I work for a company who's does 90% of our work as 3D modeling and manufacturing simulation services. In recent years, we've had more and more clients asking for robot simulations in the conceptual stage of planning automation cells. Eventually we found ourselves doing offline-programming for clients and are now being asked frequently if we have the capability to do full system integration work (we cannot).
While we are mostly, desk jockeys, we do have a beater robot we've messed around with for a few years (arc welding, milling). We are now considering if we should pursue system integration capabilities. We are just starting to consider what this would look like and have very basic questions I'm hoping to get some help with here.
So my questions to the forum are:
- What would be the basic steps you'd take to enter this discipline?
- What kind of training would be helpful? I understand each manufacturer offers training in a number of areas (programming, operation, maintenance,...). Should these be regarded as essential training?
- Beyond stand alone training courses offered, there are also certification programs. Are those worth pursuing as a new player? In terms of developing the required skills/knowledge, does the training covered in the certification process differ from the stand alone courses?
Thank you all in advance for the guidance and help! Cheers.