With the new Universal Robots Academy, Universal Robots (UR) provides users and robot enthusiasts worldwide with a free online training programme that teaches the basics of using the collaborative lightweight robots UR3, UR5 and UR10.
Aim of the freely available courses is to reduce reservations about automation solutions and to make it easier for small and medium-sized companies in particular to Entry into collaborative robotics even easier. They should benefit from even faster integration times with regard to their robot applications.
„With this new learning resource, we want to reach more companies in particular that still consider robotics to be too expensive and too complex: From now on, they can simply log into the Academy and experience first-hand how easy it is to get started with this topic. This enables them to visualise which tasks they could automate in their production with our robots,“ says Helmut Schmid, Managing Director of Universal Robots GmbH and General Manager Western Europe.
Ready to go in just six training sessions
At the Universal Robots Academy, every participant is given the basic knowledge for the Installation and for the Programming of UR robots in six interactive modules. Using practical simulations, they are given an introduction to tool set-up and connecting the I/Os as well as initial simple programming and the Configuration of security settings for individual applications. Further training units are already being planned. In addition to German, the online courses are also available in English, Spanish, French and Chinese.
Whirlpool Corporation as a pioneer
The first participants in the Universal Robots Academy include the US household appliance manufacturer Whirlpool Corporation. At its plant in Ohio, the online training courses already form the basis for training all employees in the use of UR robots.
„We no longer waste time sending our employees out of the office for basic training. All modules can be completed independently of each other and everyone can work through them at their own pace. This gives us the flexibility to choose which modules we offer to different workers, depending on their skills and level of interaction with the robots. The fact that the training courses are also offered free of charge was another positive surprise for us,“ summarises Tim Hossler, engineer for controls at Whirlpool, summarised the advantages of in-house training.
Counteracting the shortage of skilled labour
„We see the Universal Robots Academy as a Long-term investment“, explains Helmut Schmid UR's decision to provide the training courses free of charge. „This is certainly an unusual step in our industry, but we want to enable a broad base to acquire robot skills. Because the rapid pace of development - especially in the field of collaborative robots - means that manufacturing companies are facing a Growing shortage of skilled labour confronted with. By making it easier for current and future generations of factory workers to access knowledge about our robots, we are helping to close this gap in the long term.“
Universal Robots will also be presenting the Universal Robots Academy at the Hannover Messe 2017 from 24 to 28 April 2017 at its stand in Hall 17, Stand C26.
