Why is it recommended to outsource the design, processing, assembly of the entire robot project to one company?

Many robot project leaders have calculated a sum of money: finding a design company for structural design, sending parts processing to a CNC factory, assembling debugging, then forming their own team to do it - on the surface, they have chosen the lowest priced option for each link, but the project is as successful as it seems. Design a revised version, but the processing factory says this feature cannot be achieved; The interference misalignment during assembly of the parts after production; The problem was reported to the design team, it has been two to three weeks since the prototype node was missed. Should the hardware outsourcing, design, intelligent manufacturing, assembly of the robot project be disassembled packaged? This article combines practical project experience to discuss the value of integrated outsourcing in the robot parts processing industry.

1、 What are the common issues when outsourcing is divided three parts?

The development of robot hardware involves three stages: design, component processing, assembly debugging. The three stages are outsourced separately, theoretically each finding its own professional account, but in reality, each handover surface is a risk point.

1. The design team didn't understand machining, it wasn't until the drawings arrived in the workshop that they realized they couldn't be made

Structural engineers draw in software rarely consider practical constraints such as tool diameter clamping methods in the workshop. The internal angle R is smaller than the tool radius, the deep cavity narrow groove tool cannot be extended, the thin-walled wall is marked with unreasonable high-precision tolerances - these problems cannot be seen during the drawing review are only exposed during the programming stage of the processing plant. After receiving feedback on the issue, we will modify the image, resend it, reschedule production. It will take one two weeks to complete each round.

2. The processing end does look at the assembly, the single piece is qualified but interferes with the assembly

The processing plant shall construct according to the drawings, the dimensions on the drawings shall be within the tolerances one by one before delivery. But robot parts do exist in isolation: the bearing holes end caps of the joint housing match, the coaxiality of the reducer mounting surface motor shaft, the symmetry of the left right leg parts - these mating relationships span multiple parts. The single piece inspection is fully qualified, but when assembled together, it becomes stuck misaligned. Is there anyone calculating the tolerance chain? It's a question mark.

3. The assembly end does have the right to speak about the parts, the feedback link is too long

The problem was only discovered during the assembly process, the cost of modification was the highest. The assembly feedback was given to the project team, who contacted the processing plant. The processing plant said that the drawings were like this, then they turned back to the design team. It was an interference issue, the three parties held two meetings to determine responsibility. The prototype stage is the most expensive, with a week of nonsense a chaotic iteration pace.

4. The responsibility interface is blurry, there is no one to admit responsibility when there is a problem

The design claims that the processing did follow the drawing, the processing claims that the assembly process is incorrect, the assembly claims that there are problems with the design itself. Three outsourcing contracts three contracts, all responsibility lies in the handover seam, in the end, it is often the project team who takes care of it themselves.

2、 What is the specific value of integrated outsourcing?

Putting design, intelligent manufacturing, assembly together is simply about signing two fewer contracts. The core value is that problems are prioritized responsibility is closed within the factory.

1. Draw process constraints the design phase

The design team of the integrated service provider itself is located next to the workshop. When outputting the 3D final assembly drawing structural component list for structural design, the processing engineer has already intervened: the inner angle should be placed at the R level, the five axes on this inclined hole should still be 3+2, whether to add process reinforcement ribs to this thin wall, how much anodizing compensation should be left - it will be determined in the design stage, the drawings can be programmed directly in the workshop. Compared to projects that involve making changes while working, the wasted time rework alone is enough to cover the design fee.

2. Organize production according to assembly standards for processing

When done in the same company, the machining reference will actively align with the assembly relationship: the machining reference surface of the shell is the assembly positioning surface, the key hole system is clamped in one go. The fitting tolerances between parts are allocated according to the assembly tolerance chain, rather than each doing its own thing finally relying on the assembly master to repair. The biggest fear in robot assembly is manual remedies such as assembly filing, which can cause confusion during the prototype stage consistency issues during mass production.

3. Modular component trial assembly, problem leaving the factory

Robot assembly does wait for hundreds of parts to arrive before starting. The mature approach is to follow the module by module: the leg module hand module are tested assembled separately, one module is installed after the parts are processed. Interference, misalignment, tolerance exceeding the tolerance are exposed repaired on site in the assembly area of the factory. The whole machine factory received modular components that have been tested verified, the final assembly cycle can be compressed by a large margin.

4. Iteration within a team closed loop, with a short cycle image modification to re production

Prototype development has never been finalized. Modify the structure, change materials, adjust tolerances, modify the drawings on the design end, receive the new version on the same day on the processing end. Programming, scheduling, assembly feedback are all circulated in one team. For robot projects with frequent iterations, the difference in response speed is much more important than the price difference in single piece processing fees.

3、 What does integrated service include?

Taking Shenzhen Huiwen Zhizao, a full industry chain service provider, as an example, the hardware side covers three major sectors:

Design side: Robot body hardware design, covering appearance design, structural design, mechanical design, electronic/electrical scheme design - application scenario research, functional analysis, material performance analysis, to outputting 3D assembly drawings, structural component lists, standard component recommendations, 2D/3D drawings; The selection schematic design of motors electrical components are also within the scope. It should be noted that the software, algorithm, control parts are within the scope of hardware services are led by the customer team completed in collaboration with the service provider.

Intelligent manufacturing end: precision five axis, CNC milling, 3D printing, mold forming (die casting, liquid forging) with full category surface treatment, core process closed loop in the factory, parts sampling to small medium-sized batches do need to be circulated between outsourcing factories.

Assembly end: Modular component trial assembly, finished product assembly debugging, with ODM delivery capabilities for leg modular components hand modular components - customers receive a pile of loose parts, but hardware modules that have been verified through trial assembly.

Shenzhen Huiwen Intelligent Manufacturing was established in Bao'an, Shenzhen in 2018, is a national high-tech, specialized innovative enterprise; 20000 ㎡ factory building, over 370 processing equipment, 161 five axis 3+2 five axis machining centers; Detecting configuring a complete set of instruments such as Zeiss coordinate system, designing, manufacturing, assembling a closed-loop system in the same factory area; Undertaking hardware projects for humanoid robots, mechanical dogs, flexible robotic arms, serving institutions such as Beijing Institute of Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinsong, Xiaomi Ecological Chain.

4、 What kind of projects are suitable for integrated outsourcing?

all projects are suitable for outsourcing packaging, you can simply match the numbers:

Suitable for: Start up robot teams research groups with insufficient hardware manpower a need for a complete hardware solution; Moving prototype iteration to small-scale projects with frequent process switching; A complete machine factory with a high degree of modularity a desire to directly obtain components rather than individual parts.

so suitable: a mature hardware team, controlling the design assembly themselves, only lacking a few processing steps - in this case, it is more cost-effective to find a CNC factory with a complete process chain to make parts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will outsourcing design, processing, assembly to one company be bound prices become opaque?

A: The key lies in the cooperation mode. Legitimate integrated service providers provide separate quotations for design fees, itemized quotations for parts, assembly commissioning costs. The intellectual property rights of drawings process documents belong to the customer, a confidentiality agreement is signed before cooperation. Factories with opaque quotations refusal of sub items should be cautious whether they are integrated .

Q: We already have a structural design, can we still enjoy integrated services?

A: Okay. Integration does necessarily have to start design, bringing in drawings can also be done: first conduct DFM process review, feedback the processing assembly risks at the design end, then enter the processing assembly process. Design optimization, intelligent manufacturing of parts, component trial assembly can be selected in segments.

Q: Does the assembly service package include complete machine debugging software?

A: Responsible for the hardware side - assembly debugging of mechanical structural components modular components. The software, algorithms, control systems are led by the customer team, the service provider cooperates collaborates at the hardware installation debugging level. This boundary will be clarified before the project starts.

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