As robots gain prevalence in manufacturing, emphasizing their safe use is vital. This includes understanding safety features, challenges, and best practices across all robot types, such as industrial, collaborative (cobots), autonomous mobile (AMRs), and humanoid robots, to navigate their complexities effectively.

VICTOR, NY—New Scale Robotics has been named an authorized systems integrator (ASI) for FANUC America Corp., enabling the company to more effectively use its Q-Span automated gauging technology in conjunction with FANUC’s collaborative robots.

No robot can replace a person, but they can handle dull, dangerous, or repetitive tasks, freeing up employees for more fulfilling work. Businesses need to embrace robotics to efficiently adapt to production cycles and address supply chain backlogs and labor shortages.

Manufacturing automation is on the rise, offering quality control workers a career advantage. Stefan Friedrich of New Scale Robotics notes that as manufacturers embrace automation, it becomes more user-friendly, aiding new workers in using robots and software effectively.

Automation helps move skilled workers from repetitive tasks to more important roles, experts say. It’s essential to train them to use these new technologies properly.

In a domain where microns and millimeters matter, efficient quality inspection and metrology processes can make the difference between consistent, successful production runs and labor-intensive failures.

The phenomenal rise of collaborative automation systems over the past decade or so has seen collaborative technologies deployed on a growing number of quality control applications. Collaborative automation enables companies of all sizes to improve throughput and reduce cycle times on inspection tasks.

Manufacturers often look at collaborative robots, or cobots, as an ideal way to enhance production efficiency, with human workers and automation working closely together.

Over the last few years, collaborative robotics has come to the fore as a way to increase manufacturing flexibility and improve ROI. When considering a human-robot collaborative workcell, we explicitly incorporate and expect humans to be safely working close to and/or interacting with the robot during operation. 

Collaborative robots, or cobots, help humans and robots work together safely. Small, medium and large companies are increasingly choosing these human-friendly versions over traditional industrial robots, which are complex to use and are typically relegated to safety cages.