Robotic workstations and automation cells
A robotic workstation is not bought off a catalogue page — it is designed around a specific part, a specific cycle time and a specific operator. Automation Dariusz Kulik, an automation integrator based in Białystok and delivering projects throughout Poland, designs and commissions robotic cells and semi-automatic machines: robot and gripper selection, feeding systems, fencing and safety functions, integration with the existing line, commissioning on site and operator training. Fifteen years of practice stand behind these installations.
The decision to robotise is usually forced by one of three things: a manual operation that cannot keep pace with demand, a quality problem that depends on which shift is working, or an operation nobody wants to do. Each of these leads to a different cell layout. The two lead projects described below — a crate assembly robot and a semi-automatic shaver head assembly machine — sit at opposite ends of that range, and the reasoning that separates them is the substance of the design work.
Robot and gripper selection
Selection begins with the part, not with the robot. Mass, dimensions, gripping surface and permissible contact pressure determine the gripper; the gripper mass then adds to the payload the robot must carry at full reach. Reach and payload are read together with the required cycle time, because a robot working near its rated payload at maximum extension decelerates noticeably. Where the part varies — different crate formats, different component sizes — the choice lies between a single tool covering the whole range and a tool change, and that choice usually determines whether the cell pays back in two years or in four.
Not every task requires a robot. A servo-driven mechanism on two or three axes frequently achieves the same result at a lower cost, as in the semi-automatic shaver head assembly machine, where an Xinje DS2 servo drive holds accuracy to tenths of a millimetre. The comparison of a dedicated machine against a robotic cell is made before any hardware is ordered, and the reasoning is set out in the article on where to start with production automation.
Feeding and part presentation
Feeding is where robotic cells most often fail to reach their declared output. A robot repeats its trajectory reliably; it does not compensate for a part that arrives in an unpredictable position. The feeding system — vibratory bowl, magazine, indexed conveyor, pallet or vision-guided pick — must present the part in a defined orientation within a defined tolerance, and the cost of that system is regularly comparable to the cost of the robot itself. Refill intervals and the operator’s route to the magazine are settled at the layout stage, because a cell requiring attention every four minutes releases nobody from the workstation.
Fencing and safety functions
Safety functions are implemented by a safety relay or a safety controller, and may be transmitted over industrial networks using PROFIsafe, CIP Safety or FSoE — a hardwired circuit is not the only admissible solution. One requirement, however, is absolute: EN ISO 13850 requires the emergency stop to be a manually actuated device with a latching function and direct opening action. A touchscreen cannot satisfy this under any circumstances, whatever its response time or diagnostics. Emergency stop devices are therefore always physical, positioned within reach of every working position.
Guarding is built from fixed fencing, interlocked doors and light curtains, with muting where material must cross the perimeter. Where an explosive atmosphere is present, a standard operator panel is inadmissible regardless of its IP rating — an IP65 front is not an explosion-protection certificate.
Integration with the existing line and conformity
A cell rarely stands alone. Data exchange with an upstream controller is agreed at the design stage, together with the interlocks that stop the line when the cell stops. With Siemens S7-1200 and S7-1500 controllers, PUT/GET communication must be enabled and the data blocks concerned must be non-optimised — an omission that surfaces late and awkwardly if not settled early.
Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies from 20 January 2027 and replaces Directive 2006/42/EC. Adding a robot to an existing machine raises the question of substantial modification, and the test is a change in risk — not an increase in throughput or speed. A notified body is involved only for high-risk categories. Where the alternative is being weighed, the comparison in machine retrofit or a new machine is a useful starting point.
Scope of work
- site visit, cycle time analysis and definition of the target output
- robot, gripper and end-of-arm tooling selection; mechanical design of the cell
- feeding systems: magazines, conveyors, indexing units, part presentation
- fencing, interlocked doors, light curtains and emergency stop layout
- safety functions on a safety relay or safety controller, including networked safety
- control cabinet, PLC and HMI programming, robot programming
- integration with the existing line and its control system
- commissioning on site, trial production runs and operator training
Indicative budget and lead time
A robotic workstation falls within PLN 150,000–500,000 (approximately EUR 35,000–115,000). A semi-automatic machine, where a servo mechanism replaces the robot, costs PLN 50,000–150,000 (approximately EUR 12,000–35,000). A single machine retrofit is PLN 30,000–50,000 (approximately EUR 7,000–12,000), and a production line retrofit PLN 80,000–400,000 (approximately EUR 19,000–95,000).
Return on investment falls between 12 and 36 months, and between 12 and 24 months for a well-chosen first project. Lead times from contract to handover are 1–3, 2–4 or 3–6 months depending on the scale of the installation. The method of calculating payback is set out in the article on the cost of production line automation and ROI.
Example from our projects
The crate assembly robot was built for a woodworking client whose manual assembly could not match order intake. The completed cell, enclosed in safety fencing, achieves more than 400 cycles per hour and raised productivity by over 40%. The shaver head assembly machine took a different route: an Xinje TG HMI and a DS2 servo drive tripled throughput with zero defects, and assembly settings are changed directly from the panel without a programmer on site.
Frequently asked questions
Is a robot always necessary, or will a dedicated machine suffice?
Where the task is a single repeated motion on one part, a servo-driven mechanism is usually cheaper and faster to commission. A robot earns its cost where trajectories are complex, where several part variants share one station, or where the cell is expected to take on further tasks later.
Can the emergency stop be placed on the operator panel?
No. EN ISO 13850 requires a manually actuated device with a latching function and direct opening action, which a touchscreen cannot provide. Other safety functions may be implemented on a safety relay or safety controller and transmitted over PROFIsafe, CIP Safety or FSoE, but the emergency stop device itself remains physical.
Does adding a robot to an existing machine require a fresh conformity assessment?
It depends on whether the change alters the risk. Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, applicable from 20 January 2027 in place of Directive 2006/42/EC, tests for substantial modification by change in risk, not by throughput or speed. A notified body is involved only for high-risk categories.
Who operates the cell once it is handed over?
The existing operators. Training forms part of commissioning, and the visualisation is built so that routine adjustments — formats, counts, parameters — are made from the panel. The considerations behind panel selection are described in the guide to choosing an operator panel.
Request a quote
Tell us which operation is holding up your production and what output you need from it. We will arrange a site visit, look at the process as it actually runs, and send you a quote within 48 hours of that visit. Call +48 796 019 414 or write to biuro@automation.net.pl. We deliver projects throughout Poland. You can also send your enquiry via the contact form.