07/02/2022
The Ultimate Guide for a Cobot Buyer 2022
Welcome to Qviro’s 2022 Ultimate Cobot Guide!
An overview of this document, you will find:
- Review charts of ease of use,
- Analysis of cobot implementation times,
- Statistics of offline programming.
If it is advice, info, or validation that you seek, this guide will answer all these.
Well, you have found the right document!
Let’s get straight into it. What’s a cobot?
Well, it's simply a Collaborative (Co) Robot (bot)!
It’s a robotic arm that works in the near presence of humans.
Designed to be safe and lightweight - all of which to protect their human counterparts whilst completing their tasks.
The cobot totally wrote this article.
It is just a joke! The cobot didn’t actually write this article...
Well...
The top 7 most common cobot applications are:
- Palletizing
- Picking and Placing
- Assembly
- Machine Loading
- Welding
- Polishing and Grinding
- Gluing and Dispensing
Cobots are built for flexibility.
Therefore cobots possess so many fancy features:
Operational | Safety |
Interlinked capabilities. | Ergonomic & Lightweight |
Force/Torque and laser sensor:
to ensure cobots operations are performed correctly. | Programmable speed limits |
Landmark recognition: to scan and analyse its current location | Sensors that halt all cobot movements |
Changeable end-effectors | |
Mobile | |
Ease-of-use programming |
Customisation of cobot features to fit your manufacturing needs is always an option!
Cobots have the ability to:
- Lower production costs
- Increase competitiveness
So which industries does cobot application apply to?
- Manufacturing
- Electronics & Technology
- Logistics
- Cosmetics, Chemical, and Pharmaceutical
- Food Processing
- Agriculture
- Education
Cobot utilisation in various industries is always growing!
Now comes the taboo topic: Price/Cost.
We want to challenge the fear of the prices and the related costs of a technological investment.
We are here to convince you not to be afraid of the costs!
WHY?
Because it’s a....
In truth, it is a good price. I mean have a look at Qviro’s website where we make that pricing aspect of your overall buying decision a lot more transparent.
Our biggest tip about cobot prices is that: “Cobot prices are linearly related to its payload capabilities.”
(Here’s a chart for you guys to grasp cobot prices!)
Important thing to note:
The cost of a cobot is not the total cost of automation!
The costs are often 2 to 3 times more than the price of the cobot itself.
Further advice include:
1. Pick and place:
- Does require many peripheral tools. Integration costs cheaper.
2. Integration process:
- The relatively cheaper it will be.
3. Complex applications:
- Requires specific software and attached peripheral products.
- Would cost relatively more.
What value does a cobot bring to you?
Both the values listed below are interlinked.
1. Easy to Program
Our research based on 50 cobot programmers confirm that ease of use is what they are most satisfied about.
Ease of use is known as the showpiece of cobots.
(Users rated it out of 5)
I mean we all want convenience no?
It is safe to say that programming will not be too much of a headache!
2. Time of Deployment
In the past, manufacturing companies had to always rely on third party integration.
This meant that if any changes had to be made, you would always need to pay and wait for third-party services.
This meant companies were less independent.
Cobots eliminate this issue by being self-service and a low solution. Implementation can be managed by the company themselves.
Ease of use not only makes the programmer’s life easier.
It has a very big impact on the project price.
Why?
Because there is a very high variance in implementation time.
On average, an industrial end user will take 15 days for implementation whilst a system integrator takes roughly 10 days.
And we all know how expensive people’s services are...
So if your cobot brand cuts down your implementation time, it will definitely be worth it.
All of which are of equal importance depending on your circumstances.
Another important aspect is the type of programming to employ:
Majority of cobot users utilise offline programming.
What is so special about offline programming?
There is no need to learn a programming language.
An example of this is: Function Blocks!
90% of cobots offer this solution.
It is a low-entry method to employ. It is accessible to and for a wide range of companies.
The easiest way to describe a function block is that it is simply blocks of code.
All one needs to do is to move the object from one point to another and manually teach the cobot specific locations.
To use function blocks you can either utilize a joystick or a tablet.
Rest assured that the least used type of programming for cobots is Python.
(How we’d feel if we had to use any sort of coding for programming)
The type of programming often depends on what you are looking for.
Just remember:
- Ease-of-programming aspect
- Availability and accessibility to all of the cobot’s advanced functionality.
- Reduced downtime aspect
WHY COBOTS?
After all, what’s so good about cobots?
Let’s be honest, most manufacturers of today don’t solely produce one product.
There are a range of products.
It is a fast fashion kind of market.
Therefore....
Flexibility is key!
(Always compare and choose based on application cases.)
Why invest in something that is fixed when you can invest in something that is adaptable and flexible.
Cobots are exactly that.
“Companies using cobots can make a small batch of 100 products. Let’s say for 6 hours and then you can reprogram the cobot to do another task for the other 4 hours. Hence cobots offer this flexibility to essentially survive and stay relevant in this ever growing and rapid consumer environment.”
To every benefit there is a challenge. There are two sides of the same coin.
Here are some brief challenges to using cobots.
Operational | Safety | Privacy & Security |
Not suitable for high-speed and high-payload tasks | Need to obtain various safety approvals | *Ownership of data: safety of data and sensitive tasks is protected with their robotic solutions. |
A need for a cobot friendly environment |
With tasks that are more complex, a human touch may always be needed.
It is the combination of the best elements of a person and a cobot.
Therefore making cobots really helpful.
This guide will be constantly updated. This would mean that you will have the newest and relevant information at your disposal.
At any time of this guide that you feel like you would like to quote us, please do! (let us know if you are!)
And if we are in any capacity missing any important information and you would want us to get on, please reach out, we would be more than happy to help!
To learn more about cobots at Qviro.com
Updated 22/07/2022