Establishing Whether Your Business Needs a Mobile Cobot

Experts say that mobile collaborative robots will be more effective compared to standard collaborative cobots. Mobile cobots, currently being touted as the next big thing in the world of collaborative robotics are already in the market.

Some businesses have already incorporated them in their operations. However, it is important to establish whether mobile cobots are appropriate for your business. Investing in a mobile cobot without a clear strategy on how it will enhance your processes is not a good idea. Below is how to determine whether your business needs them.

A primary mobile cobot comes with a collaborative robot manipulator fixed at the mobile autonomous base. It offers all the benefits of the two technologies complete with extra advantages of mobile manipulation.

While some of the benefits of mobile collaborative robots may seem promising, it’s important to understand whether they are ideal for your specific situation. Entrepreneurs should ask themselves; will mobility enhance the performance of your industrial robots for your specific operations?

While there are cheaper solutions to implement for the same benefits that mobile cobots offer, some applications can be highly enhanced by giving your robot more mobility.

What are some of the Situations that can gain from more Mobility?

Below are situations where a mobile collaborative robot can outdo a standard industrial robot.

• A Variety of Small Automation Tasks

Collaborative robots come with added agility, making them reuse for new tasks. This enables operators to navigate cobots between multiple tasks daily. However, transferring the cobot requires human input. Do you navigate your robot between numerous tasks every day? Probably you should consider adopting a mobile base.  

• Small Batch Sizes

What batch sizes does your robot process? If it processes large batches, it is probable that a single task will take up the entire day. If this is your situation, then a mobile base will not be a valuable investment for your business. If your robot processes small batches regularly, it is an indication that it changes between tasks frequently. In such a situation, your business could benefit from adopting a mobile robot.

• Pick, Place, and Transport

Pick and place tasks are some of the most popular for cobots. Collaborative robots are utilized for picking items from one place and placing them in another place in preparation for transportation. A mobile collaborative robot could come in handy if your drop off area is far from the pickup area.

• Large Workspaces

Large workspaces are common in the logistics industry, which is also a big robotic adoption driver. Currently, there are various mobile cobots that are specially designed to cater for logistics applications. If your robot executes tasks within large areas, you should consider enhancing its mobility

• Entirely Automated Workflow

Many cobot operators want to combine their manual tasks executed by human workers with robotic tasks. Collaborative robots are structured operate with humans in the same workspace. You may want to change an entire process to collaborative robot automation.

To accomplish an entirely automated workflow, you should automate the transportation of products from one workstation to the other, and your business can benefit from adopting a mobile base.

Evaluating Your Application for a Mobile Collaborative Robot

Do you think a mobile cobot will help your business scale? The following guidelines will help you establish how appropriate a mobile cobot is for your workplace.

• Write Down the Number of Tasks the Cobot Could Execute

Mobility is more effective if a robot navigates between various tasks. Write down all the tasks within your workspace that the cobot would handle.  

• Analyze Every Task to Establish Cobot Appropriateness

Not every task is appropriate for collaborative robots. Entrepreneurs should analyze each task to determine whether they could be completed using a cobot.

• Establish How Long Switchover Takes

Collaborative robots cut down the time required to switchover between tasks. Find out how long your cobot takes to change from one task to the other. Consider the time that the robot stays stationary after completing one task. If switchovers are prolonged, then you may want to consider adding a mobile base to your cobot.

Finally

Before investing in a mobile cobot, you need to exhaust all the available options for enhancing the performance of your existing collaborative robot. Mobile cobots will soon become popular within the workspace. However, you need to ensure they are suitable for your specific tasks.

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