Automation Canada Quarterly Volume 1 Issue 1 - 14

When is a Cobot Right for You?
BY BLAKE MARCHAND

Robots - or more specifically cobots, may or may not be coming for
your job. But they may very well make it easier.
Robotic systems are most commonly utilized in self contained fenced
off configurations with significant safety measures to keep workers
safe, although in recent years cobots have begun increasing market
share.
Automated robotic systems generally take up significant floor space,
are designed for a specific application or product, and require
complex programming to integrate into production. This makes them
lucrative in high-volume, heavily automated production lines. But for
small and medium size operations or low-volume manufacturing,
those systems are likely either too expensive or not flexible enough to
make sense financially.

required movements.
"Configuration software is flowchart-based with standard
drag-and-drop functions. Minutes after unboxing and watching an
introductory video, users can be training a cobot to move. Some cobots
offer multicolor indicator lights letting users know exactly what mode
the cobot is in, while a handheld pendant control interface allows users
to stop and replay preconfigured actions," explains the experts at Allied
Electronics and Automation.

"easy to program,
simple to use"
Stuart Shepherd of Universal Robots adds, "They are easy to program,
simple to use, and some even utilize AI and machine learning to
enhance their performance or usefulness over time."
This cuts into programming cost and set-up time, allowing cobots to be
programmed for quick changeovers. Generally, a cobot can be
programmed for multiple functions, and the tooling at the end of the
arm can be easily switched out for different applications.

On the other side of the industrial robotics spectrum, collaborative
robots (cobots) are smaller, portable, more scalable, more affordable
and can be used alongside operators. Their versatility and relative
affordability increases the ROI (return on investment) potential for
small and medium sized enterprises. Cobots are designed to be user
friendly. They can be programmed with script or visual flowchart
software, as well as by physically guiding the robotic arm through the
C A N A D I A N A U TO M AT I O N

Like robots, cobots are heavily regulated for safety and will require a risk
assessment. Because robots are typically operating at high speeds with
large payloads, they are caged off and equipped with sensors to
protect against human interference and injury. Cobots operate
alongside people so they are regulated for speed and payload and
equipped with various sensors to avoid collisions.
"Cobots are designed to comply with ANSI RIA and ISO safety
requirements and standards. Besides the ability to interlock with
traditional safety sensors, cobots protect nearby humans by using low
inertia force torque limited servo motors, force sensing, elastic
actuators, collision detection and safety-rated axis limits to prevent
injury from contact," note the experts at Allied Electronics and
Automation.
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
14
Automation Canada Quarterly Volume 1 Issue 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automation Canada Quarterly Volume 1 Issue 1
