Experts in Man & Machine
Trends
28.03.2017
There’s more to the cost of a robot than the price tag. That’s why it’s so important to consider the overall cost, i.e., the total cost of ownership (TCO). This includes not only the purchase price, but also the cost of installation, upkeep, services, maintenance, training, and power consumption. In short, the cost of the entire life cycle of the product.
When it comes to TCO, Stäubli robots are the best on the market. They achieve maximum competitiveness in the medium term, after just a few years.
Top-quality fabrication, solid components, and optimal efficiency are just some of the reasons for the superior durability and lifespan of Stäubli robots.
When a company buys a robot, they look at the price tag but don’t always take the overall cost into account. The actual equipment is just one aspect of the equation. It’s important to consider the entire life cycle of the machine—everything from purchase price to power consumption, installation, maintenance, services, and training costs. Stäubli Robotics is very competitive in terms of TCO. Its robots achieve substantial profitability within just a few years of use.
Let’s say that you are a manufacturer and are planning to invest in a new robot. With your Procurement Department, you compare prices and, logically, you opt for the least expensive model capable of meeting your needs. Unfortunately, this short-term thinking might not lead to the most profitable choice.
For robots, a number of factors come into play to justify a higher purchase price. First, a higher-performance machine allows you to achieve greater production volumes. Then you have to consider service life: most robots last for 8 to 10 years on average, but certain Stäubli robots will run for up to 20 years without any issues. “After a few years, our machines are more competitive than those of our competitors”, stresses Adrien Brouillard, Worldwide Customer Support Manager at Stäubli Robotics.
Now let’s take a step back and look at the life cycle of the robot as a whole, as Stäubli Robotics sees it.
Stäubli service starts before you even buy the robot. In fact, if you’re planning a purchase, you can contact us at the design stage to discuss your needs ahead of time. You’ll enjoy ongoing support from a member of our sales team, who will carefully assess your needs. You will also receive technical support from an expert who can advise you and review every aspect of how the robot will be used to optimize its installation and operation. “Ensuring our robots are used properly allows us to reduce the long-term cost to customers and enhance the image of our machines and our brand”, says Adrien Brouillard. “True to our strategy of man-machine collaboration, we deliver more than just equipment, but personalized service as well.”
Of course, our service offering also includes user training in robot operations, programming, and maintenance. And our connected tools and software make it possible to perform diagnostics remotely.
To help minimize the energy consumption of its robots, Stäubli has developed simulators to compare the energy consumption of machines made by other manufacturers. Thanks to the quality of their drives, controls and mechanical design, Stäubli robots use less power then competing brands. In concrete terms, annual energy costs for a robot operating an average of 300 days a year, 24 hours a day (or over 7,000 hours a year), would range from €530 for a TX60 to €1,700 for a TX200.
We have tested the power consumption of our line of 6-axis robots according to the VDMA 24608 standard in force, based on two variables:
Do you know how much electricity your robot uses?
The cost of keeping a robot up and running includes maintenance and preventive maintenance. Because of their high quality components (including the patented JCS reduction gear system), Stäubli robots don’t need replacement parts as often as other robots on the market. In fact, Stäubli is the only robot manufacturer to produce all the components for its robots, from software to controllers and mechanical parts.
“Our patented reduction gear systems, manufactured in our own plants, ensure the rigidity, speed, and precision of our robots”, adds Adrien Brouillard.
The result is improved performance and output, which increases the average service life of the robot—and optimizes total cost of ownership.
In the medium term, our machines have been proven to be more competitive than the competition.
Adrien Brouillard, Worldwide Customer Support Manager at Stäubli |
Stäubli develops and manufactures its own six-axis drive systems, one of the key components in robot construction. By manufacturing its own reduction gear systems in house, the company improves the precision, dynamics, and service life of its robots.
“Our six-axis robots stand out for their compact, closed construction”, says Gerald Vogt, Group Division Manager of Stäubli Robotics. Designing drive systems that deliver this level of quality is a huge technological challenge. “Standard drive systems wouldn’t last long if they were subjected to the rigorous technical constraints prevailing inside the housing of a robot operating at peak capacity.”
For Stäubli, manufacturing reduction gears in house is no luxury. It’s a crucial step in delivering outstanding robot performance.
The Optimize Lab solution provides mechanical analyses of a robot life cycle. Integrated into all Stäubli machines, it makes it possible to quickly modify the robot settings and provide customers with detailed reports that include support tips from Stäubli technicians to assist with decision making.
Optimize Lab delivers numerous advantages, including the peace of mind of having reliable operations analyses and the increased productivity that stems from a robot running at optimal efficiency with minimal downtime.
