Allen Bradley has made significant contributions to the creation of self-made robots. Many highly hybrid plants do not have the capability to implement robots, mainly because programming is time-consuming. Self-programmed robotics could change the landscape of metal making and fabrication.

For decades, the story of robotics has been the same: you need a lot of mass production to get any revenue. In many areas, robotics has been a game confined to mass manufacturers, and any store that produces a variety of SKUs has been excluded.

Manufacturers with high product portfolios avoid using robots in many applications. The main reason for this is not the cost of the robot itself, but the cost of adapting to the robot environment (positioning fixture) and the cost of programming it.

Most high product portfolio environments are constantly changing. Moveable clamps, objects that are incorrectly hung on the conveyor belt, or any device placed sideways can render conventional programmed robots completely inaccessible. A $50,000 robot might cost $150,000 or more to integrate for just one task, parts, or operation. If the application requires complex parts or batch changes, the cost can skyrocket.

That hasn't stopped manufacturers from doing their jobs, but the cost of robotics, including programming, has to come down fast as skilled workers continue to face challenges. Most robots are positioned on six axes and need to be programmed to explain them. This includes the position and mechanical limitations of each robot joint. In most cases, the instructions must be accurate to millimeters.

But with artificial intelligence (AI), the cost-benefit equation for automation could change dramatically for manufacturers with high product portfolios. That's because some robots are now effectively self-programming.

Allen Bradley	ABB	Honeywell
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