Technology Adoption of Collaborative Robots for Welding in Small And Medium-sized Enterprises: A Case Study Analysis

Abstract

Welding tasks in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are exemplary for high mix and low volume manufacturing. Today, 96 % of newly installed workplaces in SMEs are set up without a robot, although collaborative robot solutions for small lot sizes are emerging. In a study across the institutional ecosystem, technology providers, and technology adopters of the regional state Baden-Württemberg in Germany, SME technology adoption with respect to the use of collaborative robots was surveyed in form of expert interviews with feedback by direct users. The study helps SMEs to understand the necessary requirements and prerequisites for the design of collaborative work systems. As a result, the main barriers and potentials of the use of collaborative robots in welding in SMEs are presented, including ergonomic benefits to workers, the importance of skilled tradesmen in robot programming, and the lack of general robot knowledge across SMEs. Furthermore, the detailed analysis of two case studies gives insights into individual implementation processes at pioneering SMEs in this technological application field.