Guide
Cobot or industrial robot arm: which should you buy?
RoboResale
Cobots work next to people and can be set up in a day. Industrial arms are faster and lift more, but need guarding. How to choose, new or used.
A collaborative robot, or cobot, is built to work beside people. It senses contact and stops, so many jobs need no fence around it. A Universal Robots UR16e, for example, lifts 16 kg and can be moved to a new task in a day.
A traditional industrial arm from FANUC, KUKA, ABB or Yaskawa is faster and stiffer, and can carry hundreds of kilograms. It usually works behind fences or light curtains, after a safety assessment.
Choose a cobot if
- Your parts weigh up to about 30 kg. Universal Robots' biggest cobot, the UR30, carries 30 kg.
- People work in the same space.
- You change jobs often, or have no robot programmer.
Choose an industrial arm if
- Cycle time matters more than anything else.
- Parts are heavy, or the reach is long.
- The cell will run the same job for years.
Buying used
Both sell second-hand. For a cobot, check the joints' hours and that the control box and teach pendant come with it. For an industrial arm, the controller, cables and software options matter as much as the arm itself.
