Company Background
Tool Gauge, based in Tacoma, Washington, manufactures precision plastic and metal components for the aerospace industry. Faced with inflexible long-term contracts and a tight regional labor market, the company turned to automation to stay competitive.
The Challenge
Hiring in the Pacific Northwest proved difficult, and key tasks like glue application on narrow plastic parts were fatiguing and error-prone. Scrap rates were high, and seeking 100 new employees wasn’t feasible.
The Solution
Tool Gauge installed two Universal Robots—an UR3 for CNC machine tending and an UR5 for glue dispensing on injection-molded parts. These cobots brought three major advantages:
Accessible automation — Minimal investment and no need for safety guarding.
Mobility & flexibility — Easily reconfigurable for multiple tasks.
Configurable & scalable — Suitable for varied processes across departments.
Implementation Details
CNC Tending (UR3): A proximity sensor signals the UR3 to pick copper parts from the chute, wash, dry, and palletize them using the built-in grid-based palletizing wizard. This alone generated a $9,000 labor savings on the initial order.
Glue Dispensing (UR5): Previously requiring four operators for 200 units/day, now one operator works alongside the UR5 to glue and reassemble 400 units/day. Scrap dropped from 15% to just 3%.
Benefits Realized
Labor Efficiency: Up to 75% savings in labor and a reduction in staffing needs.
Production Boost: Output doubled in both glue dispensing and CNC tending workflows.
Quality Gains: Scrap rate plummeted by 12 percentage points.
Worker Wellbeing: Reduced fatigue and injuries, boosting morale and job satisfaction. Employees were happy to relinquish the most monotonous tasks.
Employee Experience & ROI
The cobots’ intuitive interface impressed even users with no prior robotics background. Connecting external sensors and configuring tasks was as simple as plugging in and selecting options on the teach pendant. ROI was achieved in under 12 months—well ahead of expectations in an industry where capital returns often stretch over years.
Strategic Impact & Future Vision
Tool Gauge now sees cobots as an integral part of their automation strategy—extending across tasks like riveting, assembly, and other high-volume operations. The flexibility and mobility of UR cobots allow the company to adapt quickly and maximize return on every deployment.
Read more here: https://www.productiverobotics.com/case-studies/xymox
