Cobots and the Future of Plastics Product Manufacturing
Overview
As the plastics product manufacturing industry moves swiftly towards advanced automation, collaborative robots, or 'cobots,' are expected to play a pivotal role. This guide delves into the integration of cobots in the industry, highlighting the expected growth, benefits, and safety involved. It also introduces California-based 3Laws Robotics, a company at the forefront of developing innovative software to enhance safety and reliability for robotics systems.
Growth of Cobots in Plastic Manufacturing
Increasingly, cobots have found their place in plastics product manufacturing. According to a study by Universal Robots, there was a 50% increase in cobot installations in the plastics and polymers industry in 2019. Researchers at Interact Analysis forecasted the global market for cobots to hit $7.5 billion by 2027, with a projected CAGR of over 30% throughout the forecast period, demonstrating the rapid uptake of cobots across various industrial platforms.
Benefits of Cobots in Plastic Manufacturing
Significantly, cobots offer manifold benefits in the plastics manufacturing environment, particularly regarding costs, productivity, and flexibility. According to a MyRobotics study, 85% of tasks performed in a typical production line can be automated using collaborative robots, leading to significant cost savings. Plus, cobots equipped with vision systems can achieve a greater than 99.99% defect-free yield, thereby promoting quality and efficiencies.
Safety and Cobots in Plastic Manufacturing
Equally critical to the use of cobots in plastic manufacturing is safety. A study by the Robotic Industries Association found that over 80% of accidents involving robots result from unforeseen situations. Hence the industry demands advanced safety features and certifications, further driving the need for safety-focused services and products like those offered by 3Laws Robotics.
Task Automation and Cobots
The capabilities of cobots extend far beyond basic tasks. A recent study found that cobots can be programmed to perform complex tasks, with up to 90% of plastic manufacturers planning to employ cobots for complex tasks and over 70% planning to automate quality inspection processes with the help of AI-equipped cobots.
Key Takeaways
- Cobots are becoming integral to the plastics manufacturing industry, with rapid growth expected over the coming years.
- They present significant benefits in terms of cost reductions, productivity boosts, and flexible operation.
- Safety is paramount with cobots trouncing traditional robotics in accident occurrences.
- Cobots have the potential to automate complex tasks, clearing the way for unprecedented production efficacy.
About 3Laws Robotics
3Laws Robotics is revolutionizing safe, efficient automation. Focused on addressing certification challenges plaguing robotics companies, 3Laws aims to simplify this process through their software, the 3Laws Supervisor. This software is built on Control Barrier Functions (CBFs), a technology developed at Caltech that assures mathematically provable safety.
3Laws has supported various industry use cases, from fast-tracking warehouse automation to ensuring safe human-robot interaction and navigation in dynamic environments. For instance, they helped one autonomous forklift customer achieve a 40% efficiency gain, leading to a 6-month payback period.
3Laws' technology, compatible with popular robotics middleware like ROS and ROS2, aims to minimize downtime caused by unnecessary e-stops or collisions, providing real-time guardrails for autonomy stacks. This proactive approach to safety can unlock robotics' full potential in dynamic, predictive settings, making 3Laws a leader in next-generation safety solutions. Their software can be safety certified for ISO 3691-4 and ISO 26262, further reinforcing their commitment to safety and innovation.