Case Study: Toolcraft Inc. boosts CNC throughput with Universal Robots cobots

New e-Series Cobot Handles Multi-Operation Precision Machining Task for Medical Device

Toolcraft Inc., a small machine shop in Seattle, needed to automate a challenging three-operation CNC machine tending process for a multi-threaded medical device part. Facing labor shortages and the need for 24/7 production, the company looked for an easier and more cost-effective automation option than traditional industrial robots. It chose Universal Robots’ UR5e cobot for its 30-micron repeatability, force/torque sensing, and collaborative operation.

Universal Robots helped Toolcraft deploy the UR5e with a UR+ certified PHD PneuConnect gripper, integrated through a certified systems integrator and supported by UR Academy training and offline programming tools. The cobot handled CNC tending plus rinsing and drying steps, increasing throughput by 43%, reducing production costs by 23%, and helping Toolcraft finish annual production seven weeks sooner. Toolcraft also achieved an estimated 12-month ROI and was able to run a third shift without safety caging.

Toolcraft Inc.

Steve Wittenberg

Director of Operations