Facing unprecedented low unemployment figures, manufacturers of all sizes are struggling to fill repetitive and undesirable manufacturing jobs. With the help of the Section 179 tax deduction, US businesses may be able to significantly stretch their use-it-or-lose-it 2022 budgets and purchase collaborative robots to take on the repetitive manufacturing tasks that workers don’t want. Section 179 requires that qualified equipment and off-the-shelf software is purchased and placed into service by December 31, 2022, but with its unique two-week ship program, Universal Robots (UR) can make that happen. 

The tedious task of loading and unloading parts into machines has long been a bread-and-butter application for cobots gaining significant traction in the industry. With its 1,750 mm (68.9 in) reach and 20kg payload (44.1 lbs.), the new UR20  from Universal Robots greatly expands automation opportunities such as the ability to reach further into machines, tend several machines in the same cycle, and handle 25% heavier parts. Despite being UR’s heaviest robot, the UR20 is the lightest cobot in its class, weighing only 64kg (141.1 lbs.) making it both a versatile technical tool and a manual laborer.

Collaborative robots can increase output and improve quality in nearly any production environment. UR cobots can be deployed quickly, with fast ROI, typically within 12 months. Universal Robots USA has released an e-book on how cobots can assist on the shop floor in the following areas: