8 benefits of standardized robots

Traditionally, CNC automation solutions were often custom and one-offs. Although promising an outcome tailor-made to an application can be tantalizing, it also can make choosing the right investment in robotics for the machining industry very difficult and risky.

The evolution of technology and capabilities, coupled with increased acceptance of automation, has brought to market a frequently better alternative: the purpose-built (for CNC machine tending) standardized robotic system.

These standardized solutions allow shop owners to sleep peacefully, knowing they have invested in a system specifically designed to be flexible in the most beneficial manner for CNC machine tending and so operators don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time they take on a new project. Mainly, machine shops are investing in standardized solutions to take advantage of eight key benefits.

Equipment make: RoboJob-USAEquipment model: Turn-Assist 200iCNC machine make: Haas Automation Inc.CNC machine model: ST-20SSCNC machine model year: 2012Shifts per day: oneShifts per week: fiveProductivity increase: 42%Uninterrupted production time: 13 hoursTotal parts produced: 130

1. A reduced timeline from the purchase order to parts. A purpose-built machine is generally ready to “partner” with your CNC machine tool right away and join the effort in producing parts and expanding capacity. These systems have a very short setup window and commonly require little to no development to start. This makes for a more immediate realization of the benefit, especially when most machining operations are filled with jobs and short on staff.

2. Low risk. Since a standard system typically is built with a focus on CNC machine tending applications by engineers with machining experience, the likelihood of an immediately successful integration is much higher. Couple that with the expertise gained through regular deployment of the same design in the field, and you have a solution that largely has eliminated the potential ghosts of even the best-intended and -designed custom solutions.