Moves work between production steps
Parts can be loaded, unloaded, transferred, or positioned between machines when access and presentation can be made consistent.
Custom robotic automation for repeat factory tasks.
Uru Robotics designs systems for work that does not fit a standard package: handling between machines, applying a process, assembling components, or checking finished parts. The system is planned around the task, the parts, the equipment, and the operator workflow.
What custom robotic automation does
It turns a repeat production task into a defined sequence that a robot, a fixture, and the people around the cell can run. The system is designed for the operation, not selected from a catalogue first.
Applies a repeat process
A robot can follow a defined path for welding, dispensing, coating, fastening, finishing, or another process where the workpiece is held reliably.
Checks the result in the same workflow
Sensing or vision can be added where the process needs a check before the part moves to the next step.
Common custom automation systems
These are common starting points. Each one links to the relevant application page, where you can review the task in more detail.
Machine integration
Loading, unloading, and handing work between a production machine and the next step.
Process and assembly cells
Putting parts together, applying material, fastening, or finishing a repeat product.
Part handling and inspection
Presenting parts to a camera, gauge, or downstream station and handling the result.
What a custom robotic system includes
The robot is one part of the system. The parts, the process equipment, the safety approach, and the hand-off to the operator determine whether the cell can run day to day.
Robot and tooling
The robot and the gripper, process tool, or handling attachment selected for the part, reach, orientation, and work required.
Fixtures and material flow
The fixture, tray, rack, feeder, or conveyor that presents the work in a usable position and takes it away after the task.
Controls, safety, and operator hand-off
The connection to equipment, sensors, guarding, and the everyday steps people use to load, check, and recover the cell.
How the system is specified
A custom cell is specified from the work it has to do. These are the decisions that set the equipment and the scope.
- Part and process
- Part size, weight, condition, orientation, tolerance, and the exact task the system needs to complete.
- Access and layout
- Reach to the machine or workstation, space for fixtures and material flow, and the safe working area around the cell.
- Cycle and changeover
- How often the task repeats, what has to happen within each cycle, and how parts, tooling, or programmes change between jobs.
- Verification and recovery
- How the process is checked, what happens when it does not complete, and how the operator returns the cell to normal work.
What to include in the return calculation
The return comes from the production task the system takes on. Start with the time, quality loss, delay, or manual handling that the current process creates.
Measure the repeat work
Count the work that happens every shift, including waiting, rework, handling, and the time spent moving material between stages.
Include the full system
Fixtures, tooling, process equipment, safety, controls, and installation work belong in the investment—not only the robot.
Use approved figures
Uru Robotics has not published a standard ROI figure for custom automation. A project estimate should use the operating figures agreed for the specific workflow.
When custom robotic automation is a good fit
The best starting tasks repeat, have a clear hand-off, and create a production issue that a defined system can address.
The task repeats often
A repeat task gives the fixture, tooling, and programming effort a practical job to do over time.
The work can be presented consistently
Parts do not need to be identical, but the system needs a reliable way to identify, pick, hold, or locate them.
The result has a clear check
The process needs a known finish point: a machine cycle, a completed path, a seated component, a measured result, or a clear hand-off.
When another approach may be better
Automation is not always the first answer. These conditions should be addressed before a custom cell is scoped.
The job changes every day
If the parts, sequence, or outcome change constantly, the setup and programming effort can outweigh the value of a fixed workflow.
The bottleneck is elsewhere
If material is late, the machine is unreliable, or the fixture is the source of variation, the process should be corrected before adding a robot.
The task needs constant judgement
Where each part needs a person to interpret an unexpected condition, the work may need a different process before it can be automated.
FAQs
A first review starts with the operation, not with an assumed robot model.
What is custom robotic automation?
Custom robotic automation is a system designed around a specific production task rather than a fixed product package. It joins the robot, tooling, fixtures, material flow, controls, safety, and operator hand-off required to run that task.
Can a robot work with an existing machine?
Often, provided the machine can be reached, the work can be presented consistently, and a practical interface can be defined. Access, controls, cycle timing, guarding, and how the operator works around the machine need review first.
What does a custom robotic system include?
The scope depends on the task. It can include the robot and end-of-arm tooling, fixtures or feeding, process equipment, sensors and controls, guarding, and the operator workflow around the cell.
How do we choose the first task to automate?
Start with a task that repeats often, slows the next stage down, creates a quality issue, or keeps people on work that is difficult to staff. The task still needs a stable enough part, process, and hand-off for a system to run it reliably.
What happens after I contact Uru Robotics?
The first conversation focuses on the operation you want to improve. From there, Uru Robotics can decide whether a closer technical review is useful.
Related applications
These pages show the common factory tasks Uru Robotics can design a system around.
Return on investment
Use your production figures to explore a simple planning estimate.
Contact Uru Robotics.
Find out whether a custom robotic system is right for your factory.