The importance of cobots in industrial production facilities

Cobots are a clear example of how technological advances and connectivity are being applied to industrial production processes to boost productivity. Traceability of production processes is transformed by the incorporation of automation-based improvements and collaborative robots or cobots. 

DEIMA’s engineering services are no strangers to these trends and, for this reason, we are firmly committed to the implementation of cobots and collaborative robotics in the various prototypes we design for the automotive, the railroad, the packagingand the pharmaceutical industry. 

For us, the combination of cobots and human capabilities is a winning combination. Under human supervision, cobots are able to perform certain tasks faster and with a much lower error rate. In fact, any industrial company wishing to increase productivity without opting for collaborative robotics will have to overcome many more obstacles than if it chooses to rely on cobots.

Cobots are robots that have been designed and built so that they can work collaboratively with humans. In no case the function of the cobots is to replace humans, but their objective or mission is to support them in different tasks or processes.

Cobots should be understood as an ally of humans working in industrial production plants, since they can perform repetitive tasks that would generate wear and tear on people and also those actions that carry certain risks for humans. .

Cobots are characterized by being able to integrate seamlessly into production environmentswithin the assembly lines and robotic stations. Thanks to their intelligent arms, sensors and cameras the cobots can interact with humans in a completely safe way, without posing any risk to them.

The following are the main advantages of using cobots in industrial production lines.

• They are easy to install and program. This means that anyone can work with them even if they have no previous experience in doing so. These cobots are programmed through a very simple software.
• They are small. They have nothing to do with the huge robots we have seen in movies, they are small and manageable, which allows them to change their location easily so that they can be versatile and perform different functions within the industrial process.
  
• They are very safe and precise. This is of utmost importance, as it allows workers in these industries to be freed from those more complex or dangerous tasks that could pose a risk to their physical integrity, causing accidents or injuries.
  
• They are affordable for small and medium-sized businesses. The cost of acquiring cobots is affordable for smaller companies. From DEIMA we understand cobots as an opportunity to democratize the access to automation for small and medium-sized companies.
• Power job security. These cobots have been designed to be able to work side-by-side with humans, unlike industrial robots that require a safety barrier. Apart from this, the cobots are designed to be able to perform tasks that pose a risk to humans.

The applications of cobots in the industrial field are basically focused on object and material handling, on product packaging and palletizing, in parts assembly, in robotic welding, in quality controls and in assembly and disassembly tasks. For example, the Nestlé company uses them to palletize its products in its production plants in Switzerland. The pharmaceutical industry makes use of their precision and their minimal margin of error to automate dosage and mixing control tasks.

In e-commerce, cobots are used to efficiently prepare orders. In the automotive industry, they can be used to perform repetitive mechanical tasks, allowing qualified personnel to perform quality control and value-added activities.

If the answer to this question is yes, without any doubt from DEIMA we can be of great help. We invite you to contact us and tell us what are the specific needs you have in your production plant. Our engineering team will take care of the rest – trust in DEIMA’s experience and professionalism.