The PG25657 Specific Purpose Certificate in Using Robotics in Advanced Manufacturing represents a focused NFQ Level 6 qualification that builds the technical and operational competence required for Ireland’s evolving industrial base.
The programme fits in neatly with Enterprise Ireland’s Manufacturing 2025 plan, which keeps pushing Irish industry toward smarter automation. It also mirrors what’s actually happening on the ground — the MedTech hubs in Galway, the pharma firms in Cork, and those precision engineering setups around Limerick and Shannon, all shifting their workforce towards robotic processes bit by bit.
The award mixes classroom learning with hands-on sessions so learners can genuinely see how robotic systems improve day-to-day productivity, maintain quality, and still stay compliant within regulated industrial spaces. The modules cover robotic architectures, manipulator mechanics, cell integration, programming logic, safety management, and economic evaluation. Learners are introduced to international standards such as ISO 10218-1 and 10218-2, and collaborative safety guidelines defined by ISO/TS 15066, both of which are recognised by the Irish Health and Safety Authority (HSA).
Graduates coming out of this award are generally able to choose, set up, and maintain both industrial and collaborative robots for jobs like assembly, welding, palletising, or inspection. The learning also covers CE marking steps and risk-assessment habits that suit both smaller workshops and big multinationals. In practice, as more Irish factories lean into Industry 4.0, this course lays down a solid base for technicians and supervisors who want to bring robotics into production in a safe and responsible way.
Assignment Type – Continuous Assessment (20 %) – Formal Academic Analysis
The continuous assessment component evaluates theoretical understanding of robotics systems and industrial safety requirements. Learners are typically assessed through written reports, structured quizzes, and case-based discussions analysing robot design, kinematics, and control systems.
The primary theoretical framework revolves around manipulator classification, motion control, and cell-level integration. Students analyse mechanical configurations—articulated, SCARA, delta, and cartesian—by comparing their degrees of freedom (DOF) and work envelopes. The mathematical modelling of robot kinematics includes joint-coordinate representation, forward and inverse transformation matrices, and path-planning optimisation.
The continuous assessments require reference to European and Irish safety standards. Learners demonstrate their ability to interpret HSA Code of Practice for Industrial Robots (2019) and apply ISO 10218-2 provisions related to safeguarding and emergency stops. Risk evaluation processes such as FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) and PFD (Process Flow Diagramming) are employed to identify hazards within robot cells.
One section of the assessment focuses on functional safety and PLC-based interlocks, requiring learners to draw signal-flow diagrams linking sensors, actuators, and controllers. Safety logic is verified using Safety Integrity Level (SIL) concepts and dual-channel redundancy principles.
Learners are also expected to interpret robot system architecture from industrial case studies. For instance, an ABB IRB 1200 arm integrated with a Siemens S7 PLC and Keyence vision sensor is analysed for accuracy, repeatability, and fault diagnosis. Students examine communication protocols like Profinet and EtherCAT to explain how deterministic real-time control enhances production reliability.
Continuous assessments therefore bridge mechanical design and control logic, ensuring the theoretical competence needed before progressing to physical robot operation. Marks are awarded for accurate referencing, standard-compliant schematics, and critical discussion of risk-control hierarchy (elimination → substitution → engineering → administrative → PPE).
Assignment Type – Skills Demonstration (80 %) – Reflective Professional Practice
The skills demonstration forms the practical core of the award. Learners physically configure and operate robotic equipment in a controlled lab environment, applying theoretical principles from earlier modules. The demonstration involves safe start-up, teach-pendant operation, programme creation, and error recovery.
To be fair, the first few sessions can feel a bit tense. Many of us hadn’t stood that close to a powered UR10 before. Still, through structured guidance, safety barriers, and lockout checks, confidence grows steadily.
Typical demonstration stages include:
Pre-operation Checks – Inspection of the mechanical arm, joint integrity, emergency stops, power supply, and controller diagnostics.
Work-Cell Setup – Positioning the robot relative to conveyors or test jigs, ensuring CE-marked guarding, light curtains, and enabling devices are functional.
Programming Sequence – Using a teach pendant to define waypoints, adjust tool centre points (TCP), and verify path interpolation between linear and joint modes.
Trial Run & Observation – Executing low-speed cycles under supervision, observing potential singularities or reach limitations.
Risk Assessment Update – Recording residual hazards, documenting control measures in compliance with ISO 10218 clauses 5.2 and 5.10.
Every learner keeps a short reflection note on what went right or wrong during the demo. In one of the pick-and-place trials, there was a small misalignment in the gripper, which made parts shift slightly. After tweaking the tool-centre-point offset and recalibrating the vision setup, the motion lined up properly again — a small fix that made a big difference in accuracy. The experience reinforced the importance of consistent coordinate frames and fixture repeatability.
Teamwork and communication stay central all throughout the demo work. People end up sharing tasks — one setting cycle times, another checking safety barriers, someone else logging OEE numbers to see how energy use balances out. That kind of coordination really shows how robotics fits within lean-manufacturing ideas and the broader sustainability targets that IDA Ireland keeps talking about for the country’s smart-factory goals.
By the end of the demonstration, participants can safely commission and operate industrial robots, evaluate task feasibility, and troubleshoot sensor or programming issues under supervised conditions.
Objective:
To examine industrial robot applications and distinguish between robotic manipulators and conventional loading devices in Irish advanced manufacturing contexts.
Industrial robots are applied across Ireland’s high-tech manufacturing sectors for diverse tasks such as:
Assembly & Pick-and-Place – Used in MedTech Galway for assembling catheter components with micron-level precision.
Arc and Spot Welding – Common in automotive sub-assembly cells, often using FANUC ARC Mate series arms with automated torch cleaning.
Painting & Coating – Applied in pharmaceutical equipment manufacturing to achieve uniform surface finishes while maintaining ATEX compliance.
Machine Tending & Palletising – Robots in Limerick’s electronics cluster load CNC machines and stack boxed PCBs, improving ergonomic safety.
Metrology & Quality Inspection – Collaborative UR5 robots equipped with laser scanners measure dimensional tolerances of precision parts.
These applications share goals of increased throughput, reduced defects, and enhanced operator safety. Enterprise Ireland reports (2024) highlight how small Irish manufacturers adopting automation have achieved up to 30 % productivity improvement within two years.
| Aspect | Robotic Manipulator | Conventional Loading Device |
|---|---|---|
| Degrees of Freedom | Multiple (3–6 DOF), allowing complex motions | Usually one linear axis or simple rotation |
| Control System | Programmable microcontroller / PLC | Relay or hardwired logic |
| Reprogrammability | High – tasks change via software | Low – mechanical adjustment needed |
| Sensors & Feedback | Encoders, vision, torque sensing | Basic limit switches |
| Typical Use | Assembly, inspection, cobotic handling | Machine loading only |
| Compliance Standards | ISO 10218 / ISO 15066 | Machinery Directive only |
In advanced manufacturing, manipulators provide higher flexibility for mixed-model production, while loading devices remain cost-effective for fixed operations. To be fair, many Irish SMEs begin with semi-automated loaders before scaling toward full robotic cells once product volumes justify capital spend.
Mechanical Hazards – Pinch points and crush zones mitigated through fencing and light curtains.
Electrical Risks – Proper earthing and lockout/tagout procedures as per HSA guidelines.
Programming Errors – Controlled by low-speed test runs and teach pendant deadman switches.
Human Interaction – Collaborative robots require power and force limiting to stay within ISO/TS 15066 thresholds.
During the lab demonstration, an articulated UR10 was configured to handle aluminium fixtures on a linear conveyor. At first, positioning repeatability fluctuated around ±0.7 mm due to gripper slip. After adjusting the pneumatic pressure and re-zeroing the TCP, repeatability improved to ±0.1 mm. The task showed how even small parameter errors can affect quality and why consistent setup protocols matter in production.
Evaluation:
Understanding the distinction between manipulators and loading devices clarified why robots offer long-term adaptability despite higher initial costs. Next time, cycle-time analysis using OEE metrics could be added to quantify efficiency gains more precisely.
Objective:
To outline the main elements that make up a robot cell and show how safe, compliant operation is managed in real Irish manufacturing settings.
A full robotic cell generally includes:
Robot Manipulator (ABB IRB 1200 or UR10 in most Irish labs)
Controller and Teach Pendant
HMI Panel and PLC
End-of-Arm Tooling (grippers/weld guns/vacuum pads)
Peripherals such as vision systems, conveyors, and safety devices
In practice, each of these parts needs to “talk” to the others. In one Limerick training cell, a Siemens S7 PLC handled signals from light curtains, while the ABB controller managed motion cues. Getting the handshake between the two right took a few attempts — to be fair, the timing between safety I/O and robot motion can be trickier than it looks.
Irish workplaces have to follow HSA and ISO rules when running automation. Before powering up, we check:
Emergency stops and enabling switches are working properly
Interlock guards are closing fully
Risk assessment sheet updated and signed
Robot in “manual reduced speed” for first runs
One thing that stands out after doing it a few times is how much the simple paperwork (like the CE declaration form) actually matters — it’s proof the setup meets Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC requirements.
Evaluation:
The module helped connect textbook safety clauses with what really happens beside a moving arm. Next time, documenting cable layouts earlier would save a lot of head-scratching later.
Objective:
To practise offline and pendant-based programming while recognising the basics of robot kinematics and end-tool behaviour.
Most learners start with the teach pendant. Waypoints are taught in sequence: home → pick → place → return. At first, it feels slow, but once the coordinate frames make sense, the routine flows. Later, we tested RoboDK offline software to simulate motion paths before uploading them. It saved plenty of time and avoided a few “almost-crash” moments.
Kinematics is basically the maths behind how the robot moves. Degrees of Freedom, joint limits, and singularity points are always mentioned, but it’s different when you watch the elbow joint fold awkwardly near a singularity. Understanding Tool Centre Point (TCP) and base frames meant we could correct that by slight re-teaching, not panic.
We used a two-finger pneumatic gripper linked through a quick-change EOAT plate. Small leaks caused occasional drop errors, teaching how important air-pressure regulation really is. In Galway’s MedTech setups, most use vacuum or adaptive grippers since the parts are delicate. Integrating a Keyence camera also introduced basic vision calibration — the camera “saw” each workpiece and confirmed orientation before the pick.
Evaluation:
After a few cycles, the programme ran smoothly with consistent grip detection. If repeated, I’d log cycle-time data through the HMI to measure repeatability better.
Objective:
To assess whether introducing robotics provides a realistic business return for a typical Irish SME.
The example considered was a CNC machine-tending cell for a Limerick engineering firm making stainless valves. Currently, two operators load and unload each machine manually. Proposed setup: one collaborative UR10 with a dual gripper, guarded area, and light curtain.
| Item | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| Robot + Gripper Kit | €32,000 |
| PLC + Safety Controls | €6,500 |
| Installation / Training | €4,000 |
| Annual Maintenance | €1,000 |
Based on current labour savings (roughly €38k per year) and 15 % productivity gain, payback works out at around 1.2 years — assuming two-shift operation. Enterprise Ireland often supports similar automation trials under the Digital Transition Fund, reducing upfront risk for small firms.
Energy use was checked through OEE analysis. Robots can run overnight with low lighting, cutting kWh consumption. Safety risks are reduced, though maintenance staff must still manage lock-out procedures. Environmental impact (oil leaks/noise / heat) is rated minimal.
Evaluation:
Putting figures on paper showed robotics isn’t just “high-tech glamour” — it’s financially workable if cycle times and maintenance are tracked properly.
Objective:
To explore ongoing developments in industrial robotics and how they relate to Irish industry needs.
Right now, Irish factories are focusing on:
Collaborative robots that can share workspace safely
Digital twins for simulation and remote training
Mobile manipulators using AGVs with robot arms
Vision AI for defect detection in pharma packaging
At Boston Scientific Galway, cobots handle intricate catheter assemblies where repeatability below 0.1 mm is crucial. In Cork’s biopharma lines, vision-based pickers help maintain traceability under strict GMP rules.
Researchers at SFI’s CONFIRM Centre predict more low-cost cobots designed for modular cells, easier integration through open-source ROS2 interfaces, and greener actuators that use less compressed air. The coming years should also see AI-driven path-planning and predictive maintenance through IoT sensors.
One recurring debate in class was about jobs. To be honest, most agree robots remove dull, repetitive tasks rather than replace people completely. Upskilling remains the key — which is exactly what this certificate is trying to do.
Evaluation:
The trend analysis helped link Irish research centres and industry projects. Next time, adding interviews from local integrators would give a stronger real-world angle.
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