Robots are no longer locked to workstations and caged locations. Today, they work alongside human workers. Apart from providing heavy-duty industrial applications, modern robots are also augmenting skills and providing assistance.
At the forefront of this conversation is the collaborative robot, aka cobots. Companies of different sizes and types are finding more strategic reasons to invest or acquire in these cobots, which are known for how they redefine human-robot relationships. That includes small to medium-sized businesses, which often struggle in competing with major enterprises when it comes to procuring new technologies.
Cobots can complete a variety of jobs at a lower cost, which makes them a great investment that can boost any business’s bottom line. Apart from their low cost (which is often a fraction of the cost of traditional industrial robots), cobots offer many benefits for businesses.
Consider the following.
Increased Robot and Human Efficiency
This is the most sought-after benefit of collaborative robots. When working with robots, the operator usually loads parts to a turntable, conveyor or fixture. Once they’ve loaded everything, the operator lets the robot do the rest of the work.
It’s a different story with collaborative robots. With cobots, the operator can let the robot take the reins without leaving the workspace, which reduces floor space, cost and time. Research conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at a BMW factor revealed that teams of robots and humans collaborating were more productive compared to teams made of either robots or humans alone. According to the study, it reduced human idle time by 85 percent.
Applicable to Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
There is a running idea that robots are only realistic or useful for large industrial enterprises. Today, that is no longer the case.
Small to mid-sized organizations can now use automated equipment to improve their operations and logistics. More businesses under this category use smarter and more accessible cobots to simplify industrial applications like packaging, loading/unloading, assembling, dispensing, sorting, polishing and sanding. These types of processes and applications continue to benefit as cobots become part of businesses – both small and large.
Greater Flexibility in the Human Environment
Robots thrive in human environments that do not cage them in a singular location or limit them with external barriers and sensors. This enables businesses to remove robots, deploy them or deploy humans in a singular workspace. In turn, this offers plenty of flexibility, which is a must-have for a high mix of low-volume manufacturing facilities. It also comes with a lower robotic implementation cost and more floor space.
Increased Return on Your Investment (ROI)
With today’s collaborative technology, businesses see a large return on their investment (ROI) a year after they invest in cobots. Since collaborative robots can be installed next to their human counterpart, businesses deal with fewer barriers, which reduce lost time.
Cobots increase productivity and reduce labor costs while implementing cutting-edge technology, which is always a plus to many customers.
Improved Safety
Cobots can help human workers safely handle dangerous and complex tasks – a task that traditional robots can’t always handle. Applications like simplifying lab operations or steadying the motion of surgical tools to prevent human error are the point of cobots. This encourages more workers to depend on robots to improve dangerous and complex techniques.
Unlimited Potential
In the long run, it’s difficult to determine the role humans will take in the midst of automation. But for now, one thing is clear: cobot sales represent a portion of the overall market. The number will continue to grow exponentially as more engineers and manufacturers get their hands on collaborative robots.
Cobots Promote A Better Workplace
The allure of automation is a simplification, which is always a welcome change to a busy workplace. In terms of cobots, they offer automation without replacing their human counterparts. Instead, as their name implies, collaborative robots are designed to work with people.
These people-focused robots help people refine their methods and processes. Monotonous, repetitive or unsafe tasks can be performed by the robot, enabling the humans to concentrate on other tasks. Think of maintenance and quality checks, as well as the assembly of products. It can also help with the simplest tasks, like improving an employee’s clerical skills.
Cobots can also be used in different departments, thanks to their flexibility. A collaborative robot can do the same tasks for 40 hours or perform a different task every day. Managers can look for places within the production process where the collaborative robot can offer the most value.
Collaborative robots are part of the future and the best part is it can be part of any business’s future. You don’t have to be an enterprise to benefit from the helping hand of cobots. Even small businesses can use top tech upgrades (like cobots) to simplify their processes while gaining more ROI.