Join the South Bend - Elkhart Manufacturing Accelerator program’s second cohort: Surface Finishing Cobot System
Lowering operating costs, enhancing worker safety and improving throughput without compromising quality are just some of the benefits the South Bend-Elkhart Manufacturing Accelerator’s Surface Finishing Cobots cohort is seeking to provide area companies. The cohort, hosted by University of Notre Dame’s iNDustry Labs, provides opportunities for regional manufacturers to participate in cohorts where professionals will learn about the general technology, as well as how it can be tailored to each business’s specific tooling and needs.
Join the Surface Finishing Cobot cohort to learn how to integrate flexible surface finishing automation solutions seamlessly into your operations. The Accelerator program offers opportunities to apply for funding to support industrial innovations. Participation is free of charge.
Why consider Cobots?
Because of their ease of programming, cobots (collaborative robots) are better than industrial robots at accommodating low-volume, high-mix operations. Cobots also improve manufacturing efficiency and prevent injuries, enhancing both product quality and worker safety. Explore how the streamlined approach of a flexible cobot surface finishing cell can benefit your business with our program.
In the first cohort, the South Bend - Elkhart Manufacturing Accelerator program focused on a welding cobot system.Learn more about the lead company from the South Bend - Elkhart Manufacturing Accelerator welding cobot cohort: Liftco. The welding cobot improved productivity up to 300%, delivering higher-quality, consistent welds with 88% fewer warranty claims and reducing operating costs by 50% - 60%:
Flexible Cohort Surface Finishing Cell
Discover the versatility of a Flexible Cobot Surface Finishing Cell. This cobot is adept at performing customized sanding or grinding operations to meet the diverse needs of industries, and can be tailored to suit different product demands while adhering to common regional automation needs.
Cobot features
- Low maintenance
- Minimal programming
- Easy set-up and operations
The Benefits
- Consistent and high-quality surface finishes
- Lower operating costs
- Improved efficiency and throughput
- Enhanced production flexibility and adaptability
On top of learning about the cobot integration system, your company may also:
- Receive up to $10,000 of technical services and support from iNDustry Labs at no cost.
- The lead partner company for the integrator system design may receive up to $25,000 in services and equipment.
- Trial access to partner companies to familiarize their teams with automation technology.
- Have grant writing support for all partner companies.
By joining the accelerator program, your professional can:
- Validate that your product is fit for automation
- Design automation equipment specification
- Trial your product and/or process on live equipment
- Procure funding to support the acquisition of equipment
How does the cohort model work?
- One lead company per accelerator theme
- Inclusion of four to 10 partner companies per automation theme
- Companies in the cohort will have common manufacturing automation needs
Technical Services provided by iNDustry Labs
- Shop floor line walks
- Automation need identification
- Robotic Path Simulation
- Return on Investment (ROI) estimations
- Engineering System Design
- Request for Proposal (RFP) evaluation
- Integrator / vendor management
- Technology adoption support
Important dates
- Applications due: December 16, 2024
- Trial access begins: January 31, 2025
Read to learn more or join the cohort?
Contact: Jim Wittendorf, Engineer-in-Residence, jwittend@nd.edu
Access a PDF version of this story to share here: Download Flier
Originally published by at industrylabs.nd.edu on November 18, 2024.
Latest Research
- In Memoriam: Frank H. Collins, professor emeritus in the Department of Biological SciencesFrank Hadley Collins, professor emeritus in the College of Science at the University of Notre Dame, died Nov. 16, 2024, in Tucson, Arizona. He was 80.
- With $3.1 million NIH grant, Notre Dame psychologists to study how interventions can prevent child maltreatmentEach year, more than 3 million children are part of an investigation of suspected child abuse or neglect. Two psychologists at the University of Notre Dame are working together to lower that number. Professors …
- New global tool measures climate resilience at the city levelJakarta, Indonesia, faces a paradox. Its economy and population are soaring, but the city itself is sinking. Excessive groundwater use is causing land subsidence of up to ten inches annually. Experts warn that by 2050, the subsidence, combined with rising sea levels and extreme weather, could leave a third of the city underwater. In response, the Indonesian government is weighing plans to relocate the capital at an estimated cost of $35 billion.
- Democracy Initiative awards 40 Democracy Catalyst Grants to projects across campusThe University of Notre Dame’s Democracy Initiative has announced a new round of multi-year investments that will support research and education projects led by Notre Dame faculty and students and convenings that will…
- Notre Dame recognized as a top graduate school for aspiring entrepreneursCurrent ESTEEM program student Sam Kibirige works with 3D printers in the IDEA…
- Student research strengthens State Department’s global conflict prevention workUndergraduate and graduate students at the Keough School are conducting research that will inform policymakers working on global conflict prevention work, thanks to a partnership with the U.S. Department of State.
