Leading green lighting technology manufacturer Deco Lighting is planning to deploy Rethink Robotics’ high-performance Sawyer robots to cut assembly time on its products from about an hour to approximately five minutes.
Deco Lighting’s co-founder and president, Mr Ben Pouladian, said the company was always on the lookout for next-gen technologies that would optimise the design and manufacturing processes at its facility.
He said the company was also looking to use Sawyer in a “lights out” scenario to keep production running during off hours.
“Sawyer is the next step in our tradition of continuous innovation. The robot works much like a smartphone, enabling our employees to intuitively and simply train and position the robot as needed,” Mr Pouladian explained.
“Our goal has always been to serve the growing need for energy-efficient, sustainable lighting and smart control solutions and we see Sawyer drastically improving our production time and positively impacting our bottom line.”
Rethink Robotics’ suite of smart, collaborative robots is capable of automating 90 percent of all tasks involved in manufacturing. The company’s Baxter and Sawyer robots – powered by the Intera software platform – can seamlessly adapt to real-world variability and perform tasks like people do.
Rethink Robotics’ Chief product and marketing officer, Jim Lawton, said this versatile automation solution would provide Deco with improved manufacturing flexibility, lower operating costs and the opportunity to accelerate innovation.
“Deco Lighting is a prime example of a company that will leverage smart, collaborative robots to significantly improve its manufacturing process,” Mr Lawton added.
“Forward-thinking companies like Deco Lighting will have a significant competitive advantage as they are able to manufacture products faster and longer by using Sawyer.”
