Cobots
Intro
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It's incredible how much cobots can do. Manufacturers restricted robots to manufacturing halls for a long time, but that has changed. With innovation and the rapid pace of technological advancement catalyzed by competition, you could soon have cobots in your shop to replace the CNC.
What’s more, you don’t need much space, which is good news for small and medium-sized businesses—especially those in woodwork and welding. Cobots’ accuracy, acceleration, and deceleration capabilities are top-notch.
What’s a Cobot?
Cobots is a cojoined word for collaborative robots. As you might already know, these are simple to program and operate. They work in the same space as humans and are integrated with sensors to stop when they sense an obstacle or person. That makes them safe to use.
Cobots are currently helping surgeons operate, working with laborers in manufacturing spaces, welders, and most recently in woodwork. While exceptional woodwork projects have character and a human touch, cobots could assist in the repetitive unsafe tasks such as sanding, as we will see later on.
Cobots could also be used in plants to move the hot glass, pack shipping containers, and move ware around the plant.
You could even use a cobot for 3D printing. You have to place the desired object on the cobot’s working space, scan it, and program the cobot to print it. Cobots with their robotic arms and several axes can quickly do a complex 3D print that is bigger than the printer.
A Brief History of Cobots and Robots
The first industrial robot was invented and implemented by GM in 1961. They used it to lift hot metal, which was dangerous for humans, and doing it manually with the crane was very difficult.
Cobots in Medicine
In medicine, cobots are customized to locate tumors, which can be in hard-to-reach areas and radiate just that area. A patient, therefore, doesn’t need to have complete body chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which tend to have severe side effects and weaken the body.
In surgery
Patients have attested that a robot replaces their knees or body parts. The physician maps the body part needing a replacement with a CT scan. The robot then stabilizes and does all the work the physician observes to make sure the robot doesn’t mess up! Thus, it reduces the healing time for patients.
Woodwork Procedures Cut Short
Cobots can do those tedious tasks effectively without tiring. Joinery and the design of furniture are examples of this. When you use cobots, your existing assets (your time and effort) are better used!
Sanding
Manufacturers complain that sanding employees either don’t show or are overworked to the point that their lungs are filled with sawdust and that they get tendonitis. There is also the danger of carpal tunnel and other repetitive stress injuries. There is also the challenge of finding workers for these tasks because your average sander or welder is a baby boomer, almost retiring.
Better than CNC?
A large CNC can do slab flattening, but a couple of these collab robots could do the flattening, initial sanding, and potentially rough shaping, all automated. Depending on the lift capacity, they could flip it too. That could all happen while you are working on bases or other detailed work. Cobots could be a game-changer for small/medium-sized business shops to increase productivity.
Wrapping Up
It is an exciting time for makers of any type as cobots that do 3D printing, woodwork, and surgery are becoming more affordable and easier to use. Future generations of woodworkers will use these machines alongside traditional tools like table saws, jointers, and hand planes.
Are you interested in buying at least one cobot? You might want to go to the AWFS and see collaborative robots in action.
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