There’s no running away from the fact productivity in the manufacturing industry has been increasing exponentially. As a result, business owners have started to look for ways to enhance this factor and retain it in the long run.
One amazing way to boost productivity is through the use of cobots. Also chanted as collaborative robots, these are pieces of technology that work with people in shared workspaces.
Since technological advancements know no bounds, cobots have proved an excellent addition to the manufacturing industry. Contrary to popular belief, cobots have been designed to work with people and not replace them. As a result, they have the strength to improve workers’ morale at factories and ensure that their jobs are secure.
Although COVID 19 has had a strong impact on the global manufacturing industry, processes have still been resumed now that the situation has been brought under control with the availability of the vaccine. Therefore, the use of collaborative robots has become imperative.
So if you have been looking for some primary information on cobots, In this article, we will shed light on the incredible benefits of using them:
Fast Installation
Conventionally, it takes weeks and sometimes months for a robot to get installed before it is up for running. Plus, installing a routine robot can easily fall between $50,000 to $150,000, depending on using it. But, these hefty costs can be curtailed with the installation of collaborative robots. To your surprise, a cobot can be installed in less than half an hour and will perform its task within a few minutes.
This registers its presence as a temporary or a flexible employee of the company. Such robots will perform varying tasks with no error at all. If it hadn’t been for this feature, cobots would have never come this far.
Usable in Different Departments
As the name implies, the cobot is a flexible robot, and thus, it has the strength to work in all kinds of departments. Since it is flexible, assigning a new task is much easier. For example, when the production is being monitored, the cobot will measure the rate at which everything is being produced and easily provide daily reports. While a conventional robot might take around 40 hours a week, the same cobot could do it in less than a few hours.
This flexibility is enough reason for companies to acquire the services of cobots. And during peak production times, it is beneficial to hire a cobot instead of running through the HR work to hire an in-house employee.
Quickly Programmed
Unlike these robots being used In the industry, a cobot can easily be programmed. A traditional robot requires enough time and knowledge to move towards programmable actions. Plus, they will perform one action at a time. Sometimes, such robots easily get confused when they are put into multi-tasking.
Since most of the software is user-friendly and the mobile applications are easy to use, cobots will quickly understand the tasks they have to perform. You also get to manually program a cobot, which takes less than a few hours.
More Consistent and Better Than Humans
Unlike humans, collaborative robots are much better since they don’t make any mistakes. For example, if you have seen the Franka Emika Panda, this robot can easily perform any of its actions in less than 0.1 mm. Additionally, a cobot was hands-on and will never deviate from its path. For instance, if screws have to be tightened, this will be done with tension and pressure, ensuring the best quality.
On the contrary, if the same work has to be performed by a human, the chances of making a mistake will be high, but everyone will be stuck with overthinking in case a major issue needs to be resolved.
Employees Are Much Happier at Work
Because employees will get the much-needed support, they will enjoy it even more. Especially if their work is boring and monotonous, most of the work will be outsourced, so employees don’t become less productive at work. Especially when creative and solution-oriented tasks are concerned, taking the initiative is important, as it allows enough space for a person.
Not to mention, preventing RSI is important too. Thanks to the collaborative robots, employees feel valued and have extra help at work, which is beneficial for their success. And, employees aren’t happier at work, this will result in a high turnover rate for the company. As a result, the absenteeism rate will rise and hurt the company’s reputation.
Positive Impact on Employees
As explained above, a cobot is engineered to work with people and not replace them. They are also known as people-focused robots. Thus they make their work easier with time. Not to forget, unsafe and dirty tasks will repulse the employees instantly. And if the task is monotonous or of no value, employees won’t be able to concentrate on their tasks.
For example, if a cobot is screwing a certain product, the employee will rest and focus on the rest of the core tasks. But if employees complete the product later, it won’t damage the production line either. Plus, the assembly product has to cooperate with the cobot when you think of maintenance and quality checks.
Better Productivity and Process Optimization
The ethos behind using a cobot or any robot is to optimize any processes. In simplest terms, the idea is to achieve the maximum goals at minimal expense. Plus, errors are minimized, and employees have more time to improve productivity. As a result, the operation results will be better. And setting up the cobot entails investing a lot of money.
But, this investment is worth it since it saves a lot of money in the long run. Today, several manufacturing firms have started to invest in cobots, as they can cut down the time it takes to complete a certain task. Plus, cobots have the strength to put a firm on the global map. Since they are engineered with state-of-the-art technology, they deliver the best results.
