Why Use Robots for CNC Machine Tending? 

In a previous post I highlighted the difference between CNC Automation and the advantages of Robotic Machine Tending as well as the difference between Basic and Advanced Robot Machine Tending. 

This time let’s take a look at “why” you would want to use robots – either industrial or collaborative – for machine tending in the first place.

Robots enhance CNC machine tending by automating repetitive tasks like loading, unloading, material handling, inspection, and other operations. 

This improves efficiency, reduces human error, and enables machines to run continuously, leading to increased productivity and consistency in operations. Robots also operate in conditions that are unsafe or injury prone which reduces liability risk.

And robotic systems can handle a wide variety of different parts and processes, making them ideal for dynamic manufacturing environments. 

Benefits include:

• Increased Unattended Operation
• Improved Yields
• Greater Capacity
• Higher Profit Per Part

Increase Unattended Operation

Robots enable unattended operation by enabling CNC machines to run without human intervention for extended periods, such as overnight graveyard shifts or during weekends and holidays. This leads to more consistent output, reduced downtime, and overall higher equipment utilization, maximizing production efficiency while freeing human operators for more complex tasks.

Improved Yields

Robots operate with precision and repeatability which helps improve yields by minimizing errors and defects. The consistency of robotic systems reduces nonconformances, scrap and rework, and ensures that parts meet specification. Advanced setups can include autonomous process control with defect avoidance for six sigma levels of quality and better yields.

Greater Capacity

Robotic machine tending increases a facility’s throughput capacity by enabling machines to operate continuously without the necessity for breaks. With robots handling routine tasks, more parts can be processed within the same timeframe, enabling factories to handle larger production volumes and respond more quickly to demand swings.

Higher Profit per Part

Robotic automation used for CNC machine tending results in higher profit per part by reducing defects, downtime, and labor costs. The improved quality, increased efficiency, and lower operational costs translate into higher profitability for each part produced, giving manufacturers better margins overall.

There are numerous other benefits to using robots and cobots for cnc machine tending, these are simply the most compelling benefits that we see time and time again.

And when undertaking a project that involves more than one machine + robot (aka Basic Machine Tending), you will need to take into consideration a number of factors ranging from the part presentation in-feed/out-feed to the robot-to-machine interfacing, communication, and orchestration.

If you’re planning an initiative this year, then you will probably want to check out our Complete Guide to Robotic Machine Tending Projects or get in touch with us here at Flexxbotics directly.