The manufacturing world has been evolving for decades, adapting to new technologies and the demands of global markets. The rapid changes have made the industry more productive, efficient and safer for workers, not to mention flexible and predictive of customers’ needs and buying trends.
Cobots, or collaborative robots, are one such technology that is making manufacturing more efficient, productive, and safer. Let’s explore industrial cobots and the benefits they bring to the manufacturing world.
What Are Cobots?
Cobots are robots that work collaboratively alongside humans in shared workspaces. Unlike traditional industrial robots, which are caged for safety, cobots feature advanced sensors and lightweight materials that allow them to assist with repetitive, precise, or heavy-lifting tasks without safety hazards. (WiredWorkers)
Unlike a traditional industrial robot, a cobot is versatile, cost-effective and offers user-friendly technology, such as sensors that stop the robot if work is interrupted. A traditional manufacturing robot would continue on its task, potentially injuring workers.
How Cobots Improve Manufacturing
Cobots improve manufacturing in multiple ways, including increasing production speed, ensuring consistent quality, handling repetitive tasks, and reducing worker fatigue. Cobots can also level the playing field for smaller and medium-sized manufacturing organizations. According to WiredWorkers, large manufacturers have had the advantage of automation by using traditional industrial robots. But these large, expensive and complex robots were designed for high volume and unchanging production processes – as opposed to the low-volume, high-mix production typical of smaller manufacturers. Cobots can be used by companies of virtually any size and allow them to increase productivity, improve quality and respond more quickly to changing customer demands.
Enhanced Productivity & Efficiency
Cobots can make any manufacturing company more efficient and productive. Since cobots can operate around the clock without downtime, they can improve productivity by nearly 40%, according to Techman Robot. In terms of efficiency, Cobots are designed to reduce the number of manual tasks. This can be achieved through automation, where cobots perform repetitive and labor-intensive tasks more quickly and accurately than humans.
Increased Safety & Improved Working Conditions
Cobots not only improve efficiency and productivity; they also make factories safer for several reasons. The advanced safety features on each cobot put them in a class of their own on the manufacturing floor. The sophisticated sensors on the cobots enable collision avoidance, preventing the equipment from crashing into humans or other objects. Force and Torque Sensors onboard cobots enable the detection of changes in resistance or the presence of obstacles. Using ultrasonic or infrared waves, the Advanced Vision and Proximity Sensors enable cobots to detect people and objects. Cobots are also designed and equipped with emergency stop buttons and multiple backup safety systems in case one fails, another will take over.
Collaborative robots (cobots) are making manufacturing more efficient and safer by working alongside humans in shared workspaces, utilizing advanced sensors for collision avoidance and safely automating repetitive or heavy-lifting tasks. These versatile, cost-effective tools are accessible to manufacturers of virtually any size and can improve efficiency and productivity by nearly 40%. To further your knowledge in this evolving industry, visit the AMTEP site today and view free training programs.