineering to assembly

The robotics division of Wisman Techniek supplies dress packs for industrial robots, from engineering to assembly, in the Netherlands and Belgium. We work exclusively with parts from Reiku, of which we are an official partner.

Engineering: we match guidance, retraction and protection to the robot, the tool and the motion pattern.
Assembly of the package: we put the package together with the hoses, holders and clamps that suit your robot.
Installation: if you wish, we install the dress pack on the robot, preferably during a planned stop.
Parts: individual Reiku parts, for example for a robot that is already in place. For a Yaskawa robot at Marel in Lichtenvoorde, for instance, we supplied the Reiku parts for the dress pack.

Want to see for yourself what your robot needs first? In the dress pack configurator you choose your robot and put the package together per axis. Our robotics division then reviews it with you.

Also for robots already in place

Not every company is buying a new robot right now. For robots that are already running, it pays to check the dress pack: wear at the wrist, chafing along the arm, loose holders or hoses with a damaged jacket. Replacing a worn package in time is usually far cheaper than unplanned downtime.

Productivity is also about reliability

Support for robotisation helps SME manufacturers produce more with the same people. But the real gain lies in a robot that keeps running. A well-matched dress pack therefore belongs in every robot investment, just like the robot itself.

Calculate it yourselfDress pack configuratorConfigure a dress pack for your robotOpen the dress pack configurator