From Theory to Practice: How the Robotics Technician Program Bridges the Skills Gap

Industries ranging from manufacturing and food production to logistics and life sciences increasingly rely on industrial robots. These complex machines help them address labour shortages, protect workers from dull and dangerous jobs, and boost productivity. A limitation though, is that they’re not easy to implement and use, so the skills of a qualified robotic technician are needed to maximize the ROI from every project.

With the growing adoption of robotics, businesses face an increasing demand for skilled robotics technicians. We’re dedicated to meeting this need through our Robotics Technician certificate program. Developed with the needs of industry foremost, this gives students the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary to quickly make an impact in the workplace.

The Role of an Industrial Robotics Technician

Industrial robotics technicians play a vital role in modern manufacturing. As factories become more automated, these are the people who install, integrate, maintain and update the robot cells that raise productivity and boost quality. Their responsibilities span installation, testing, programming, program refinement, and troubleshooting, along with performing routine checks and maintenance.

While specific duties vary between companies, in general, the duties of a robotics technician include:

• Support robot integration as needed with electrical wiring of motors, safety  devices, and control panels
• Develop robot programs, using simulation to optimize production rates and  minimize downtime 
• Test, debug and optimize robot cells to meet safety and productivity goals 
• Cycle systems and touch up programs as necessary 
• Read and modify as needed any PLC programs used for cell control 
• Monitor robot systems during operation and address or report any issues 
• Assess and troubleshoot operational errors 
• Support changeovers between product types
• Install,  repair, or replace end-of-arm tooling 
• Perform preventative maintenance and housekeeping tasks to prevent productivity losses or equipment damage 
• Assist in any repairs necessary 
• Train new and existing team members on operation of the robot cell  

Theoretical Course Content

The Robotics Technician program has 14 modules, each focusing on crucial aspects of robotics in manufacturing. These include:

• Manipulators and end effectors
• Robot servo systems
• Payload, and its impact on repeatability and accuracy
• Object detection
• Integration with vision
• Robot programming
• Robot safety
• Communications protocols
• Principal robot applications
• The role of Artificial Intelligence
• Definition and applications of autonomous robots

Theoretical knowledge alone though, does not make a robotics technician attractive to potential employers: they want to see evidence of practical skills too.

Gaining Practical Robotics Experience

The George Brown College Robotics Technician program is designed as a fully remote, self-paced, distance learning course. This is to meet the needs of students unable to attend a physical college, or who have a full time job or other commitments.

One challenge of remote learning is the lack of access to physical laboratories equipped with industrial robots and supporting hardware. Additionally, due to the numerous robot configurations and the wide variety of applications, relying solely on physical hardware can limit learning opportunities.

To address this, students use the RoboLogix simulation software program. This provides a 3D view of a robot in an industrial setting, along with an on-screen representation of a teach-pendant. Students use this as they would a physical pendant, to command robot movements, create and modify programs, and interact with virtual equipment such as conveyors, pallets and sensors.

The program offers four 3D simulated training environments: pick and place, spray painting, spot welding, and arc welding. Within each of these the student defines manipulator/end effector conditions, conveyor belt speeds, and everything else found in a real-world, physical robot cell.

As with a physical robot, the robot in the simulation program, (modeled on the widely used FANUC LR Mate series), is programmed from the on-screen teach pendant. These programs can be saved as they would be in the real world, and loaded and modified as needed.

A particularly important aspect of the program is its ability to identify path errors that would lead to collisions and potential product damage. This lets the students learn techniques and develop habits that avoid costly damage and reduce the risk of accidents in the industrial workplace.

In addition, working with RoboLogix lets students become faster, more accurate programmers. For their future employers, this means better robot productivity as less program touch-up is needed on the production floor (resulting in faster changeovers), and cycle times are better optimized. It also makes the robotics technician themselves more productive.

In summary, RoboLogix turns the George Brown Robotics Technician program from a purely theoretical course of study to one where students develop practical programming and application engineering skills. This ensures they are well-prepared for careers in modern manufacturing and automation environments.

Become a Qualified Robotics Technician

As businesses automate more processes with industrial robots, so the need for qualified robot technicians grows. Our Robotics Technician program provides students with a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical experience that lets them be productive from their first day on the job.

If you’d like to know more about this program, there’s additional information on the Online Robotics website. Alternatively, you can speak with a Program Consultant about the Robotics Technician program by calling 1-888-553-5333.