{"id":2709,"date":"2020-05-12T07:35:12","date_gmt":"2020-05-12T11:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/robodk.com\/blog\/?p=2709"},"modified":"2021-01-28T18:12:21","modified_gmt":"2021-01-28T23:12:21","slug":"choose-robot-manufacturing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/robodk.com\/blog\/choose-robot-manufacturing\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Choose a Robot for Manufacturing Without Wasting Time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Don’t know how to pick a robot for your manufacturing business?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overwhelmed by all the many models and brands?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concerned robots will waste your time?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

There are so many industrial robots on the market, with more and more coming out all the time. Every year, dozens of robot manufacturers bring out newer, better models. An entirely new category of industrial robot even arrives on the scene once every few years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nobody’s got enough time to search through all those robots!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So\u2026 how do you find the right one for your needs?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like most manufacturers, you’re probably considering a robot because you’re already lacking time. It just doesn’t make sense to then waste time researching them all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, there is a way to speed up your robot-selection process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the right process and some handy software tools, you can find the best robot for your manufacturing needs with a minimum of fuss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We Don’t Have Enough Time to Invest in Robotics Now<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tell me if this sounds familiar\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You consider investing in a new technology for your business, thinking “This could improve productivity!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, you start to do some research online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The search brings up pages and pages of results \u2014 some of them look promising, some look useless, and some look confusing. You start to read a few and you find that there are so many more factors to consider about this technology that you didn’t even know about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You suddenly realize that this decision to use this new technology is going to take a lot more of your time than you had originally anticipated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a very common situation with robotics. There are so many factors to consider and many of them are entirely unfamiliar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There Are Too Many Sources of Information<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It’s not that robotics is too complicated. In fact, with the right information robotics can be quite simple. You can get up and running reasonably quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The real problem is that there are too many sources of information about robotics. This is a type of “information overload,” which has been shown to<\/a> cause real productivity damage to companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every robot manufacturer has a vested interest in you reading their website for information on which robot to choose. After all, if you read their information, you’re more likely to buy their robot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As intelligent buyers, we know that we need to read information from many suppliers to build up a better picture\u2026 but that wastes our valuable time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The solution is to decide your robot brand and model before you start to read any robot manufacturer’s website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you decide which robot to choose if you don’t read the manufacturer’s website?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You need a clear process and a few useful software tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What You Need to Buy a Robot Correctly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are several components you may need to purchase when buying a robot, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. The robot itself.<\/li>
  2. The end effector.<\/li>
  3. The robot controller and power supply (likely from the robot supplier).<\/li>
  4. Any extra sensors or safety equipment required.<\/li>
  5. Programming software.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    This can seem quite a lot at first. However, consider how many cables and peripherals you need to get a desktop computer to work (I count 9 on my computer). Technologies often require some extras to get them working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The key to choosing a robot for manufacturing is to follow a clear, impartial selection process. That way, the purchase doesn’t have to be complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    At RoboDK we’re manufacturer-independent, so this website is a pretty good place to start your search for a robot. We also have some helpful software tools that can help you with your decision, which I’ll introduce below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    6 Steps to Pick a Robot for Manufacturing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Here are 6 steps to get you starting picking a robot without wasting time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Nail Down Your Task<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Before you even think about researching robot models, take a bit of time to really clarify the task you want to give to your robot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There should be no ambiguity about what the robot will be doing. Those people who will be working alongside the robot should agree on the robot’s task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Clarify the Task Steps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    With the task “nailed down,” itemize all of the steps that the robot will take to complete it. Start to think about factors that will affect the size and other specifications of the robot, e.g. the distances between different steps and the weight of objects the robot will have to manipulate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Identify the Required Robot Properties<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Now comes the time when you can start thinking about what type of robot you will need and what properties it will require to carry out the task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Key properties for robots include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n