COBOTS IN THE INDUSTRY.
There are many reasons to implement a collaborative robot or “cobot” from Universal Robots. Manufacturers love their flexibility and ease-of-use, and that they provide the fastest payback in the industry at only 195 days. But cobots from Universal Robots continue to bring significant value for years to come—long after that initial payback period.
A survey of our users reveals that despite being put through heavy-duty cycles year after year, the cobots are still running strong, in applications that include pick-and-place, gluing, welding, and assembly, and machine-tending.
Lars Bak, plant manager at gear manufacturer BJ Gear
“Six years after we bought our first robot, it is still in operation 14 hours a day, feeding pieces into a lathe, a cutter, and a washing machine. The robot has had two joint replacements over the years, but we keep extra joints in stock and can easily exchange the joint by ourselves. Our UR5 has proven to be an incredibly stable robot. We have not experienced any downtime with it despite putting it through high duty cycles for so many years.
“After having successfully installed the machine-tending application, we bought another UR5 five years ago to automate the spray painting of gear wheels. The robot is used even on small series down to five workpieces each. It is in continuous operation 6 hours a day, spray painting an ever-expanding array of gear wheels. We have had one joint replacement on it in five years. I’m very happy with the longevity of these robots.”
