Cobots vs. Robots
At the pace of automation and robotization, the way people work together with robots is becoming increasingly important. There are many different robotic solutions that are used today. The collaborative robots, or cobots as they are often called, increasingly have a larger role in all kinds of industries and sectors. But what is the difference between such a cobot and an industrial robot?
Working with people
Industrial robots are generally large machines for production with large heavy objects and high speeds. Due to fast movements of the robot’s arm, industrial robots can pose safety risks to employees. That is why industrial robots have to be shielded with fencing, which means that they quickly take up more space and are less flexible.
Cobots are collaborative robots, which means that this robot works together with people. They operate at a slower speed and are equipped with safety sensors, which allow them to stop if they encounter something. In addition, cobots typically have a payload in the range of 3-16 kg, where that of industrial robots can be more than 1,000 kg. All this ensures that they do not have to be shielded and that they can therefore work safely with people.
An industrial robot performs tasks without human interaction, however, some tasks are too complex for robots. Cobots assist an operator by speeding up and accurately performing tasks or taking over monotonous or tedious work, the more complex tasks can then be left to the human operator. As a result, cobots contribute to higher productivity and more efficiency.
Easy programmable
A cobot is easy to program and does not require great knowledge or experience with robotics. An operator can manipulate the arms of a cobot and thus go through the process. The cobot then learns the steps and can then do it itself. As a result, a cobot is very flexible and versatile to use and can also easily be reprogrammed for different tasks, unlike an industrial robot.
The correct gripper
In addition to choosing between a cobot and an industrial robot, it is also important that the correct gripper is used. A robot cannot do any work itself without the right grippers or sensors. There are many different types of grippers. Twin-Tech Engineering offers many standard grippers, but offers customization as well. With cobots it is important that the grippers do not have too large a mass, since this is at the expense of the payload, which is already a lot lower with cobots. For industrial robots, that makes less of a difference. Also, a gripper for a robot does not have to be designed for collaborative safety, since the robot still works shielded. With both industrial robots and cobots, it is also possible to switch between different grippers. This can be done automatically or manually.
Industriële robots vs. Cobots
Twin-Tech Engineering
The choice for a cobot or an industrial robot depends on the situation and there is therefore no clear way to categorize the choice. The best approach is to properly analyze the technical challenge. Twin-Tech Engineering can help you with this, by discussing the issue and advising you. We will see which robot suits you best and which gripper will have to be used. We have both standard setups and customer-specific possibilities. We design the best robot setup for you with the right gripper, so your process is as optimal and efficient as possible.
