Comau labored with EDP to check this heavy-duty robotic for photo voltaic panel set up. Supply: Comau
Whereas insurance policies round various vitality sources could shift, general vitality demand remains to be resulting in rising curiosity in automation. Final 12 months, Comau S.p.A. partnered with world vitality firm EDP SA to advance automation for photo voltaic panel set up.
“Our relationship with EDP goes again a number of years,” famous Nicole Clement, chief business-unit chief for superior automation options at Comau. “They approached us with their ache level, which is that they’ve to put in lots of photo voltaic panel fields within the close to future. The set up frequency has to triple within the subsequent three years to fulfill European expectations, and EDP wanted an answer that was very versatile.”
Lisbon, Portugal-based EDP claimed that 98% of its vitality comes from renewable sources, and it has put in photo voltaic capability of greater than 4GW. The firm has pledged to be “100% inexperienced” by 2030, and it has greater than 13,000 staff worldwide.
That world scale led EDP to hunt a associate that additionally has a world presence, and Comau is in 12 nations, mentioned Clement.
“It wanted somebody near clients who can join shortly within the discipline,” she advised The Robotic Report. “EDP advised us that it checked out different options, however Comau’s expertise, dimension, flexibility, service, and monetary power made us their first selection.”
Comau, EDP progress from testing to scaling
In 2023, Comau unveiled its Hyperflex cell manufacturing facility, which makes use of robots, lifting gear, and different proprietary applied sciences developed in-house. The system is designed to assemble photo voltaic blades, which might measure 48 sq. m (516.6 sq. ft.), straight within the discipline.
Hyperflex can improve fee of modules put in per hour by as much as 30%, deliver new vegetation to market as much as 25% quicker, and save a median of 35% per panel, claimed Comau. It will possibly additionally accommodate totally different trackers and panels to fulfill the numerous wants of vitality suppliers, the Turin, Italy-based firm mentioned.
“On this joint business innovation mission, EDP may be very modern and has seen that they can not roll out methods in gradual movement,” Clement mentioned. “Our resolution was a ‘manufacturing facility in a truck’ that was adaptable and may get to market shortly.”
The businesses went from a pilot in 2022 to a large-scale take a look at in October 2024. The AutoPV mission in Spain demonstrated Comau’s computerized meeting station and a rover to move and place photovoltaic buildings. Over the following month, set up took half the time of purely guide processes, mentioned Clement.
Comau developed with EDP a “manufacturing facility in a truck” together with robotic arms and cell robots. Supply: Comau
Hyperflex posed design challenges
For its moveable manufacturing facility to work, Comau needed to account for diverse situations and area limitations. A robotic arm with a 300 kg (661.3 lb.) capability picks up the photo voltaic panel and makes certain it’s mounted on a tracker system. Two operators then safe the panel, after which the rover strikes it into the sphere.
“Comau may be very dedicated to renewable vitality and going open air. It’s not like a warehouse ground,” added Clement. “We’ve got one other mission in shipbuilding with out of doors welding. Our robots can function in harsh situations. For instance, Spain has had lots of rain just lately, which is totally different than our operations in Australia. We needed to modify our sensors to beat rain, mud, sand, and dirt. We’ve additionally performed lots of work on the floor of the robotic and grippers.”
The autonomous rover wanted a small turning radius and needed to take in shocks touring over uneven floor.
“From an ergonomic perspective, we had to consider bringing tractors to work in tight areas,” she recalled. “We needed to overcome logistics challenges and developed a compact tractor with a associate. The manufacturing facility in a field was not what we initially considered, however EDP wanted to extend productiveness. The way in which to a discipline could be blocked, so we wanted the whole lot to be on there.”
EDP seems forward to fewer operators
Whereas Hyperflex requires fewer operators than standard photo voltaic panel set up, the operators nonetheless want some coaching. As a part of Comau’s upkeep and repair package deal, the firm trains operators information the tractor system so the rover can assemble the panels.
“We additionally supply coaching and enterprise modeling for the installers to grasp the ROI [return on investment],” mentioned Clement. “The first cause EDP wished automation is to not have fewer folks now however as a result of it sees in 5 to 10 years even fewer accessible. Jobs with heavy lifting pose ergonomic constraints, and never lots of people will need to do them.”
Along with workforce challenges, robots supply tangible advantages in improved security and effectivity for present crews, she mentioned.
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Subject robots simply beginning to notice their potential
Subject robots typically depend on rental or robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) fashions as a result of that’s what number of corporations handle their gear.
“We’re nonetheless in discussions concerning the enterprise mannequin and who’s utilizing this machine,” acknowledged Clement. “Photo voltaic panel installers are usually not essentially capital-equipped, so that they’re trying extra at a rental mannequin.”
“Step one was that EDP needed to endorse Hyperflex to the installer group and specify it to them,” she added. “We’re discussing a number of choices on how installers will deploy and use it.”
Comau is in discussions with EDP and different organizations to deploy the system in Australia, and it’s trying on the U.S., Europe, and Africa. The corporate is seeing the market grow to be extra aggressive, not from different robotics suppliers, however from photo voltaic engineering corporations.
“There’s additionally curiosity from vitality suppliers,” Clement famous. She mentioned that Comau expects photovoltaic panel set up will expertise a ten% compound annual development fee (CAGR) between 2022 and 2030.
May a rugged cell manipulator be helpful for different industries, comparable to development, shipbuilding, and infrastructure/utilities?
“We’ve got some tasks happening with each Hyperflex and MR4Weld, in addition to with the College of Torino, however it’s nonetheless early days,” replied Clement. “We’re considering of work with totally different supplies onsite and offering security and suppleness for operators. Our resolution for scalable, movable, and repeatable purposes open air is all a part of our price proposition transferring ahead.”
Editor’s word: Mike Oitzman contributed to this text.
