The Solution
Benchmark tested numerous robot brands but found that UR, the world-leading cobot brand, best met its operational needs. The cobots are easy to program and can work alongside operators safely. The cobots are also highly flexible, enabling the company to easily redeploy and reprogram them for other tasks should there be a change in the production process or timeline.
Although new to robotics, the engineering team was able to program and integrate the cobots into the production line within a few days. The excellent support from their UR distributor, who provided training and advice during the setup process, helped ensure the team embraced the new technology swiftly and effectively.
“Much like my team, I did not have any prior experience with cobots. I learned a lot during the setup process and picked up cobot programming and systems integration in just a few days,” said Project Engineer Udomsak Insome, who initiated the automation project.
During the setup, the engineering team made a risk assessment of the whole process. As the cobot has built-in safety functions, the applications were deemed low risk, and safety guarding was unnecessary, saving the company hefty renovation costs.
Benchmark also found the UR+ platform, a global product platform featuring third-party certified plug-and-play solutions for UR cobots, extremely helpful in acquiring a vision device which quickened the cobot installation.
“Through Universal Robots cobots, we see greater consistency in our production output and minimal human error. We have improved operational efficiency by 25 percent and saved manufacturing space by 10 percent. This will be good for new business opportunities. We are also expected to achieve ROI within 18 months,” said Boonlert Aukkarapichata, Director of Operations at Benchmark Thailand.
The company envisions four more automation projects, which will require more cobots.
To find our more about Universal Robots cobots, visit our UR Cobot page.
