Manufacturing
Industrial arms, cobots, welding robots, and assembly systems that automate precision manufacturing tasks alongside human workers.
$95B
Market by 2030
23%/yr
Cobot growth
85%
Defect reduction
Who uses it: Automotive, electronics, food processing, metal fabrication, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods
How to choose a manufacturing robot ↓
Cobot vs Industrial
Cobots ($25K-$65K) work alongside humans without safety caging. Industrial arms ($50K-$400K) are faster and stronger but require safety fencing. Choose based on whether humans need to share the workspace.
Cycle Time
Industrial arms complete tasks 3-10x faster than cobots. If your bottleneck is speed, a cobot won't solve it. If your bottleneck is consistency or ergonomics, a cobot is ideal.
End-of-Arm Tooling
The gripper/tool on the robot often costs as much as the robot itself. Budget $5K-$50K for end-of-arm tooling. Custom grippers for unusual parts add 4-8 weeks to deployment.
Programming Method
Modern cobots can be programmed by hand-guiding (no coding needed). Industrial arms typically require offline programming with simulation software. Factor programming skill availability into your decision.