Mark Thompson, business development manager for Aycliffe-based Cobots Online, on how collaborative robots can work for any business…
As has been heavily publicised over recent months, the UK is suffering from one of the biggest labour shortages in the last few decades, causing significant issues across all walks of life.
Everyone from the hospitality industry, pharmaceuticals to engineering and manufacturing are struggling to get staff and more importantly, skilled staff.
Coupled with impending minimum wage increases, inflated shipping and material costs, how are businesses in Newton Aycliffe and the North-East going to remain competitive and stay ahead of the competition?
In an ideal world you’d look to find a solution that would maximise the productivity of your core staff, prioritise them on the higher skilled and more engaging tasks and back them up with operatives who can be trained to do the more repetitive tasks and do it at a minimal cost, but in the current situation that can’t be possible… or can it?
How about having a quick-learning skilled operative that’s been proven to work 24/7/365 without breaks, holidays, pay, sickness and never has to isolate with Covid and all paid up within 12-18 months?
Sound like a fairy tale? A story to put troubled HR managers and managing directors to sleep at night after a staffing nightmare? It sounds like you need to talk to Cobots Online!
Cobots – or Collaborative robots – are the next big thing in terms of answering the labour shortage problem for small bespoke businesses.
The next opportunity to consider is whether a cobot could work in your business.
The first question to ask is do you have one of the following repetitive tasks in your business?
• Loading/unloading a machine
• Packing boxes/palletising boxes
• Checking of pieces/parts
• Picking & placing of parts
• Screwdriving/bolting/sticking/welding
• Polishing/sanding/grinding
One thing to remember is that a cobot can work well doing one operation thousands of times, or a thousand operations 50 times, and doesn’t get tired.
The second question to ask is, could your business benefit from allowing your skilled staff to focus on their key skilled tasks and having something else doing the necessary arduous labour to back up these skills?
The third question to ask is are you aware a fully integrated cobot solution can be installed for as little as £50-60,000 and that if you’re an SME, currently you may be able to get 25-30 per cent of the capital costs paid by grant funding?
The last question is simple, when are you talking to Cobots Online?
Cobots Online is a family business with family values, based on Aycliffe Business Park and focused on bringing the benefits of cobots to the north of the UK.
Get in touch if you’d like to learn more.
Mark Thompson
Business development manager, Cobots Online
E: [email protected]
Tel: 01325 313377