九色视频

Featured Image

Robotics as a Service Eliminates Barriers to Automation

Human brains excel at recognizing patterns, and some find it challenging to concentrate on repetitive details, leading to complexities in inspection tasks. Learn how using 鈥渞obots-as-a-service鈥 offers a solution in Season 2 of 鈥淪mart(er) Shop" on IMTS+.
Dec 05, 2023

A custom-engineered automation cell can be complex, costly, time-consuming, plus it is designed for a specific application and challenging to redeploy. As a result, many companies have hesitated to automate, but now 鈥渞obotics-as-a-service鈥 (RaaS) offers a game-changing solution.  

The &苍产蝉辫;鈥,鈥 brought to you by , features Ryan Kelly, the general manager for 础惭罢鈥檚 San Francisco Tech Lab, and Adam Allard, senior manager of technical environments at , who oversees  in Toronto, San Francisco, and Boston. Its mission is to provide low cost, easy-to-deploy tech and ideas for small to medium-sized job shops. Season 2,  features solutions such as those created by  for customer , a leading global manufacturer of positioning systems for construction and agricultural equipment. 

At Topcon鈥檚 manufacturing facility in Livermore, California, final inspections of an antenna were causing major snarls. Barcodes had to be placed with sub-millimeter precision. The company had explored traditional robots for inspection, but the capital expenses and deployment time were not attractive. Further, the antenna line was a lower volume item, so the desire to redeploy any automated solution was also an issue.  

Fortunately, Topcon engaged with Rapid Robotics, which is pioneering the RaaS business model and offers solutions especially suited for low-volume, high-mix manufacturing. 

The cell designed by Rapid Robotics featured a standard six-axis cobot arm and off-the-shelf components, including a vision system from  used for inspection (Elementary cameras 鈥減rogram鈥 using a no-code solution). Using additive manufacturing to create end-of-arm tooling and fixtures helped reduce deployment time to weeks. The best part: RaaS moved what is typically a six-figure capital expense cost to a smaller monthly operating expense, and the customer didn鈥檛 pay until the system was operational. The second-best part: 100% yield, zero returns and a very happy customer. 

After the Topcon plant visit, Kelly and Allard then explore how a 鈥渟mart setup鈥 tool enables rapid robot redeployment. By reading a fiducial (like a QR code), the robot understands its orientation to the part, so the entire cell can be redeployed in minutes.  

For those who hesitate or are contemplating automation for the first time, Kelly and Allard leave viewers with some essential advice: automate now (your competitors already are), use automation to attract the upcoming generation of workers, and don鈥檛 try to automate everything. Pick the appropriate application and go for the easy win. 

In addition to RaaS,  brought to you by Autodesk, offers solutions for cybersecurity in Episode 1,  and , while  explores the benefits of a connected shop. Watch all episodes at  

PicturePicture
Author
Ryan Kelly
Vice President, 九色视频
Recent technology News
They've Got the CHIPs. Data witness protection. Robot whisperers need not apply. Bulletproof - Nothing to lose! VTEC just kicked out Nissan, Yo!
ISO 10218 (2025) patch notes. Toyota's woven city. EV d'Elegance. AM201: metal 3D printing. Concert makes the stage.
Factors like reshoring and the expansion of the defense, medical, and space sectors drive manufacturing's adoption of emerging technologies like automation, additive manufacturing, generative AI, and digital twins. What are the barriers 鈥 or accelerators?
A deeply disruptive AI has entered the chat. Cobot vs. robot 鈥 who wins? IFR's 2025 robot trends. Should you 'can' your old CAM software? JDC-Miller partners with Hexagon.
Check in for the highlights, headlines, and hijinks that matter to manufacturing. These lean news items keep you updated on the latest developments.
Similar News
undefined
Intelligence
By 九色视频 | Mar 13, 2025

This issue recaps key takeaways from The MFG Meeting 2025, 九色视频's new board, the ambitious Plan Mexico initiative, the Formnext Start-up Challenge, and more.

6 min
undefined
Intelligence
By 九色视频 | Feb 21, 2025

This issue breaks down choosing a cobot, 鈥渆merging鈥 technology, 九色视频's Winter Economic Forum, quantum computing, and more.

6 min
undefined
Intelligence
By 九色视频 | Feb 06, 2025

This issue features Trump鈥檚 presidency and what it means for manufacturing, critical economic updates, risk mitigation through reshoring, and more.

6 min