Collaborative robots in Manufacturing

Manufacturing processes are undergoing radical changes as technology advances to enable the automation of various production processes through robotics. Collaborative robots, a type of industrial robot also known as a cobot, is a robot designed to work in conjunction with humans in close proximity to one another and as such is designed with safety in mind.

Their main role is efficiency and safety where industry experts estimate a 30-40% increase in efficiency when humans work alongside robots.

In contrast, the traditional industrial robot is designed to work in a specially designated space with strict safety guards and measures that allow it to perform tasks with no human interaction. Most cases see collaborative robots perform strenuous repetitive and menial tasks that free up a human worker to deal with higher value tasks.

In the field of industrial automation, collaborative robots are one of the fastest growing segments. It is worth noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has enabled a proliferation in the use of automated technologies due to strict social distancing guidelines.

Industrial Robots vs. Cobots: What’s the difference?

Traditional industrial robots are bulky, have powerful moving parts meant for heavy production that pose serious safety concerns to workers as they can maim or cause fatal injuries. They are built for high volume, high-speed, accurate production and are meant to be fixed in place with safety cages installed around them to keep employees out of harm’s way.

Due to the space requirements and safety guard measures required to integrate these robots into a manufacturing process, the installation costs can be sky-high making them best suited for manufacturing processes that remain constant for years. The exorbitant set-up costs also mean that seeing a return on investment can take years.

Collaborative robots (Cobots) on the other hand are not meant for heavy manufacturing processes. Where industrial robots almost replace humans, cobots work hand in hand with humans and can typically be found in High-Mix Low-Volume (HMLV) manufacturing scenarios also known as make-to-order manufacturing.

This type of manufacturing involves producing a high variety of products where the volume produced is relatively low. In short, Cobots are built for specialized, low volume tasks to be used in a human-robot collaborative environment

Applications of Collaborative robots

Cobots are used in an array of manufacturing industries such as the production of precision optics and thermoplastics to welding and automotive production where they perform an assortment of tasks such as:

Pick and Place

The movement of materials is one of the most repetitive tasks an assembly worker does today. It is also one of the most dangerous manual jobs since workers have to deal with metals, plastics, and other substances continuously which over time leads to accidents or repetitive strain injury. Cobots take away the need for a human to perform strenuous, repetitive, heavy tasks by himself and by augmenting the process makes for a safer workplace. Furthermore, they can also package and palletize items.

Machine tending

A task requiring a human operator to sit for long hours watching over a machine such as an injection modeller or a CNC machine in order to replace raw materials so they can be processed or change a tool to suit the next task. Cobots can be interfaced with these machines and perform such tasks automatically thus freeing the worker to perform higher value tasks.

Process and finishing tasks

These include tasks such as dispensing, gluing, polishing, grinding, painting and even welding. The advantage of utilizing a Cobot in this scenario is that, once programmed, it can undertake these tasks at a constant precise rate for all scheduled units in the assembly.

Quality Inspection

Collaborative robot arms bring to the manufacturing process the certainty of precision every time. A robot can consistently achieve tight tolerances by following its programming to the letter – a feat that would be inhuman for a worker. Cobots therefore prevent defective products from shipping out.

Benefits of Cobots to the manufacturing process

Safety

Safety in a manufacturing environment is always of the utmost concern. Many people suffer accidents or fatal injuries every year. Cobots go a long way in alleviating this issue by taking over repetitive and menial jobs such as pick and place or other more precision jobs such as grinding.

Lower barrier to entry and fast return on investment

Cobots, by virtue of being easier to integrate into a working environment, easy to use, and having the added benefit of competitive pricing are a more palatable investment choice for a manufacturer looking to improve their procedures and turnaround times. It is a combination of these features that reduce upfront costs leading to a fast return on investment.

Quick and easy deployment

Their safe, small and lightweight design grants them maneuverability to work safely in tight quarters. It can even be moved to different departments as needed.

Waste reduction

All tasks performed by a robot are done precisely according to the programming parameters. Whether it be dispensing or painting, a cobot will use no more and no less than what is required leading to reduced waste and lower operating costs.

Accuracy

A cobot performs every task with high precision and better yet, does this reliably and consistently. Therefore, the output is always guaranteed to be of high quality.

Ease of operation

Cobots are easier to program than industrial robots as they are designed to be programmed intuitively so that one does not necessarily need a background in robotics to set one up. This ease of setup allows for cobots to be cost-effective even in small operations since the cost of changing setups is small whereas rearranging large-scale operations would be expensive.

The Future of Collaborative Robots

The Cobot market, according to a recent report by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), will reach a forecasted valuation of $8 billion by the year 2030, a 32.5% jump from 2021. Figures from last year value the global Cobot market at $600 million dollars.

The future of robots working alongside robots is already here, industries are slowly embracing the technology and with reduced costs of robots; we can expect a continued rise in workplaces augmented by robots as employers seek efficiency and increased output all while retaining key employees.