Automate, Extend Your Equipment Lifespan, And Achieve Flexible Machine Loading? Oh, Yes. And more!

The ActiNav system from Universal Robots is discontinued, but PrecisionForm got excellent results from its bin-picking abilities. There are other Universal Robots alternatives to consider for bin picking.

PrecisionForm is a Pennsylvania-based manufacturer specializing in small custom metal parts.

Being a market leader in this category, they have experience with high-volume automation. But it’s the low-volume, high-mix part production that’s always a pain in the neck.

In PrecisionForm’s case… The bulk of the issue came down to robot part presentation. 

If parts are neatly arranged, cobots can provide the flexibility for low-volume, high-mix applications. But what do you do when parts arrive mixed together in big, deep bins?

That’s where the ActiNav system from Universal Robots, and UR distributor Applied Controls came in and saved the day. After a swift, successful demonstration, PrecisionForm went with their system and significantly improved their competitiveness and productivity.

The Challenge of Automating Random Bin Picking

The biggest hurdle when automating picking parts out of a supplied bin is part presentation to the robot.

PrecisionForm handles small, precise metal parts. Initially, operators manually placed parts onto trays, wasting time and efficiency.

They tried many automation solutions but always got stuck with "Yes, but…" issues.

• Some solutions didn’t work on certain colors.

• Others couldn’t pick the flat parts.

• Many required vendor specialists every time parts changed.

They needed something that could just… pick from the bin and go.

“50-75% of our time spent getting that application up and running was figuring out how the robot would pick the parts. Having an operator lay out parts for the cobot was still faster than doing the whole inspection process manually, but wouldn’t it be nice if the cobot could just pick directly from the bin and bypass this whole step?” said Corckran.

The UR And ActiNav - Why It Worked

Universal Robots and the UR distributor Applied Controls reached out to PrecisionForm, offering a test of the ActiNav solution, but they were skeptical after several failed tests with other providers.

“We figured it was going to be the same as all the other bin-picking solutions, where we send them a part and weeks later they send us a ‘But’,” said Corckran. 

24h after sending CAD drawings and 3D models… PrecisionForm received three impressive demo videos of ActiNav actually picking the parts out of a bin, despite not being manually presented.

The ActiNav system allows UR cobots to pick parts in a random presentation process. Just bins filled with parts, while ActiNav positions the arm to pick the part, regardless of its placement in the bin.

“When Universal Robots introduced ActiNav we thought that was the game changer and a huge differentiator. It’s a perfect fit for any type of unoriented presentation process,” said Chuck Mulcrone, Vice President of Sales at Applied Controls. 

Cobots Were An Easy Choice

PrecisionForm already had UR3 and UR5 cobots, so adding another UR5 with ActiNav was a no-brainer.

The UR5’s task? Picking parts from a bin and loading a CNC. A 90-second cycle that used to tie up a skilled worker. Total waste of talent and a perfect low-effort, low-hanging fruit to automate.

But hey, without ActiNav, they couldn’t genuinely do it. So, while yes, it was long-hanging fruit, it took adequate technology to actually benefit from automation.

Since PrecisionForm must stay competitive internationally, they need all hands on deck where it matters, which isn’t manually feeding parts into the CNC. 

With cobots, those same operators now run 3–4 machines at once. Easy to program. Safe. Flexible. And far more competitive.

Adding Years To Legacy Machines

While PrecisionForm has plenty of high-end, latest-and-greatest CNC equipment, they also use legacy 30-year-old machines that are still highly effective. 

However, these older machines occasionally produce a bad part due to slight wear. ActiNav-powered cobot can actually remove only those few defective parts, while the machine is outputting millions of pieces a year. So, a smart cobot implementation can also add significant benefits to high-volume production as well.

“If we can implement ActiNav next to that machine and inspect out the one percent of bad parts, we’ve just taken a million-dollar piece of equipment, added a very inexpensive solution to it, and potentially gotten another ten years out of it,” said Corckran.

The Final Results

Thanks to the right cobot system, PrecisionForm was able to change how they do things and achieve significant results:

• Eliminated manual part presentation and bin sorting

• Automated a 90-second repetitive task

• Freed up skilled workers for higher-value work

• Enabled one operator to run 3–4 machines

• Extended legacy equipment lifespan by up to 10 years

• Achieved fast, flexible deployment with minimal training

Learn more about PrecisionForm's success and ActiNav using the links below:

• PrecisionForm Inc. | Cobot Case Stories

• Universal Robots and PrecisionForm, Inc. Case Study - Applied Controls, Inc.

Enjoy your week!

The Cobot Spotlight Team