Cobot’s are robots designed to work side by side with humans on the plant floor and currently there is a boom in the collaborative robot market.
However, there are two common adjustments customers make that effectively change their cobot to a robot.
- The gripper or end effector of the robot does not meet the safety criteria for a cobot. If this add on device is not as safe as the robot then additional safety devices must be added and you effectively have just another robot. For example: If you put a flamethrower, or other dangerous tool on the end of a cobot it ceases to become a cobot.
- If the standard default collaborative speed or force settings are over ridden your cobot becomes just another robot. This happens in some cases when a customer realizes they don’t have the speed they need to achieve their cycle time requirements.
Should this be a reason not to purchase a cobot? Absolutely not, when you purchase a cobot you usually get the benefits of a robot at no extra charge along with future added flexibility. Just be aware that the cobot you take out of the box may need to be treated like a robot if you make changes like those above.