Making precision medical components with cobots
Medical equipment makers have been scrambling to stock up on supplies due to COVID-19, leading to a global spike in demand for precision components. Netherlands-based RM Precision Machine Co., has seen a massive increase in demand for its respiratory components, which prompted a company decision to run all its machines 24/7, rather than the usual 8/5. To ensure round-the-clock operations on its CNC machine, the company installed a UR10 cobot. The move has proven a success, resulting in a massive reduction in the turnaround time from order to production –down from an average of two months to just 2 weeks.
The UR10's ease of use was a major factor in allowing RM Precision to handle the sudden jump in production, with the company's CNC-Progammer and Miller, Daniel van Voorthuizen, noting that after staff completed a short online UR Academy course, “the robot was up and running in no time.”