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 iNDustry Labs at industrylabs.nd.edu on November 18, 2024.