Collaborative robots, also known as cobots, were introduced more than 10 years ago. They were initially sent to innovation centers for test purposes and were never seen or used in production.
Today it's a different story. Cobots are the fastest growing segment in the robotics industry and have been adopted by large and small companies. They deal with labor shortages, economic volatility, security concerns and competitive pressures.
Where to start
Darrell Adams, Head of Southeast Asia and Oceania at Universal Robots (UR), says a systematic process should be done to find out where a cobot can be best used.
Mr. Adams recommends working with your respective teams to analyze factory processes and determine where exactly cobots can provide the greatest added value.
"Jobs that have not been automated in the past can now be considered due to social distance requirements, the need to improve performance, or a stronger focus on implementing Industry 4.0 implementation."
Mr. Adams explains the process of implementing the cobot and says: “First, take some time to analyze your current production environment. Look at your employees, the tasks they are doing, and where they are waiting for one task to be done before they can move on to the next. "
Every time a person stands around waiting for a process to complete before proceeding to the next step, time and money is wasted.
“Tasks such as placing parts in a box, maintaining a CNC machine, transferring parts from one line to another, inserting screws, loading or unloading, and even welding are tasks that can be automated. If a cobot can, why wouldn't you give something more valuable to a person? "asks Mr. Adams.
Tasks that can be unbundled or have sub-tasks are also suitable for cobots. These are usually good starting points. “Look for tasks where a person does a thing or two. Unlike humans, robots use robotic arms that can usually do one or two things at a time. When you ask the robot to do more tasks, the robot sometimes has to change hands. An example of a typical two-step task is to take a part out of a machine and inspect it. "
Costs and benefits
The costs and benefits of using industrial robot arms must be considered to determine whether the return on investment (ROI) meets the company's requirements.
The analysis must include the cost, installation and maintenance of the robot in advance. This includes integration with other machines and devices, programming, peripheral devices (grippers or sensors, robot arm controls) and all safety-relevant retrofits.
To decide whether to use a cobot or a traditional robotic arm, you can find a summary in one of the latest Universal Robots blogs.
"It really depends on the application," says Mr. Adams.
"Cobots can help manufacturers address the shortage of jobs for unwanted jobs while increasing productivity and competitiveness."
“In comparison, the implementation of a cobot is cheaper than you think. They typically offer a payback period of one to two years based on the cost of the overall solution. "
Calculate your ROI
Calculating your actual ROI is not just a question of labor savings. "Consider aspects such as engineering costs, installation costs, safety assessments, programming and reprogramming," says Adams.
Also consider training, reorganization of the production area, downtime during installation, the number of shifts, the longevity of the cobot, alternative hiring costs and alternative personnel costs to get an accurate picture.
“In a recent success story, BWIndustrie used four cobots in France to improve its manufacturing processes. The ROI of the installations is less than 12 months. In 2015, a record of 6 months was achieved with a three-shift loading robot. "
To find out more
Universal Robots regularly hosts webinars to help customers get started with cobots and explore automation options. Also check out the UR Academy and UR's extensive UR + ecosystem is also available locally.
