OREANDA-NEWS. When the New York-based company Bak USA decided to enhance and expand its production facility, it turned to EWI’s Buffalo Manufacturing Works for a strategic evaluation of its operations. "They came in, audited our systems, and then proposed some really unique ways of doing exactly what we had been doing – just better, faster, and more efficiently," said Christian Bak, Chief Technology Officer.

One of the resulting recommendations from EWI’s "Advanced Manufacturing Implementation Strategy" assessment was to introduce cobots – human collaborative robots – into Bak’s production process. Bak, a manufacturer dedicated to making high-quality, affordable computers (and the only U.S. company that actually manufactures its tablets domestically) recognized that automation could improve both production efficiency and quality. But how would it affect its workforce? "The operators at first were hesitant," reported Larry Militello, Bak’s Production Manager. "They didn’t know if this was going to be replacing their jobs."

What Bak discovered, however, was that cobots on the line can help their human co-workers devote more time doing work that requires skill and judgement. When cobots perform the repetitive and ergonomically challenging tasks – like putting dozens of screws into the backs of every laptop – operators can concentrate on set-up and part preparation, product customization, and assembly completion. "It’s a fantastic example of how a company can leverage technology while enabling – and not hurting – the workforce," said Buffalo Manufacturing Works President Michael Ulbrich.

The partnership between Bak and EWI’s Buffalo team will remain close as Bak adds 10-15 more Kawasaki robots onto its line in the coming months. The tablet maker expects that full implementation of the cobotics program will make its assembly process 30% more efficient.