For a factory cobot, I’d avoid starting with the robot brand. Start with the exact task and work backward to the robot, tooling, and safety system.
1. Define the application first
Write down:
Payload: part + gripper + hoses/cables + any tooling—not just the part weight.
Reach: maximum distance from the mounting point, including awkward approach angles.
Cycle time: required parts/hour and acceptable cycle time.
Accuracy/repeatability: what the process actually requires.
Workspace: floor, wall, or ceiling mounting; available footprint; obstacles.
Part variability: one SKU vs. high-mix production.
Environment: dust, coolant, oil, washdown, temperature, food/pharma requirements, etc.
Human interaction: whether operators genuinely need to work beside the robot.
Current cobot families vary considerably. For example, FANUC's current collaborative range spans roughly 3–50 kg payload and 550–1,889 mm reach, while Doosan's range includes models from 6 kg/900 mm through 25 kg/1,500 mm and beyond.
Google AI Mode· Sep 29, 2026
Selecting a collaborative robot (cobot) for your factory is a major upgrade. To make sure you pick one that actually fits your floor space, safety requirements, and operational goals, here is a breakdown of what you should look for:
Payload Capacity: Determine the maximum weight the cobot needs to lift, including the end-effector (gripper/tool). Always leave a safety margin rather than running it right at its maximum limit.
Reach and Footprint: Measure the workspace envelope you have available. Check the maximum reach required to service machines or move parts, and ensure the physical footprint fits comfortably in your assembly line.
Safety and Collaboration: Look at the built-in safety-rated monitored stop, force and power limiting (FPL), and collision detection features. Review whether your application requires risk assessment for side-by-side human collaboration without physical safety fencing.
Precision and Repeatability: Check the trajectory accuracy and repeatability specifications (often measured in millimeters, e.g., ± 0.05 mm). High-precision tasks like PCB assembly need much tighter tolerances than simple bin-picking or palletizing.
Ease of Programming and Integration: Look for intuitive teach pendants, hand-guidance teaching, and compatibility with standard industrial communication protocols (like Ethernet/IP, PROFINET, or Modbus) to easily integrate with PLCs and vision systems.
Power and Utilities: Verify the electrical requirements (24V vs. standard AC line voltage), and check if the robot arm offers through-arm air/vacuum lines and I/O cabling to reduce external cable clutter.
ChatGPT Search· Sep 25, 2026
Selecting a collaborative robot (cobot) is less about picking the robot with the biggest payload or the lowest price and more about matching the robot, tooling, process, and safety approach to the job. Collaborative operation is a property of the whole application (robot + gripper + part + workspace + safety controls), not just the arm itself.
Cycle time target: parts/hour or seconds per cycle
Human interaction: Will operators work beside it continuously, occasionally, or not at all?
Environment: coolant, dust, washdown, temperature extremes, cleanroom requirements
Part variability: one product or frequent changeovers?
A cobot that excels at flexible assembly may not be the right choice for high-speed, heavy production.
Google AI Mode· Sep 25, 2026
Selecting a new collaborative robot (cobot) for your factory requires balancing technical specifications with practical facility integration. Here are the key factors you should evaluate:
Payload Capacity : Choose a robot that can handle not just your current part weight, but also the weight of the end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) like grippers or welding torches, keeping a safety margin.
Reach and Footprint : Measure your workspace constraints. Ensure the cobot's reach covers the entire work envelope without interfering with existing machinery, operators, or walkways.
Safety Features and Certification : Look for built-in force and torque sensing, collision detection, and compliance with safety standards like ISO 10218 and ISO/TS 15066 for safe human-robot collaboration.
Ease of Programming : Evaluate the user interface. Hand-guiding (teaching by demonstration) and intuitive pendant or tablet software reduce deployment time and reliance on specialized programmers.
Speed and Precision : Check both the maximum operational speed (which may be limited in collaborative mode depending on risk assessment) and the repeatability/accuracy required for your specific application.
Power and Connectivity : Verify integration options, including standard industrial communication protocols (Profinet, Ethernet/IP, Modbus) and ease of adding vision systems or sensors.
Google AI Mode· Sep 21, 2026
When selecting a new collaborative robot (cobot) for your factory, you must match the payload and reach to your heaviest part and farthest pick point , while prioritizing safety features, ease of programming, and total integration capability.
Evaluating the right system requires looking past the base unit and assessing how the hardware and software fit your specific operational workflow.
Core Technical Specifications
Payload Capacity: Weigh your heaviest object and add the weight of the end-of-arm tooling (grippers or sensors) plus a safety margin to determine your minimum payload.
For a factory cobot, choose around the specific workcell, not the robot’s headline specs.
Payload: include gripper, tooling, cables, and part; verify payload at your actual reach.
Reach & workspace: check the worst-case part/fixture position, not just maximum arm reach.
Cycle time: benchmark the complete application; cobots can trade speed for collaborative safety.
Google AI Mode· Sep 17, 2026
Selecting a new collaborative robot (cobot) for your factory requires balancing technical specifications with practical facility integration. Here are the key factors you should evaluate:
Payload Capacity : Determine the maximum weight the cobot needs to lift, including the end-effector (gripper/tool) and the part itself. It is best to leave a 20% to 30% safety margin above your average operating load.
Reach and Footprint : Measure the workspace envelope required. Ensure the cobot's reach covers the necessary range of motion without colliding with surrounding machinery or structures, while fitting into your available floor or bench space.
Safety and Risk Assessment : Look for certified safety features such as integrated torque sensors, collision detection, and stop-category ratings (typically ISO 10218-1 and ISO/TS 15066 compliance). Assess whether your application requires speed-and-separation monitoring or power-and-force limiting.
Programming and Ease of Use : Evaluate the user interface. Hand-teaching (manually guiding the arm through waypoints), intuitive pendant software, or flowchart-style programming reduce deployment time and allow on-site staff to make minor adjustments.
Precision and Repeatability : Check the positional repeatability specifications (often ± 0.05 mm or better) to ensure it meets the tolerances required for your specific assembly, inspection, or material handling tasks.
If you're selecting a cobot for a factory, start with the application—not the robot brand. The biggest mistake is choosing a robot based on payload or price alone, then discovering that the gripper, reach, cycle time, safety setup, or integration makes the system unsuitable.
1. Define the application first
Write down:
Task: machine tending, assembly, welding, dispensing, inspection, packing, palletizing, etc.
Selecting a collaborative robot (cobot) for your factory is a big move. To make sure you get the right tool for the job, you need to evaluate options based on technical specs, environment, and integration ease.
Here is what you should look for during your evaluation:
Payload Capacity: Make sure the cobot can handle the maximum weight of your parts plus the end-effector (gripper/tool). It is smart to leave a 20% to 30% safety margin above your typical load.
Sources AI cites
32% of citations to these sources link to brands' own websites.
A robot advertised as "10 kg payload" doesn't necessarily have 10 kg available at every position and wrist orientation. Center of gravity, moment/inertia, reach, and tool weight matter.
I'd ask each vendor to demonstrate your actual end-of-arm tooling and part, rather than accepting the headline payload specification.
Also check:
Maximum wrist moment
Maximum inertia
Payload at your required reach
TCP speed
Repeatability under load
Ability to maintain performance throughout the workspace
For perspective, manufacturer specifications can differ substantially even among robots with similar nominal payloads; Doosan, for example, publishes payload, reach, and repeatability by model rather than treating payload as the only selection parameter.
3. Treat safety as a system-level requirement
"It's a cobot, so we don't need guarding" is not a sufficient safety assessment.
ISO/TS 15066 addresses collaborative robot systems and supplements ISO 10218 requirements. It covers approaches including safety-rated monitored stop, hand guiding, speed/separation monitoring, and power/force limiting.
Have your safety engineer/integrator evaluate:
Robot and tool pinch/crush points
Part-specific hazards
Sharp/hot/heavy parts
Gripper failure and dropped loads
Maximum permissible speed/force
Operator access
Safety scanners/light curtains where appropriate
Emergency-stop architecture
Safety PLC and safety I/O
Restart behavior
Importantly, the end effector can change the safety characteristics of the entire application.
4. Evaluate integration—not just the arm
For a factory deployment, I'd put substantial weight on how easily it connects to your existing equipment.
Check support for:
PLC communication: EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, EtherCAT, etc.
Digital and analog I/O
Safety I/O
Vision systems
Barcode/2D readers
Force/torque sensing
Pneumatics
Automatic tool changers
Conveyor tracking
Machine-tool interfaces
MES/SCADA connectivity
Remote diagnostics
Also ask: "Can our maintenance technicians troubleshoot this without calling the vendor?"
5. Test the programming experience
Have your actual operators/maintenance people program the robot during the evaluation.
Look for:
Drag-and-teach/lead-through
Graphical programming
Easy waypoint modification
Recipe management
Error recovery
Tool and payload configuration
Simulation/offline programming
Version control and backups
Ability to copy a cell to another production line
For example, ABB currently offers lead-through programming and offline RobotStudio support on its GoFa platform.
A robot that takes your automation engineer 20 minutes to program may be far more valuable than one with slightly better specifications that takes two hours.
6. Don't forget the end-of-arm tooling
Often, the gripper is more important than the robot.
Evaluate:
Grip reliability
Part variation
Required gripping force
Vacuum requirements
Tool weight
Tool inertia
Finger changes
Part-present sensing
Tool-change capability
Cable/hose management
Maintenance
Spare parts
Get the vendor to run your real parts—not a standardized demo piece.
7. Calculate total cost of ownership
Compare more than the robot purchase price:
Total cost = robot + controller + tooling + vision + safety + mounting + integration + programming + training + installation + maintenance + downtime + spare parts
Ask vendors for:
Warranty length
Expected service intervals
Spare-parts availability in the U.S.
Local service technicians
Training costs
Software/license costs
Remote-support costs
Controller replacement cost
Typical repair lead times
Software-update policy
8. Run an apples-to-apples pilot
I'd give 2–4 vendors the same test specification:
"Pick this part from this location, orient it, load this machine, unload it, and place it here. Achieve X parts/hour with Y% quality over Z hours."
Measure:
Criterion
What to measure
Cycle time
Actual sustained cycle
Payload
Part + complete tooling
Repeatability
Actual process result
Availability
Faults/interventions per shift
Changeover
Time between products
Programming
Time to modify the job
Safety
Required protective measures
Integration
PLC/vision/machine connectivity
Footprint
Complete cell, not just arm
TCO
5–7 year estimated cost
A useful shortlist
Depending on your application, I'd probably investigate several established ecosystems rather than automatically choosing one: FANUC, ABB, Universal Robots, Doosan Robotics, and potentially others based on your PLC/MES ecosystem and application. Current product ranges demonstrate that there isn't a single "standard" cobot size—the available combinations of payload, reach, speed, IP rating, mounting and safety capabilities are quite different.
Environment and IP Rating: Match the robot’s Ingress Protection (IP) rating to your environment. A cleanroom or food-grade application requires smooth, washable surfaces and food-safe grease, while a dusty CNC machine-tending cell needs a higher IP rating (like IP64 or IP67).
To help narrow down the best options, could you tell me:
What is the specific application (e.g., welding, palletizing, machine tending, assembly)?
What is the approximate payload and reach you need?
2. Payload: calculate the real load
Do not size only for the part weight. Include:
Part
Gripper or vacuum tooling
Fingers/adapters
Sensors
Cable management
Any offset load from the wrist
Also consider payload at the worst-case reach and acceleration, not just the manufacturer’s headline rating.
A useful sizing rule:
Required payload = part + tooling + safety margin
Many factories add a margin so the robot is not operating continuously at its limit.
3. Reach and workspace
Check:
Maximum part distance from the robot base
Fixture locations
Conveyor access
Ability to reach inside machines
Wrist orientation requirements
A robot with enough payload but insufficient reach often becomes an expensive redesign problem.
4. Repeatability and accuracy
Match repeatability to the process:
Pick-and-place: moderate repeatability may be fine
Assembly insertion: tighter repeatability helps
Dispensing, machining support, inspection: often require more precision
Look beyond the arm specification—fixture quality, calibration, and vision integration can matter just as much.
5. Safety capabilities and documentation
Ask vendors for:
Safety functions supported
Risk-assessment support
Safety certification documentation
Safe speed, force, and workspace monitoring features
A "no fence required" claim should be verified for your exact application, tooling, and parts.
6. End-of-arm tooling ecosystem
The gripper is often what makes or breaks the project. Evaluate:
Available grippers and suppliers
Vacuum options
Force control
Tool changers
Part detection
Custom tooling support
A great robot with the wrong end effector will underperform.
7. Programming and operator usability
Consider who will maintain it.
Look for:
Intuitive programming interface
Hand-guiding or drag teaching
Offline simulation tools
Recipe management for multiple products
Easy troubleshooting
For high-mix manufacturing, ease of redeployment can matter more than maximum speed.
8. Integration requirements
Confirm compatibility with:
PLCs (for example, your existing automation platform)
Industrial networks
Vision systems
Safety scanners
Machine interfaces
MES/production tracking systems
Ask the supplier to demonstrate your actual workflow, not a generic demo.
9. Reliability and support
Evaluate:
Local service availability
Spare parts lead times
Training options
Warranty terms
Installed base in similar factories
Integrator experience with your application
Downtime costs often exceed the initial robot price.
10. Total cost of ownership
Budget for the complete cell:
Robot arm
Controller
Gripper/tooling
Vision
Fixtures
Safety equipment
Integration labor
Training
Maintenance
The lowest-cost arm is not necessarily the lowest-cost automation project.
A vendor comparison sheet I would use
Category
Weight
Questions
Application fit
High
Can it perform our exact task?
Payload/reach
High
Does it meet requirements with margin?
Safety
High
Can the supplier support our risk assessment?
Tooling ecosystem
High
Are grippers and accessories available?
Programming
Medium
Can operators modify jobs easily?
Integration
Medium
Does it connect to our controls?
Service
High
How quickly can issues be resolved?
Cost
Medium
What is the full installed cost?
Before choosing a model, I would run a proof-of-concept using your real part, gripper, fixture, and cycle time rather than relying only on a showroom demonstration.
If you share:
the application (e.g., welding, assembly, machine tending),
part weight and dimensions,
target cycle time,
whether people will work beside it, and
your approximate budget,
I can help narrow the required cobot class and specifications.
Environment and IP Rating : Match the cobot's Ingress Protection (IP) rating to your shop floor conditions—whether you need a standard cleanroom model or a washdown-resistant unit for harsh/dusty environments.
To help narrow down the best options, could you tell me:
What specific application will the cobot perform (e.g., welding, assembly, palletizing, machine tending)?
What is the approximate payload and reach you need?
Reach and Footprint: Measure the distance from the robot base to the farthest point it must reach and ensure it fits the physical constraints of your factory workspace.
Repeatability and Precision: Check the millimeter accuracy rating to ensure it matches the tolerance required for your application (e.g., fine assembly versus rough palletizing).
Force Feedback Control: Decide if you need simple force-limiting for safety or high-resolution, low-latency active force control for precision tasks like sanding or insertion.
Safety and Compliance
Power and Force Limiting (PFL): Look for built-in sensors that detect abnormal contact and immediately stop the arm to prevent human injury.
Speed and Separation Monitoring: Check if the controller supports external safety scanners or camera bubbles that slow down or stop the robot when operators step closer.
Certified Compliance: Verify that the cobot complies with major safety standards like ISO 10218-1 and ISO/TS 15066.
Integration and Usability
Ease of Programming: Look for intuitive teach pendants, graphical user interfaces, or manual hand-guiding capabilities that minimize deployment time.
Software and Ecosystem Compatibility: Ensure the controller supports standard industrial communication protocols (OPC UA, PROFINET, Ethernet/IP) or Robot Operating System (ROS) for easy connection to PLCs and enterprise software.
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Factor in long-term maintenance, peripheral costs, training time, and potential productivity gains rather than focusing strictly on the upfront purchase price.
If you tell me your specific application (such as welding, palletizing, or assembly) and the approximate payload weight , I can help you narrow down the ideal specs or suggest matching cobot categories.
When selecting a collaborative robot, I’d start with the application and workcell, not the robot brand. “Collaborative” does not automatically mean the completed cell can operate without guarding; the arm, tooling, workpiece, layout, speeds, and human interaction all need a risk assessment.
As an example of the range available today, FANUC's CRX family spans roughly 5–30 kg payload and about 1.0–1.9 m reach depending on model.
2. Don't size the robot right at its rated payload
This is one of the easiest purchasing mistakes.
Suppose you have:
Part: 7 kg
Gripper: 2 kg
Adaptor/tooling: 1 kg
Your robot is really handling 10 kg, and you also need to consider the load's center of gravity, inertia, wrist torque, orientation, reach and acceleration.
Ask each vendor for the payload curve and allowable wrist moments—not merely the headline payload number.
3. Check reach and workspace in 3D
A robot that technically reaches a location may not be able to reach it with the required orientation and payload.
I'd simulate the actual cell, including:
Machine doors
Fixtures
Conveyors
Operator workspace
Tool changers
Safety scanners
Maximum part dimensions
Robot mounting position
Longer reach can also increase required floor space and affect payload performance.
4. Treat safety as a system-level requirement
This is especially important with cobots.
ISO/TS 15066 provides collaborative-robot guidance and supplements ISO 10218. The newer ISO 10218-1:2025 also substantially updates the safety framework for industrial robots.
Ask the supplier/integrator:
What safety functions does the robot have?
What performance level/category are the safety functions certified to?
Can it perform power-and-force limiting (PFL)?
Does the application require speed-and-separation monitoring (SSM)?
What happens when an operator enters the workspace?
What external scanners, light curtains, interlocks or fencing will be required?
Who is responsible for the final risk assessment and validation?
A sharp gripper, sharp workpiece, hot part or heavy payload can fundamentally change the safety assessment even if the robot itself is marketed as a cobot.
5. Evaluate integration, not just the arm
For a factory, I'd put substantial weight on:
PLC integration: EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, EtherCAT, etc.
Digital/analog I/O
Safety I/O and safety networks
Vision integration
Force/torque sensing
Conveyor tracking
Automatic tool changers
Gripper ecosystem
MES/SCADA connectivity
Remote diagnostics
Recipe management
Data logging
Also ask how easily your maintenance team can troubleshoot a failed cell at 2 a.m.
6. Look hard at programming and operator usability
A technically excellent robot can be a poor factory choice if only one controls engineer knows how to program it.
Have an operator or maintenance technician actually perform:
Create a simple program.
Teach several points.
Change a fixture position.
Recover from a fault.
Modify a cycle.
Add a new part variant.
Don't judge this from a vendor demo. Put your people in front of the actual controller.
For example, FANUC advertises drag-and-drop programming on its CRX teach pendant, while Universal Robots emphasizes graphical programming through PolyScope/PolyScope X.
How frequently does the manufacturer release updates?
What happens if the model reaches end-of-life?
A cheaper arm can become the more expensive solution if integration and support are poor.
8. Test your actual application before buying
I'd make the vendor prove these numbers with your parts and tooling:
Test
What to verify
Cycle time
Meets takt with realistic acceleration/deceleration
Payload
Handles worst-case part + tooling
Reach
All positions and orientations are achievable
Repeatability
Actual process tolerance is met
Gripping
No dropped/slipping parts
Safety
Required collaborative operation is achievable
A practical vendor scorecard
I'd weight the evaluation around these categories:
Application performance: 25%
Safety/compliance: 20%
Integration & controls: 15%
Reliability/service: 15%
Ease of programming/use: 10%
Total cost of ownership: 10%
Future flexibility: 5%
Those percentages are a starting framework rather than a universal formula—the importance of each category depends on your application.
If you give me the task, part weight, required cycle time, approximate reach, factory environment, and whether people will work directly beside the robot, I can turn this into a concrete Cobot requirements/specification sheet and identify the types of models you should shortlist.
Repeatability/accuracy: match it to your process tolerances.
Safety: require a documented risk assessment and compliance with applicable ISO 10218 / ISO/TS 15066 requirements. “Cobot” does not automatically mean a fenceless cell.
End-of-arm tooling: often determines real performance and safety more than the arm itself.
Programming: evaluate setup time, offline programming, hand-guiding, vision, and how easily operators can make changes.
Reliability & support: local service, spare-parts availability, warranty, preventive maintenance, and training.
Total cost: include robot, tooling, fixtures, safety equipment, integration, commissioning, maintenance, and downtime—not just purchase price. NIST recommends evaluating the entire workcell and intended outcome.
Practical approach: define one representative task, then have 3–4 vendors demonstrate your actual part + tooling + fixture + target cycle time before purchasing. NIST emphasizes task-based evaluation because collaborative performance depends on the complete system, not merely the robot arm.
Environment and IP Rating : Match the cobot's Ingress Protection (IP) rating to your factory floor conditions. Dusty environments, washdown areas, or cleanrooms require specific sealing (e.g., IP65 or higher) and food-grade or corrosion-resistant materials.
Integration and Ecosystem : Check for compatibility with standard industrial communication protocols (Profinet, Ethernet/IP, Modbus) and review the manufacturer’s ecosystem of plug-and-play grippers, vision systems, and software add-ons.
To help narrow down the best options, could you tell me:
What is the specific application (e.g., welding, palettizing, assembly, machine tending)?
What is the required payload and reach?
I can provide a tailored checklist or recommend specific brands and models that fit your needs.
Required reach
Required cycle time
Required positioning/repeatability
Hours per day / shifts
Product variants and changeover frequency
How close workers need to be to the robot
Available floor space
Temperature, dust, coolant, washdown, cleanroom, or other environmental requirements
For example, a 5 kg part doesn't necessarily mean you need a 5 kg cobot. You have to account for the part + gripper + tooling + any fixture effects, as well as payload at the relevant reach and orientation.
2. Pay particular attention to these specifications
Payload
Don't select right at the advertised maximum. Give yourself margin.
Also check the manufacturer's payload curve. A cobot's maximum payload may only be achievable under particular configurations.
Reach
Map the robot's actual working envelope rather than just looking at the headline reach.
Check whether it can reach:
Pick position
Process position
Place position
Machine chuck/fixture
Inspection station
Tool changer
All required positions without awkward joint configurations
Cycle time
This is often more important than maximum TCP speed.
Have each vendor run your actual application and measure the complete cycle—including gripping, machine I/O, vision, waiting for the CNC, approach/retreat motions, and safety-related stops.
Cobots are particularly attractive for repetitive and ergonomically difficult tasks, but very high-speed production may favor a conventional industrial robot instead.
Repeatability
Determine what your process actually needs. For example, a robot advertised at ±0.03 mm doesn't automatically make the entire application accurate to ±0.03 mm; tooling, fixturing, part variation, calibration, and compliance can dominate the result.
3. Treat safety as an engineering requirement—not a marketing feature
"Collaborative" doesn't mean automatically safe to put next to a worker.
The complete application needs a risk assessment. Relevant robot standards include ISO 10218-1, ISO 10218-2 and ISO/TS 15066, with ISO 10218-2 covering integration/application safety requirements.
Ask each supplier:
What safety functions are built into the robot?
What safety-rated I/O is available?
How are speed and force limits configured?
What happens after a protective stop?
What safety devices are required for your application?
Can the robot operate at full production speed while people are nearby?
What is the documented validation procedure?
Who performs the final risk assessment and safety validation?
Don't assume that removing a fence is automatically the best solution.
4. Evaluate the end-of-arm tooling just as carefully
The cobot arm is only part of the system.
Evaluate:
Gripper type and reliability
Gripping force
Part detection
Tool weight
Tool change capability
Vacuum generation
Fingers/custom tooling
Electrical/pneumatic connections
Cable management
Tool changer repeatability
Availability of proven application packages
A robot with excellent specifications can be a poor choice if its ecosystem doesn't support the tooling your process requires.
5. Look at programming and changeovers
This matters enormously if you have high-mix/low-volume production.
Test the robot yourself rather than watching a sales demonstration.
See whether an operator or technician can:
Create a basic program
Teach positions
Change a product recipe
Recover from a fault
Adjust speeds
Add a new part
Diagnose an I/O problem
Back up/restore programs
The easier it is for your own staff to do those things, the less you'll depend on an integrator for every change.
6. Check integration capabilities
Make a list of everything the cobot has to communicate with:
PLC
CNC
Vision system
Conveyor
Barcode/RFID
Safety PLC
Pneumatics
Sensors
MES
Factory network
Automatic tool changer
Then compare available industrial communication protocols, I/O, APIs/SDKs and supported interfaces.
Don't evaluate the robot in isolation. Evaluate the complete cell.
7. Consider the supplier and ecosystem
You're potentially choosing a platform you'll support for 7–15+ years.
Look at:
Local integrators
Spare-parts availability
Service response time
Training
Software support
Warranty
Software licensing/subscription costs
Robot/controller lifecycle
Accessories and tooling ecosystem
Number of technicians familiar with the platform
Installed base in applications similar to yours
Supplier continuity and long-term support deserve explicit due diligence, not just a check of the initial purchase price.
A $40k robot that needs $100k of integration isn't necessarily cheaper than a $60k robot with a mature turnkey solution.
9. Make vendors prove it with your parts
This would be one of my strongest recommendations.
Give 2–4 shortlisted vendors the same test protocol and ask them to demonstrate:
Your actual part
Your actual gripper/tooling, if possible
Your target cycle time
Your required accuracy
Your worst-case part variation
Your changeover procedure
Your worker interaction scenario
Fault recovery
Safety behavior
Data collection/PLC integration
Then score the results.
That will tell you much more than a specification sheet.
A practical scorecard
I'd start with something like this:
Category
Weight
Application performance / cycle time
25%
Payload & reach
10%
Safety & compliance
15%
Ease of programming/changeover
10%
Integration & communications
10%
Tooling/ecosystem
10%
Reliability/serviceability
10%
Supplier/support
5%
Total cost of ownership
5%
Adjust the weights according to your application.
One particularly important question:Do you actually need a cobot? If you need extremely high throughput, heavy payloads, long reach, or a process that can simply be fenced off, a conventional industrial robot may deliver substantially better economics. Cobots tend to shine when flexibility, relatively easy programming, compact deployment, and human interaction are important.
If you tell me what operation you're automating, part weight/size, desired cycle time, and approximate budget, I can turn this into a specific cobot selection matrix and compare the leading options for your factory.
Reach and Footprint: Measure your workspace constraints. The robot's reach must cover the entire operational envelope without hitting safety barriers or existing machinery, and its base footprint must fit your mounting options.
Safety and Force Limiting: Look for built-in collision detection, adjustable safety zones, and certified collaborative safety compliance (such as ISO 10218-1 and ISO/TS 15066) to ensure safe human-robot interaction.
Ease of Programming: Assess the software interface. Does it offer intuitive hand-teaching (drag-and-drop or physical hand-guidance), or will you need specialized programming expertise on staff?
Repeatability and Precision: Check the repeatability specification (often within ± 0.03 mm to ± 0.1 mm depending on the model), ensuring it matches the tightness of your process tolerances.
Environmental Protection (IP Rating): Match the cobot's Ingress Protection rating to your shop floor. Dusty environments or washdown areas (like food processing or CNC machine tending) require higher IP ratings (e.g., IP67).
Ecosystem and End-Effectors: Look for a robust plug-and-play ecosystem (like UR+ for Universal Robots or similar partner networks) that makes integrating grippers, vision systems, and software quick and painless.
To help narrow down the best options, could you tell me:
What specific application will the cobot perform (e.g., welding, palletizing, pick-and-place, assembly)?
What is the approximate payload and reach you need?
