a 25-person Scandinavian metal-parts shop
Machine-Tending Cobot Saves 500 Hours on a 150,000-Part Run
See how a 25-person Scandinavian metal-parts shop saved 500 labor hours on a 150,000-part run with flexible cobot machine tending and CNC automation.
- 500 hrs
- labor hours saved
- 150,000
- parts in the run
- 16 hrs/day
- daily cobot runtime
- 12 sec
- cycle time removed
Based on a documented real-world deployment. Figures are from public reporting; the organization is not named.
More Orders, Scarce Machining Talent
A 25-person Scandinavian metal-parts shop faced the kind of growth that can strain a compact operation. Orders were climbing, yet qualified labor was difficult to recruit, leaving the business to find more capacity without adding personnel.
Its production mix made the constraint sharper. The shop manufactured 650 different aluminum parts, filled 7,000 orders annually, and handled runs ranging from five to 150,000 units. Any machine tending robot had to earn its keep on high-volume work without becoming an anchor when the job mix changed.
- Absorb larger orders without increasing headcount
- Relieve employees from monotonous CNC loading
- Preserve flexibility across widely varying production runs
- Keep programming and operation within the existing team
A Flexible First Cell on the CNC Floor
The shop began with its first cobot application, a compact CNC tending cell built around an arm, a parts feeder, and a dual gripper. The gripper loaded a raw part and removed a finished part during the same arm movement, avoiding a separate exchange sequence.
Ease of programming shaped the selection. A turnkey integration provider offered installation and operator training for the arm, grippers, and feeder modules. After commissioning, shop employees could install and adjust the equipment themselves with limited telephone assistance.
The cell was assigned to repetitive, high-volume production while people concentrated on smaller runs with greater task variety. Its quick reconfiguration made the equipment useful beyond a single contract, which was essential in a job shop with a broad customer base.
- Start with a repetitive CNC tending application
- Combine automated part presentation with dual-gripper handling
- Train existing employees to operate and reconfigure the cell
- Use proven shop-floor results to identify later automation opportunities
The Long Run Became a Manageable Run
On the 150,000-part series, the cobot cell saved 500 labor hours. The run was completed in less than two months, with the equipment operating up to 16 hours a day and five days a week.
The cell handled a part every 25 seconds. Loading and unloading in one arm movement removed 12 seconds from each task cycle, turning a small recurring gain into substantial capacity across the full series.
The operating burden also changed. Previously, an employee loaded four parts, waited 90 seconds, and repeated the routine throughout the day. With automation, refilling one removable feeder module took five minutes, and an operator could oversee three or four machines without the same repetitive strain.
The documented outcome was growth without added personnel, not job elimination. Employees gained more time for detailed, varied work, while the shop could accept more orders and maintain part quality.
What This Means for US Manufacturers
This is a documented real-world example analyzed by Service Robot Co. It was not a Service Robot Co. deployment, and the shop is not presented as a Service Robot Co. client.
The lesson is broader than the hardware. A high-mix manufacturer needs a machine tending robot selected around part flow, changeover demands, operator skills, and the work waiting beyond the first production run. The best cell is productive now and still useful when the contract changes.
Service Robot Co. brings that lifecycle view to US businesses as a full-service, OEM-neutral commercial robot integrator. The company assesses the application, selects equipment across manufacturers, arranges robot financing for small business, and manages robot deployment and integration, employee training, and ongoing service through a nationwide US engineer network.
For buyers comparing cobot rental for manufacturing, robot leasing for business, monthly payment programs, or direct ownership, that model creates a single accountable commercial relationship. Service Robot Co. stays with the unit from evaluation and go-live support through its robot maintenance service plan, rather than leaving the manufacturer to coordinate separate vendors.