Recent International
Federation of Robotics (IFR) figures show the rising global demand for robots,
partly in response to companies’ challenges with labour and inflation. Many do
not know where to start – now igus’s RBTX platform is the perfect entry point
for beginners and designers of small automation projects.

The International Federation of Robotics reports that there are now 3.5 million operational robots
globally. And the total value of robot installations worldwide has reached
an estimated $15.7 billion, according to the IFR’s February release “Top 5
Global Robotics Trends in 2023”.

The drive for increased
productivity, the automation of manual tasks and insurance against a less reliable labour
market is behind this rapid growth, and this is especially important in
countries with high labour costs, such as the UK. Every factory manager and
engineer knows that they need to automate parts of their operation, but it can
be difficult to know where to start! As well as the basic robot units, an automation
system requires other components including an end-effector such as a gripper, a
control system, vision system, cable management, guarding – the list goes
on. The added frustration is that components are not always compatible
with each other, so building a robot to perform even a simple task becomes an
engineering design project – and often companies are not confident in their
skills for such work.

Fear not, budding automation
engineers: This problem is exactly what RBTX
is designed to tackle.

Launched in 2020 in Germany and
in late 2022 in the UK, RBTX.com is an online platform that allows engineers
and buyers to configure a robot to precisely meet his or her needs, for the
first time. The first step is to select the most appropriate robot for the
task, using a simple selection tool that shows capabilities including payload,
axes, reach and cost. The platform is semi-agnostic, in that several
different manufacturers are represented here, including igus, Epson, Variobotic
and Universal Robots.

Live technical support means
you make the correct choice

Companies and users can also
schedule a trial operation of their system physically or virtually, by testing
the robots reach, its end effector operation and other features online – giving
you confidence that the system can do what you want it to do.

igus robot engineers support the
platform, and provide users with live advice and troubleshooting, to again
ensure the equipment will fulfil their needs.

After choosing the most suitable
robot for the job, the user is then guided through the rest of the selection process, choosing
the suitable end-effector or gripper, vision system, safety systems and any
material handling and conveyors required to move parts to and from the work
zone. The RBTX tool has in-built intelligence that prevents certain parts
which are incompatible from being selected. Any adapter plates or brackets
which are required to fix the robot are added automatically so users do not
forget these. The price of the package you’ve built is shown, and users
can change equipment if it does not fit their budget. The complete system can
be ordered, all parts will be delivered together, will fit together, and will
work together.

RBTX allows anyone to implement automation and robotics in their factory, assembly area, pharmaceutical or science lab or processing facility. The design and selection process is simplified, and de-risks the complete process.

Source for IFR statistics: https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/top-5-robot-trends-2023