Robot vs. Cobot

Excerpt from "Everything you need to know before buying a Cobot"

Cobot misconceptions

Remember, it's the application that defines the ability for human and machine to collaborate. While vendors are eager to claim the term 'collaborative robots', it isn't all black and white.

In February 2016, the technical standard ISO/TS 15066 was published to provide safety guidelines for the use of robots in collaborative applications, including force guidelines, maximum allowable robot power and speed, without discriminating against a certain type of robot.

Similarly, some manufacturers may buy their cobots assuming they will work without caging. However, they may find their risk assessment shows the need for a safety cage or force limiters to keep human workers safe.

The additional charge of these safety features would render the total cost of the cobot similar to that of an industrial robot, but without the additional capabilities of speed and accuracy. Suddenly, this initially low cost, low risk investment in cobots isn't turning out as planned.

The huge growth in the cobot market represents the view that cobots can be an ideal first step towards automated processes. If the application doesn't require safety guarding, then the initial investment is low.

However, as applications evolve, multiple cobots may soon be required for scalability, and the cost of the additional equipment and additional human workforce will soon exceed the cost of an industrial robot.

It’s imperative that business owners assess the application and the needs of their business’ future carefully before making their decision and carefully consider one important question - is a cobot actually what you need?

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Hillary Machinery Inc is a Texas/Oklahoma based CNC machine tool distributor and?Authorized Systems Integrator?for Fanuc & Robotics celebrating 39 years in business.