Universal Robots will be demonstrating cobots at LIGNA 2023

 Friday, March 17, 2023

With the range of cobots from Universal Robots, now even small and medium-sized joineries can benefit. Collaborative robots or cobots are a unique innovation and Universal Robots will be demonstrating this range of innovations at LIGNA 2023 in Hannover.

The fact that machines are increasingly entering areas of woodworking that were once reserved for the manual skills of highly skilled and experienced professionals is something everyone has surely noticed. But this development is far from over. Skills shortages on the one hand and increasing competitive pressure on the other are opening up career opportunities in the woodworking industry even for exotic “journeymen” like cobots. Thanks to cutting-edge technology, these collaborative robots can now perform a wide variety of tasks. They drill, sand and polish tirelessly, relieving their human colleagues of many a monotonous and energy-sapping task. At LIGNA 2023 in Hanover, the Danish company Universal Robots will be demonstrating that short payback times and simple handling make these flexible helpers attractive even for small joineries.

A good example of how traditional craftsmanship and modern manufacturing methods can be optimally combined is already provided by Hussl Sitzmöbel from Terfens in East Tyrol. Founded in 1976, the family business manufactures high-quality wooden furniture which appeals to an international customer base with its clear design language. In order to meet the high demand and to be able to handle large orders received at short notice, the 15-strong workforce urgently needed support. For Managing Director Peter Hussl, it quickly became clear that only by partially automating certain manufacturing processes could the company remain competitive, deliver consistent quality and absorb order peaks.

Cobots from Universal Robots have therefore been part of the Hussl team since 2020. The UR10e robots are used for various tasks. For example, one robot arm loads a CNC machine with wooden parts to be milled, while a second UR10e supplies another computer-controlled machine with workpieces and glides along the ceiling on rails for this purpose. The cobot benefits from its long reach, which is a maximum of 130 centimeters. The wooden workpieces themselves also come from robots, because the once manual, potentially dangerous operation of a conventional circular saw has also been automated. Now “journeyman carpenter” Cobot cuts the wooden parts to a precise fit in a matter of seconds.

Tags: 2023, cobots, ligna, wood, wood and panel, woodworking, woodworking and manufacturing, woodworking and processing, woodworking event, woodworking industry, woodworking robotics, woodworking UK