{"id":6715,"date":"2018-08-23T08:33:00","date_gmt":"2018-08-23T15:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog-prod.qad.com\/blog\/?p=6715"},"modified":"2020-11-06T15:00:52","modified_gmt":"2020-11-06T23:00:52","slug":"manufacturing-collaborative-robots-make-way-cobots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qad.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/manufacturing-collaborative-robots-make-way-cobots","title":{"rendered":"Manufacturing with Collaborative Robots: Make Way for the Cobots!"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”6716″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]Treat your industrial robot counterparts with some respect! Moving through tight spaces at high speed, these machines can seriously injure anyone who gets in their way. That’s why, to prevent injury they are usually kept in expensive, space-consuming cages.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the last few years, however, a different type of robot has emerged <\/span>\u2013<\/span> one that doesn’t need caging to keep factory workers safe. These are known as collaborative robots or cobots. The name comes from their ability to work directly with or alongside human factory workers in a shared workspace.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cobots are a newer form of robotics technology. When used in the right kind of application they offer a host of benefits, but they have limitations too. Understanding these strengths and weaknesses is the key to successful deployment.
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Robot-Human Collaboration at its Finest<\/span><\/h2>\n

The cobots getting the most attention are those that are power-and-force-limited (PFL). They are designed to stop immediately if they come into contact with anything, such as a human worker. Start ups and well established brands alike are creating cobots to take on a plethora of different tasks and responsibilities. In the field, they are typically light duty arms intended for small payload, lower precision, short reach applications.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not to be left behind, established robotics companies have brought out their own versions. These bulkier yet stronger offerings have the same collaborative capabilities but in more industrial packages.<\/span><\/p>\n

An alternative approach to robot-human collaboration is through advanced safety controls. These use area sensors to detect the presence of humans and fast-acting brakes to prevent robot arm-human collisions.
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The third type of collaborative robot is those that are mobile. Unlike automated guided vehicles (AGV), these are able to navigate autonomously through crowded and unpredictable environments. Mobile cobots are finding use in warehouse and material delivery applications.<\/span><\/p>\n

Benefits of Using Cobots<\/span><\/h2>\n

Forward-thinking manufacturing<\/a> companies are exploring the potential of cobots for many reasons. Chief among these are:<\/span><\/p>\n