The OB7 Cobot Makes it Easy to Maintain Social Distancing on the Shop Floor
The spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus has manufacturers all over the U.S. scrambling to figure out ways to protect their employees and still maintain production schedules. Absolute Machine Tools is dedicated to supplying businesses with the tools they need to meet these new challenges, including several innovative automation solutions, such as the OB7 collaborative robot (cobot).
Social distancing is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Maintaining safe social distancing can be difficult, especially in smaller machine shops and facilities where space is at a premium.
More and more machine shops are discovering that cobots and other types of automation provide a cost-effective solution to protect their workers from being infected or spreading the COVID-19 virus. Cobots allow companies to increase workplace distancing between employees without sacrificing production.
Advantages of the OB7 Cobot
Built in the U.S. by Productive Robotics, the OB7 represents the latest generation of collaborative robots, or cobots. Designed to integrate into existing production lines seamlessly, the OB7 can perform a wide range of operations, from welding and cutting to painting and assembly, without the need to be fenced them off or otherwise distanced from their human coworkers.
The seven-axis robot arm provides more freedom of movement and articulation, greatly expanding the scope and range of the jobs it can perform. Moving like a human arm, it can go where other robotic arms can’t, reaching around objects and maneuvering in tight spaces.
The OB7 is compatible with most grippers and end of arm tooling; it comes equipped with a PRI parallel electric gripper that’s ideal for hundreds of production applications.
Since they require no coding or programming, OB7 cobots are easy to set up and put to work. To teach the OB7 new tasks, shop personnel simply drop and drag tiles from a dashboard menu on the control tablet interface to describe a job function. These instructions can be saved for future use and modified as needed.
The OB7 cobot can be utilized for a wide range of applications, including:
- CNC
- Packaging
- Fabrication
- Adhesive application
- Work assistant
- Lab testing
- Cleanroom work
- Assembly
- Screw driving
- Inspection
- Unpacking
- Kitting
- Machine tending
Support includes ongoing software updates to enhance the cobots’ connectivity, expedite efficient integration with other equipment, and facilitate real-time status monitoring with email and text alerts.
The OB7 gives businesses a more comprehensive range of options for creating a COVID safe workplace. It allows them to put more space between employees, reducing the risk of infection. And the OB7’s ability to operate 24/7 provides more staffing and scheduling options without sacrificing production output.
The OB7 starts at only $34,900. Its ability to perform a variety of jobs and operate 24/7 provides businesses with a rapid ROI.
Absolute Machine Tools Helps Your Business Adapt
For over 25 years, Absolute Machine Tools has provided some of the most heavy-duty, accurate, and productive machines in the industry. We’ve built our reputation on exemplary applications engineering, service, customer support, comprehensive training, and effective preventive maintenance programs. Absolute Machine Tools specializes in providing total engineering assistance for custom-tailored automation, including robotics and turnkey machining solutions.
Adjusting a machine shop or other manufacturing facility to accommodate the changes demanded by COVID-19 can be quite the undertaking. In light of the current pandemic recommendations for social distancing to reduce the spread of COVID-19, automation is playing a more vital role in machining operations than ever before. If you’re assessing ways to make your facility safer and more productive, the OB7 cobot may be just what you’re looking for.
To learn how our line of Productive Robotics products OB7 line cobots can keep workers safe while reducing manufacturing costs, contact Absolute Machine Tools, Inc. at info@absolutemachine.com.
