New Engineering Works installed their first cobot in 2016 and has purchased 6 cobots within a span of 18 months. The company has a small and large components division, with collaborative robots being perfect for the small components division.
Each of the cobots fit perfectly between 2 CNC machines, occupying limited space on the shop floor while facilitating the tending of 12 CNC machines at a time. They are as easy as using a smartphone – hassle-free, and easy to program and set up. The workers have learnt to operate UR cobots with no prior training.
New Engineering Works has seen a 40% growth in production since deployment of cobots in their manufacturing plant. The manufacturer is now able to run 24x7, thanks to cobots enabling a third 8-hour shift, thereby skyrocketing their productivity. The cobots work side-by-side with humans on the shop floor, enabling safe and efficient production. The installation of cobots has led to automation of processes and reduced the cost per component.
“Investing in cobots does not mean I am letting go of my workforce – rather, I am training them to deliver more meaningful work like quality checks, handle Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs), and inspection,” said Managing Partner at New Engineering Works, Binod Kumar Agarwal, who can now explore more business opportunities. He encourages more SMEs to include cobots in their manufacturing processes: “Cobots opens up a lot more opportunities, they are affordable for the small-scale industry and deliver a great ROI.”
