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Cobots are one of the fastest growing areas of the industrial automation sector. While collaborative robots have rapidly gained popularity in recent years, many companies are still yet to work with cobots and take full advantage of the benefits they have to offer. 

In 2023, it is increasingly important for manufacturing environments to be more agile in order to accommodate high-mix low-volume production. Cobots give companies the flexibility needed, and through user-friend software, the ability to easily convert to another task or production department.

Sharing the workspace with cobot coworkers is going to be key in 2023 to make production processes shorter, increase productivity and reduce defect rates. More importantly, cobots can assist your employees to undertake higher-value, challenging work in a safe and enjoyable working environment.  

Here are five reasons why you should work with cobots in 2023:

1. Cobots are easy to program and deploy 

Traditional robots require a considerable amount of knowledge and time to program actions, and often can perform just one task. Cobots on the other hand are easy to install, program and operate without the need for a professional robotic programmer. 

By means of user-friendly software and mobile applications, cobots can learn new actions and automate multiple processes with stored programmes. Many cobots even offer hand-guiding features where a cobot learns by example while being guided through the sequence of movements needed to do the task it is being programmed for. 

Because cobots are so easy to program they can be quickly integrated into the assembly flow. The flexibility that comes with the short deployment of a cobot increases productivity and ROI.

2. Cobots can be used for different applications

One of the main selling points for cobots is the versatility and flexibility they provide to production lines, being easily reprogrammed and redeployed for different tasks as new needs arise. In 2023, a cobot can become your flexible worker who can perform different tasks in different departments.

Cobots fill many roles that can be divided into service and industrial. Service cobots can be used for providing information in public spaces, transporting goods or providing security. Industrial cobots have several applications such as pick and place, packaging and palletising, assembly, machine tending, surface finishing, quality testing and inspection..

A cobot can carry out the same sequence for an entire working week, but can also perform a different task every day should you require it. They are easily integrated into agile systems, allowing workers to quickly respond to manufacturing changes and redeploy the cobot accordingly.

3. Utilise your workforce

There is a common misconception that cobots replace people, when in fact they make employees more valuable. 

Cobots support human workers, executing the tasks that are repetitive, dangerous, dull or prone to error, freeing up operator’s time to focus on more difficult, creative or valuable work. A single employee can manage multiple cobots, which is also a great way to scale production.

Relegating mundane, monotonous tasks to cobots creates a safer, more enjoyable working environment. Thanks to collaborative robots, workforces are strengthened and production departments as a whole become more productive.

4. Improve productivity

Within manufacturing, productivity is key to success. The more productivity can be increased, the more profitable a business becomes. One of the best ways to improve productivity in 2023 is with the help of cobots.

With the correct deployment, a cobot can produce finished goods at a much faster rate than handcrafting or assembly lines. Cobots positively alter the nature of manufacturing, generating new efficiencies between people and machines to optimise processes. They ensure that work is completed with greater accuracy, reduced downtime and a decreasing the risk of worker injury. 

A range of sectors have the potential to boost their performance and product quality while simultaneously lowering their operation costs with the integration of collaborative robots, optimising their use alongside human coworkers.

5. Consistent results

Cobots bring meticulous accuracy and consistency to workspaces, making them suitable for monotonous tasks. They can perform a single action repeatedly without their work quality diminishing. 

A cobot will never deviate from its actions and will perform tasks with the same power for as long as you need them to. For example, if a cobot is tasked with tightening screws, this will always be done with the same tension and pressure, ensuring consistency in quality. 

Start working with cobots today

Collaborative robots are cost-effective, safe and flexible to deploy in any industry, making automation easier than ever before, even for small and mid-sized companies. They provide viable solutions for a wide variety of applications, taking over repetitive and non-ergonomic tasks.

Ready to work with cobots? Contact the Cobots Online team to learn more about automation with collaborative robots and how they can improve your productivity in 2023.