Usage of collaborative robots (co-bots) has not only ensured increase in productivity for motorcycle giant Bajaj Auto Limited, but also removed constraints for women in many places, said Vikas Sawhney, general manager, robotics and automation. He added that the company has at least 120 co-bots operational in Bajaj’s three plants which perform various tasks, and 50 per cent of the workforce working on the assembly lines is women. A relatively new entry in the world of automation, co-bots are flexible automation solutions which challenge the image of large, cumbersome and heavy industrial robots. Being flexible and easy to handle, co-bots have found increasing acceptance in areas where precision and flexibility is necessary. Sawhney said that the company has been using co-bots since 2010. These co-bots now help workers in a variety of functions like welding and decal application. The co-bots used by Bajaj are manufactured by Danish robotics company Universal Robots. Other than allowing increased participation of women on the shop floor, co-bots have also increased productivity from 507 vehicles per person per year to 804. Bajaj’s need for automation solutions had led them to the Danish company which specialises in manufacturing co-bots. Sawhney said that at present, Bajaj locally assembles the co-bots with as much as 70 per cent localisation. This has also helped the company achieve cost-arbitrage. Although Universal Robots has been connected with various industrial verticals in India since 2010, the company had decided to open its office in India only last year. Pradeep David, general manager, India, said that this was in response to the growing demand for co-bots in the country. Contrary to popular belief that automation leads to job losses, David said that co-bots do not do that. “Co-bots increases productivity and precision of the process. It also allows workers to be better employed,” he said. The company, which was founded in Denmark in 2005, is now the market leader in co-bots. Last year, the company clocked 57 million Euros in revenue which by 2017 is expected to breach the 130 million mark. Automobile, food and beverages, and fast moving consumer goods are some of the industry verticals where co-bots have found application.
