Teradyne Robotics Manager Cites Deployment Complexity in Automation
- Small and mid-sized manufacturing plants face mounting pressure to adopt automation, yet high costs and complex programming of traditional industrial systems often put fixed robotic cells out of...
- Mark Gray, UK and Ireland Manager for Teradyne Robotics, identifies the complexity of deployment as the primary barrier preventing wider automation uptake across the sector.
- Because legacy industrial systems are usually anchored to a single spot and involve intricate coding, the financial case seldom makes sense unless a high volume of work passes...
Small and mid-sized manufacturing plants face mounting pressure to adopt automation, yet high costs and complex programming of traditional industrial systems often put fixed robotic cells out of reach. Conventional automation has traditionally served high-volume, predictable production lines where return on investment is straightforward. For smaller operations dealing with frequent product changes and limited engineering resources, those economics rarely work.
Flexibility and Deployment Ease in Collaborative Robotics
Mark Gray, UK and Ireland Manager for Teradyne Robotics, identifies the complexity of deployment as the primary barrier preventing wider automation uptake across the sector. Teradyne Robotics oversees both Universal Robots and Mobile Industrial Robots, supplying collaborative robot arms and autonomous mobile vehicles. Gray points out that traditional industrial machinery is typically bolted into a single position and demands specialist programming expertise whenever production schedules shift.
Collaborative robots, or cobots, alter that financial calculation by offering lightweight, flexible alternatives that workers can move between different machines. These systems use compatible grippers, camera setups, and sanding devices to handle multiple distinct jobs over the course of a week.
Because legacy industrial systems are usually anchored to a single spot and involve intricate coding, the financial case seldom makes sense unless a high volume of work passes through that specific cell.
Mark Gray
Gray explains that cobots target smaller batch production because they are simple to program and flexible enough to reuse on entirely new tasks. A single cobot can tend a CNC machine during daytime hours and run unattended after operators leave, boosting productive output from existing equipment without requiring an entirely redesigned production line.
Targeting Repetitive Labor and Quality Consistency
The most viable automation applications remain familiar industrial workflows rather than experimental technology. Packaging, palletizing, deburring, sanding, inspection, and component handling present clear business cases because they combine repetitive labor with measurable quality improvements.
When an employee spends all day at a finishing conveyor removing excess material from an aluminium part, it raises questions about the level of satisfaction they can find in that work and how steady the output quality will remain.
Mark Gray
By automating dirty and dangerous tasks, plants can increase repeatability and reduce scrap rates while reassigning personnel to detailed final inspections.
Streamlining Internal Transit With Autonomous Mobile Robots
Beyond stationary robot cells, factories are also targeting internal material transit as a hidden drain on productivity. In sectors like aerospace and filtration manufacturing, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) take over the routine journeys traditionally handled by workers pushing trolleys or calling for forklifts. AMRs collect materials from designated storage zones, transport them directly to the production line, and return automatically, allowing warehouse staff to focus on kit preparation rather than factory floor transit.