A robotic cell is an integrated production station that performs a specific task repeatedly, made of a robot arm, end-of-arm tooling, safety equipment, a control system and the material flow that brings parts in and out. The success of a robotic cell project rarely comes from the robot brand; it comes from choosing the right task, collecting complete data and planning safety, integration and acceptance from the start. This guide brings together checklists the project team can use from feasibility through to operation.
- 01Task selectionRepetitive, ergonomic, quality
- 02FeasibilityPart, cycle and variant data
- 03Design and simulationLayout, tooling, safety
- 04FATFactory acceptance
- 05Installation and SATSite acceptance
- 06OperationTraining, maintenance, improvement
Choose the right task
The best task for a first robotic cell has clear boundaries, is repetitive and is measurable. Ask three questions when choosing: Is this work ergonomically demanding for the operator? Does it require consistent quality? Is it repeated the same way throughout the shift? Tasks that get a yes to all three are usually good candidates.
- Repetitive work: pick & place, machine tending, palletising, packaging and end-of-line operations.
- Ergonomically risky work: heavy lifting, frequent bending, reaching and long repetition of the same motion.
- Work that needs consistent quality: precise placement, dispensing, screwdriving, welding and visual inspection.
- Bottleneck stations: steps that set the takt time or limit the number of shifts.
Also ask whether the task can be simplified before it is automated. Doing an unnecessary step with a robot is always more expensive than eliminating that step. List the exceptions the robot cannot handle (jammed parts, defective products, missing material) up front; they directly shape the cell design.
Feasibility data to collect
Feasibility must rest on measured data. A cell designed on estimates misses its cycle time on the floor or stops on an unexpected variant. Use the list below as a data collection form and fill in each item by measuring on site.
Filming how the current operator does the job reveals details that a written process description misses: turning the part, visual checks, small corrections. These details define the extra motions the robot must make and the vision system that may be needed.
Cobot or industrial robot?
Collaborative robots (cobots) are robots designed so that, with a proper risk assessment, they can share a workspace with people. Industrial robots usually offer higher speed and payload and, in most applications, work inside protective fencing or area safeguarding. The choice depends on the whole application, not the robot's label: a cell built with a cobot may still need extra safeguards if it carries a sharp tool or a heavy part.
- Workspace sharing possible
- Fast programming, flexible placement
- Moderate speed and payload
- Suits frequent changeovers
- High speed and payload
- Usually fenced or guarded area
- Heavy loads and long reach
- High volume, stable product
| Criterion | Cobot leads | Industrial robot leads |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle time | Moderate, flexible | Short, high speed |
| Payload | Light and medium loads | Heavy loads |
| Space | Compact, fenceless layout | Dedicated, guarded area |
| Changeover | Frequent, many variants | Few variants, high volume |
| Human interaction | Shared work with operator | Unattended operation |
Coborel, the cobot solutions brand of ORELSIS, supports cells built with collaborative robots from feasibility to service. Whichever robot you choose, the decision should be driven by cycle time analysis and risk assessment together.
Payload, reach and end-of-arm tooling
The payload calculation includes not only the part weight but also the gripper, adapter, cables and hoses. As the load's centre of gravity moves away from the wrist, the load the robot can carry drops; always check the manufacturer's load diagram. For reach, look at the farthest pick and place points, pallet height and the angles the tool must be oriented at. Running a robot at its limits reduces speed and service life.
Choosing end-of-arm tooling
- Mechanical gripper: for rigid parts with regular geometry; finger design follows the variants.
- Vacuum: for flat, non-porous surfaces, cases and sheets; test for vacuum loss on porous materials.
- Magnetic gripper: for ferromagnetic sheets; assess residual magnetism and double-sheet pick risk.
- Tool changer: for cells that need several tools or variants; add the change time to the cycle.
- Process tool: for screwdriving, welding, dispensing or cutting; plan supply lines and maintenance access.
Tool design should also consider power loss so the part does not drop: a check valve that holds vacuum or a mechanical lock, for example. Testing the tool with real parts early prevents expensive changes later.
Vision needs
If parts always arrive at the cell in the same position and orientation, you may not need vision. You do need it if parts arrive randomly, if the position tolerance is tight or if the cell also performs quality control. Vision adds flexibility to a cell but also brings lighting, calibration and maintenance load.
- 2D vision: finding position and angle of flat-lying parts, code reading, presence checks.
- 3D vision: random bin picking, height measurement, irregular stacks.
- Inspection: surface defects, missing assembly, label and print checks.
Run the vision feasibility with real parts and in lighting close to site conditions. Shiny, transparent or dark surfaces may need special lighting. Recording inspection results in a quality system such as OREL QMS links defects to lots and shifts.
Safety and risk assessment
In a robotic cell, safety is assessed for the whole application, not the robot alone. The risk assessment follows the approach of ISO 12100, the basic standard for machinery safety; the ISO 10218 series covers robots and robot systems, and the technical specification ISO/TS 15066 covers collaborative operation. For the control system side of safety functions, ISO 13849 or IEC 62061 is used.
- 01Set the limitsUse, space, people
- 02Identify hazardsImpact, crushing, dropped parts
- 03Estimate riskSeverity and likelihood
- 04Reduce riskDesign, safeguards, information
- 05Validate and documentTests and technical file
- 01Define use and limits
Who will do what in the cell, and when? Write down normal production, changeover, fault clearing and maintenance modes separately.
- 02Identify hazards
List hazards such as robot motion, tooling (sharp edges, hot surfaces), dropped parts, compressed air, electricity and conveyor motion.
- 03Assess the risk
For each hazard, assess the severity of possible harm, the frequency of exposure and the possibility of avoidance.
- 04Apply the hierarchy of measures
First eliminate risk by design, then add technical measures such as fencing, light curtains, area scanners, safe speed and force limiting, and finally complete with warnings and training.
- 05Validate and document
Test the safety functions, measure stopping times and safety distances, and record the results in the technical file.
This guide does not replace a safety assessment. For compliance with standards, CE marking and legal obligations, the final assessment and validation must be done by people qualified in machinery safety. Assuming “it is safe because it is a cobot” is the most common and most dangerous mistake.
Cell layout and material flow
The cell layout must provide robot reach, safe operator work and uninterrupted material flow at the same time. Even the fastest robot waits when the infeed buffer runs empty or the outfeed pallet fills up. That is why material flow matters as much as the robot cycle time.
- Size infeed and outfeed buffers to match the operator replenishment interval.
- Consider a dual station so the robot keeps working during pallet changes.
- Define safe access points for replenishment, quality samples and fault clearing.
- Leave access space for maintenance of the robot, tooling and control cabinet.
- Plan forklift, pallet jack and pedestrian routes together with the cell layout.
Digital commissioning and integration
Digital commissioning means testing robot and PLC programs in a virtual cell model before physical installation. Simulation lets you verify reach, collisions, cycle time and signal exchange early. It shortens on-site commissioning and finds errors before production stops.
PLC and MES integration
A robotic cell should not remain an island. The signals between the line PLC and the cell (ready, running, fault, part present, product type) should be defined in an interface list. Integration with the MES or MRP system lets work orders and product recipes reach the cell automatically and records produced quantities and stops. A planning system such as OREL MRP uses this data to update capacity and the plan with actual values.
FAT and SAT acceptance tests
The factory acceptance test (FAT) tests the cell at the integrator's facility before shipping. The site acceptance test (SAT) is done after installation under real production conditions. Acceptance criteria should be written at the contract stage, not debated during the test.
Training, maintenance and return on investment
The cell's long-term performance depends on how well operators and the maintenance team know it. Do not leave training until after commissioning; involve operators from the FAT stage onwards.
| Role | Training content |
|---|---|
| Operator | Start, stop, replenish, basic fault clearing |
| Setter | Changeover, point touch-up, tool change |
| Maintenance | Preventive maintenance, backups, safety tests |
| Engineering | Program changes, adding new variants |
The maintenance plan for the robot, tooling and safety equipment should be entered into a maintenance management system. Program backups and change records should be kept up to date.
When calculating return on investment, use as inputs not only labour cost but also the number of shifts, defect and scrap cost, losses caused by ergonomic risks, capacity gains, maintenance and energy costs, and the full cell investment (robot, tooling, safety, integration, training). You can assess these inputs with your own values in the ROI calculator on the ORELSIS website.
Conclusion
A successful robotic cell project moves forward with the right task, feasibility based on measured data, safety designed in from the start, validation through simulation, integration with production systems and acceptance criteria defined in the contract. Use these checklists with your team at every project phase. ORELSIS makes the cell part of your production flow, working on the robotics side with the Coborel brand and on the software side with OREL MRP and OREL QMS.