Applications for Collaborative Robots

You’ve learned that collaborative robots are commonly found in several different industries. What kinds of applications are cobots tasked with? Such applications include:

• Pick and place tasks
• Assembly and disassembly
• Material handling
• Welding
• PCB soldering
• Inspection
• Dispensing
• Machine tending

You’ll notice this is a wide range of applications. This is one of the advantages of collaborative robots. They are a versatile piece of technology. They can be deployed and re-deployed to perform many different tasks in a single facility. 

Collaborative robots have strengths that make them a good choice for many applications. For one, they have internal systems that make them appropriate to work around people. Additionally, they share the six-axis design with the industrial six-axis robot. This gives them a good balance of speed, range of motion, and payload capacity. The freedom of movement of the six-axis design brings specific advantages. Its excellent range of motion won’t limit it from performing specific applications. They are also teachable. This means an operator can hand-guide the robot through its task to teach it. From this point, the robot can perform this task repeatedly. If the task changes, it can be retaught and redeployed. 

Of course, cobots aren’t right for every application. The main factor for this is those same features that allow them to work around people also limit their ability to perform some tasks. For example, consider a task that requires high speed and heavy payload capacity. This could be a high-volume automotive assembly application. The cobot wouldn’t be the optimal choice here. This is because its smaller payload capacity will limit its ability to maneuver the load. This will cause the robot to fault during operation. Faulting will cause workflow interruptions and stop the line. Additionally, the speed needed to maximize throughput might not be achievable with a cobot. Their lower speeds could leave greater efficiency gains unrealized. In this instance, a traditional industrial six-axis robot would be the better choice. So, when should you look to automate with a collaborative robot? 

When to (and Not to) Automate with Collaborative Robots

As you’ve learned, cobots have many applications and advantages. How do you know if your application is right for automation with a cobot? Good project candidates for cobots include some of the following characteristics: 

• Technicians have little experience with robots
• Quality control is key
• The task might change in the future
• The task requires collaboration with human workers
• The task is not high-speed and doesn’t require great strength

Technicians have little experience with robots

Robots are complex pieces of equipment. As such, they require experienced technicians to operate and maintain them. A huge portion of this expertise is in reprogramming. Cobots have the ability to be controlled simply and intuitively. Their programming interface is much more inviting to the layman. This means less experienced operators and technicians can operate and reprogram this equipment. Although the entry-level tasks are easy and accessible to less experienced people, these technologies can be ramped up to the complexity and efficiency of their industrial robot cousins. This is why your team should still seek for experts to learn from. They will then develop their programming skills and deploy more complete robotic cells. 

Quality control is key

Like many other robot types, cobots are repeatable and accurate. This is especially the case when compared to their human counterparts. Because of this, high-precision applications can be good candidates for cobot automation. Quality control errors lead to malfunctioning or unacceptable products. This often means less efficient production processes. This is lost revenue to your business. Robotics in general help to reduce these issues. They achieve this due to their precise and programmable nature. Cobots are commonly deployed in these applications.

The task might change in the future

Cobots have the unique ability to be easily “taught” tasks. Inexperienced technicians often find the hand teaching tool helpful when getting started. However, the true value in cobot repurposing lies in the programming interface. Its graphical programming makes it easy to grasp for those new and untrained robots. This means that if a task changes slightly, the cobot program can be changed quickly and easily. This greatly reduces the frequency at which you call an integrator for reprogramming. This reduction in costs leads to more revenue in your pocket and a faster return on investment.

Still not sure if your task calls for a cobot? The HowToRobot advisor network connects you with industry experts that can examine your application and help determine the right solution for you.

The task requires collaboration with human workers

The defining feature of collaborative robots is their ability to work with people. Certain tasks can be optimized by including some automation with human work. Robots are good at handling simple and mundane tasks. People excel at tasks that include characteristics like complex decision-making. Combining the two to work together takes advantage of the strengths of both. Their performance in this manner exceeds what either could do alone. This optimization maximizes your production potential. This increased efficiency provides increased revenue and return on investment.

The task is not high-speed and doesn’t require great strength

The major limitations of collaborative robots are found in strength and speed specifications. This is by design due to their human-centric approach. Tasks that require high-speed mechanics are poor candidates for collaborative robots. This includes tasks such as high-volume pick and place or assembly. Deploying a cobot in these applications might leave unrealized efficiency gains on the table. Additionally, payload limitations will hinder the cobots ability to take on all tasks. Heavy tasks like large material handling applications may not be possible for a cobot. Traditional industrial robots would be a better choice for these applications.

Cobot applications are typically within the strength and speed capacity of humans. However, cobots provide greater uptime than humans do. Robots do not require breaks, shift changes, or sick days. They also provide greater consistency. This is because they do not suffer from fatigue or injury due to moving loads at speed. This provides increased efficiency and throughput potential than human operators alone. 

The Real Deal with Cobots

Cobots are changing the robotics industry and may still be misunderstood. Their performance limitations and higher price point may create doubts about their use in the market. From their growing presence in the last years, we understood that the “ease-of-use” is the main driver for growth and more accessibility by SMEs. They have opened a new market for robotics, the one without the resources for complex automation. Although the “real” collaboration human-robot is rare as of today, cobots have opened the world to new possibilities; easier to learn and use robots and future true collaboration human-robot. That being said, the future still needs to be written.

Cost Considerations

The cost of the equipment is always a major factor in the ROI calculation. You may be surprised to learn that collaborative robots are often more expensive than a comparable industrial robot arm. However, industrial robots carry heavier secondary costs. These are often unnecessary for collaborative applications. For example, industrial robots will always require additional safety equipment. This safety equipment includes things like:

• Light curtains
• Safety scanners
• Fencing
• Shields
• Emergency stop buttons

Additionally, the non-collaborative industrial type is more difficult to integrate. This is largely due to their more complex programming environment. These robots will require experienced technicians and programmers to install and set up. Maintenance costs are higher for industrial robots as well. Industrial robots are often more expensive after integration compared to collaborative robots. This is the case even if the cobot by itself is initially more expensive. A reasonable cost for an average cobot in a standard application will be around $35k - $60.   

You’ve learned some of the many uses of collaborative robots in the industry. How do you know if this investment is right for you? What returns might you gain? HowToRobot’s Investment Calculator allows you to estimate savings and identify areas of improvement in your facility, analyze costs, and calculate your ROI.