2023-07-20 08:15:10
In recent years, several large groups have turned to cobots to complete their installations and automate their factories. There are several reasons for this change.
In terms of automation, large groups have long been oriented towards industrial robots traditional, complex and expensive to implement, requiring the intervention of a specialized engineer. However, in recent years, a large number are now turning to collaborative robots (cobots). What are the reasons for this change?
Cobots are complementary to traditional robotics installations
Large industrial groups will always need traditional robots because they are an essential element in the majority of production spaces. However, the constant search for automation flexibility remains a goal for companies. Being able to be integrated very quickly into a production line, cobots do not require significant modifications to the workflow. Their small footprint on the ground makes it possible to integrate them into smaller spaces. Most cobots are also secure, allowing the employee to work in the same environment, without the need for a cage.
More interestingly, cobots can be used to work with traditional industrial robots. For example, Stellantis, one of the world’s leading car manufacturers, has been using cobots for several years. In Italy, the company already had a very elaborate factory, equipped with traditional robots. In this highly automated environment, the plant now uses cobots to maximize oil pan production. This has improved quality and safety, but also reduced downtime on the line to zero.
The shortage of labor forces us to rethink the attractiveness of jobs
Large companies are not immune to the growing labor shortage affecting the industrial sector. In this context, organizations must redouble their efforts to attract and retain workers. Moreover, a recent study by the Banque de France underlines that large companies have the furthest to go in terms of retention and attractiveness.
Although cobots can help companies increase their productivity and efficiency, they also and above all have a profound impact on working conditions by relieving operators of tedious and repetitive tasks by creating safer working environments. At the same time, they free up time for employees to take care of higher value-added tasks and offer them the opportunity to gain skills. It’s quite common to see employees give their cobot a nickname and it’s often the operator who comes up with new uses for collaborative automation in the factory. At a time when recruiting qualified employees is proving increasingly difficult, this gives large companies an opportunity to attract and retain their talents.
A trend towards modularity and increased flexibility on the production line
Cobots have unique characteristics that traditional industrial robots do not have. They are specifically designed to have a simple user interface, which means that programming knowledge is usually not required. Suspended from the ceiling, mounted on a rolling cart or even placed on an autonomous mobile robot (AMR), cobots offer unparalleled flexibility: they are easily moved from one workspace to another and just as easy to reprogram. to perform a multitude of tasks according to production needs.
Large companies are therefore turning to more modular approaches to production. This phenomenon is growing as the latter respond to a growing demand for personalization and more uncertain market conditions. This is driving global companies to rethink their automation and supply chain, which comes with new approaches to factory layouts.
Industrial innovation has created new opportunities for cobotics
Since the invention of cobots, new industrial technologies have developed at a frenetic pace. In recent years, for example, the machine learning and artificial intelligence have initiated a transformation of industrial automation. Large companies are now in the best position to exploit these new capacities, for example by combining cobotics and machine learning to detect industrial defects very early in the manufacturing process and thus improve efficiency. This promising combination will pave the way for new applications that were previously thought impossible.
Cobotics, a solution adapted to companies of all sizes
Finally, large companies are turning to cobots for the same reasons as other companies (TPE and SME): cobots allow companies to reduce downtime and even to work in masked time or in staggered hours (24 hours 24 and 7 days a week). No matter how long the process takes, thanks to their precision and repeatability, cobots increase yields while ensuring more stable production quality. The result – and this remains the sinews of war – a return on investment (ROI) among the fastest in the industry.
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