“Work together towards common goals” has long been the mantra of manufacturing plant managers, team leaders and human resource professionals in all industries.

That core concept continues to drive successful organizations, and now it’s applied to a dramatically evolved workforce given the dramatic expansion and adaption of collaborative robots. Humans lead the way, but as co-workers, collaborative robots (aka cobots) are near perfect employees that require no breaks, are easily “re-trained” for new tasks and work very safely.

The last five years have seen tremendous progress in the widespread application of collaborative robots. For many companies, cobots are the first step towards industrial automation integration—a way to see and experience what robots can accomplish doing tedious, repetitive tasks. A major benefit is that collaborative robots free up employees for reassignment to higher value skilled jobs. Often times, a production process’s success hinges upon consistent performance. With these repetitive tasks (palletizing, label application, case erecting, etc.), turnover will lead to stoppage at end-of-line. Cobots can not only bridge that gap, but also allow your employees to transition to a higher-skilled position which often leads to a longer tenure at that employer.

Cobots are popular because they offer dozens of benefits for any industrial manufacturing or packaging situation. They are relatively small, allowing you to decrease the footprint on your production floor (gaining back valuable real estate). Compared to their full-size cousins, industrial robots, cobots do not require protective safety fencing which takes up valuable space on your factory floor. Since they’re lighter weight, they can more easily be moved to a new location or workstation. And, after some basic training, your own staff can handle programming and “re-deployment” to a variety of tasks.

RōBEX (based in Perrysburg OH) has been working with collaborative robots since the beginning and has the unique experience and expertise to help guide you toward the customized automation system that best meets your needs. As a certified integrator, they recommend quality and flexibility of FANUC® cobots. Many different models are available featuring different ranges of motion and payload capacities. Depending on the specific application, cobots often pay for themselves in less than a year through labor savings and increased productivity.

Safety is always a consideration when installing new equipment and collaborative robots have an excellent track record. For starters, they don’t require safety fencing which saves time, space and money. In addition, workplace incidents are very rare since cobots are engineered to immediately stop if anything interrupts their movements.Dozens of industries have discovered the productivity power that collaborative robots can bring at very reasonable cost.

RōBEX is a certified automation integrator for FANUC®–the recognized global leader in robotics and automated robotic systems. “Our constant goal is to help optimize your manufacturing, processing, assembly and packaging operations. Collaborative robots can help address your needs with solutions that help improve your bottom line” shared RōBEX President Craig Francisco.

“Given the shortage of available workers in many parts of the country, engaging cobots is one solution that can pay benefits for years to come. We work with hundreds of companies that assemble, package, warehouse and ship a wide variety of products. Let us help you decide what’s best for your specific operation.”

To learn more about collaborative robots, contact RōBEX today.