French training center uses UR cobots to help train future industry professionals

Pôle formation Bretagne UIMM

In short

With 35 years of experience, the training center Pôle formation Bretagne UIMM (Union des Industries et des Métiers de la Métallurgie) located in Bruz in Western France, specializes in industrial and technological trades. The school addresses the needs of companies in the region by training young people, job seekers and employees in industrial trades. In order to provide the best possible training, UIMM has invested in ten cobots from Universal Robots. Safe, easy to program and use on a daily basis, the cobot is the perfect classroom companion. With the online UR Academy, trainers and learners are also provided with all the necessary teaching tools for effective teaching of collaborative robotics.

The business transformation

UIMM Bretagne has inaugurated a 2,600m2 training center in Bruz dedicated to the future professions in industry and metallurgy. UIMM aims to attract both students interested in future job opportunities within these industries; and companies wanting to train their employees in risk assessments and new technologies.

In this context, the center wanted to adapt its training courses by integrating cutting-edge technologies that are now widely deployed in industry. UIMM was aware that collaborative robotics falls into that category and is now increasingly deployed in many fields, so the choice was quickly made to work with the leader in collaborative robotics: Universal Robots. In addition to the cobot hardware, the university center was also looking for teaching support and tools to facilitate the teaching of cobotics.

Pôle formation Bretagne UIMM

Industry Education and science

Country France

Number of Employees 10,000 apprentices and employees trained yearly

Cobots used UR3, UR5, UR10

Video - Pôle formation Bretagne UIMM, France

For a training center like UIMM, it is very important to have the latest equipment to provide the best training to the students. UR cobots fit this category

Nordine Medjeroub, Head of Robotics, Pôle formation UIMM Bretagne

Future industries training center

UIMM Bretagne training center now has around ten Universal Robots’ cobots, including three at the Bruz center for its three robotics classes, ranging from bachelor to master’s degree. Flexible, versatile and easily transportable in classrooms or from one center to another, the cobots offer an attractive and interactive educational experience. Programming the UR cobot is multi-layered; students quickly learn to develop simple programs, adding waypoints by grabbing the cobot arm and teaching it the desired trajectory. Students can also take a deeper dive, programming in Python using the UR+ certified RoboDK API.

Practical learning

Two full-scale automated production lines - one for the metal industry and one for the food industry - have been set up for practical exercises. The collaborative aspect of the robot allows for safe implementation during workshops where the learners program the cobots for various tasks, ranging from simple programming of trajectories to pick & place operations or even packaging assisted by an autonomous mobile MiR robot with a UR cobot mounted on top.

The main advantages of Universal Robots are the ease of implementation, the educational tools that are provided and the collaborative aspect of the robot

Éric Lemane, Robotics Trainer, Pôle formation UIMM Bretagne

The future of education

Universal Robots allows both teachers and students to benefit from the many educational tools provided with the robots. They have free access to the various free online training modules of the Universal Robots Academy. With explanatory videos in French and practical exercises, the UR Academy gives them the opportunity to learn virtually - in the classroom or at home - before applying what they have learned in the classroom.

Cobotics also facilitate projects such as "Johnny the horse"; a project involving robotizing a cardboard horse head and bringing it to life. To do this, they have - with the help of Raspberry Pi (small single-board computer) - established communication between the cobot and the head, offering control of the various motors found in the horse's ears, eyes and mouth. This makes it possible to analyze what the horse 'hears' and 'sees'. Depending on the collected data, the cobot will perform various pre-programmed trajectories that correspond to emotions such as joy, fear or excitement.

The cobots have been very well received by the students and teachers who quickly learn the technology. The students add valuable UR cobot technology to their CVs, making them more employable. And by doing so, UIMM Bretagne training center has improved its attractiveness and relationship with local companies. For the "Johnny the horse" project, programming was completed in just one day. This was made possible by Universal Robots technology, which stands out for its ease of programming and great flexibility. The project is still under development: subsequent versions will incorporate new trajectories to make the animations as realistic as possible.

On the strength of this experience, UIMM Bretagne training center plans to invest in other UR cobots, both for its center in Bruz and for its other centers in the Bretagne region.