Much of the talk of robotics and mobility in the oil and gas industry has centered around the automation of repetitive and dangerous tasks in the field, such as connecting drilling pipes and autonomous underwater vehicles. This emphasis often ignores how these same solutions can support the production processes of large, heavy equipment for the industry.

The manufacturing of big, heavy parts, sometimes in small batches, has always been challenging, even with automation. Over the last decade, however, new, more flexible automation technology has been developed to enable more companies to automate their production. One such solution is the mobile robot, platforms with or without robots that are capable of transporting, processing and measuring heavy, big parts. It is now possible to precisely maneuver mobile platforms, carrying up to 100 tons of payload. These mobile robots make it possible to process or check the quality of big parts without the need for big, complex installations.

Learn how mobile platform and robots can be used to increase the flexibility of automation projects in the manufacturing environment. Several examples will be presented to illustrate the implementation of these technologies with main focus on heavy and big part production.