Although collaborative robots, otherwise known as cobots, are still relatively new, their use has been booming in the last few years. Defined as “a class of robots that perform tasks in collaboration with workers in industrial sectors”, they are seen as being more flexible, taking up less floor space, and can work alongside human operators. Contrast this with traditional robots, which need to be separated from human workers using fences or cages. Cobots are also incredibly easy to install, program, or reprogram, making them adaptable to different tasks in a production line. Unsurprisingly, the cobot market reached $981 million in 2020 and is slated to hit $7,172 billion by 2026, as well as $8 billion in 2030.
Most people cite the increased use of cobots, robotics, and AI in manufacturing as a result of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. According to McKinsey, it is defined as “the next phase in the digitization of the manufacturing sector, driven by four disruptions: the astonishing rise in data volumes, computational power, and connectivity, especially new low-power wide-area networks; the emergence of analytics and business-intelligence capabilities; new forms of human-machine interaction such as touch interfaces and augmented-reality systems; and improvements in transferring digital instructions to the physical world, such as advanced robotics and 3-D printing.”
As a result of internet connectivity, Industry 4.0 has also marked a shift from mass production to mass customization. For instance, car buyers can go online to personalize a vehicle, rather than buying standard models. Research has shown that consumers want more of this – so their products can express something fundamentally unique about them. More companies are jumping on this trend and giving their products and services a ‘human touch’, such as Gucci, Unspun, Nike, and Sergio Rossi. This means manufacturers need to handle more variations in their production lines, as well as allow for shorter life cycles and smaller batch sizes. This is where cobots come in.
Manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that only have around 9-249 employees, face many challenges when it comes to running their production efficiently and competitively. This makes cobots ideal for them. Unsurprisingly, SMEs remain a significant market driver when it comes to utilizing cobots in manufacturing. Despite their small size, SMEs are vital to the economy, as they drive innovation, are at the forefront of new technologies and trends, as well as support local communities.
Here are a few problems an SME might encounter, and how cobots can help mitigate these issues.
Shortage of employees
A shortage of employees remains an overarching problem in manufacturing, with the COVID-19 pandemic doing nothing to improve this. In the Netherlands alone, 34% of entrepreneurs admit that finding qualified personnel is their biggest obstacle when it comes to operating a business. As most of the workforce tends to be 55 years or older, most of them are set to retire. However, with not enough young staff added, this has ended up creating a shortage.
Millennials and Gen Zers also tend to prefer working in a modern, digital work environment. As they have grown up with technology, most of them have high expectations when it comes to digitization and automation. This is difficult for SMEs to implement, due to their high upfront costs and complexity to install. As such, cobots can make up for the staff shortage by taking more repetitive and mundane tasks off human workers. This allows the production line to be more efficient and productive. Moreover, their low(er) upfront costs in comparison to their traditional counterparts and ease of operations make them a better cost-effective solution for SMEs.
Supply issues
The COVID-19 pandemic has no doubt disrupted the global supply chain, widening the time between production and orders. The employee shortage has also contributed to this problem as well. Due to this, more customers are looking for local suppliers instead of those overseas. Cobots are a fantastic way for SMEs to ramp up production without incurring large costs, allowing them to supply products in a speedy and timely fashion.
Floor Space
Traditional industrial robots found in manufacturing plants tend to take up a large area. This does not include the barriers and safety guarding cages added. However, it is not a problem as the factories tend to be large, with an entire floor dedicated to only producing a particular product.
For SMEs, factory space is a critical asset. Due to their smaller production lines, it is not realistic for them to build facilities around a single robot. Moreover, SMEs tend towards high-mix-low-volume (HMLV) manufacturing, meaning they manufacture unique and complex products in small quantities. Therefore, it is not practical for SMEs to use industrial robots that have to be redesigned and reprogrammed. Cobots, being smaller and more compact, can be mounted almost anywhere – on ceilings, walls, or tracks. They also only need to be transported by a single worker and are safe enough to not be separated from human employees.
Quality control/improvement
Quality control and testing continue to be essential for any production line. Doing so ensures tasks remain standardized. Products are less likely to have defects or errors, and customers are less likely to return them. Reducing waste reduces the overall costs needed to make these items. However, human employees are prone to making mistakes, especially when the job is tedious. Cobots are often used instead, with sensors and cameras allowing them to find errors that might not be easily detectable to humans.
Remaining competitive
Staying competitive in an increasingly connected world remains a challenge for many companies. Globally, all manufacturers are looking to increase their output while cutting costs. As such, automation and digitization are increasingly being sought after. While huge manufacturing plants can make do with large industrial robots and automated assembly lines, SMEs cannot. This means that SMEs have been slightly left behind in the industry in previous years.
On the other hand, cobots are ideally suited to help SMEs in this regard. By being relatively cheaper and easier to implement, cobots can speed up production in a cost-effective way. Cobots are also flexible and adaptable enough to work on a wide range of applications. These include all way from material handling, to packaging, and pick and place. Meaning that as soon as a gap in the assembly line is available, a cobot can immediately fill it in. Industrial robots do not have this kind of capability. Research has further shown that manufacturing processes are more efficient and faster when humans and robots work together, allowing SMEs to remain competitive with their larger counterparts.
