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Major Limitations in Industrial Robot Applications and Solutions

July 21,2025

Introduction
Today, industrial robots have been widely adopted in industries such as automotive manufacturing, plastics processing, and medical devices, significantly improving production efficiency and promoting the development of smart factories. Despite this, companies must fully understand the limitations and challenges they face when introducing and utilizing robots.

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global industrial robot market is expected to exceed US$31.3 billion by 2028, driven primarily by the growing demand for automation in manufacturing. While robotics technology offers numerous advantages, companies must not ignore its limitations.
This article will analyze the core issues of industrial robots in three key areas: cost, safety, and operator training, and explore corresponding solutions.

Cost Pressures of Industrial Robots
Industrial robots require a significant initial investment, including equipment procurement, installation, and commissioning. Furthermore, maintenance costs are also significant and vary significantly depending on the robot model and frequency of use, often accounting for a significant portion of the total equipment cost.

Furthermore, the purchase of auxiliary equipment such as end effectors and specialized sensors can also increase overall costs.
With the rapid development of robotics technology, upgraded products are constantly emerging on the market. Frequent equipment upgrades are placing significant financial pressure on businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises.

Is investing in robots worth it?
Despite the high initial investment, industrial robots can help businesses achieve a rapid return by improving production efficiency and reducing operating costs. Reasonable capital planning and investment strategies are key.
Purchasing refurbished robots is also an effective way to reduce costs. Refurbished equipment offers near-new performance and stability, but at a significantly lower price.

Safety Challenges of Industrial Robots
Due to their large size and rapid movements, industrial robots initially lacked environmental awareness, making them prone to safety accidents. Many companies implemented safety fences or isolation measures to separate robots from operators.

With the emergence of collaborative robots (cobots), robots can safely collaborate in shared spaces, and safety standards and regulations are evolving.
While completely eliminating safety risks remains difficult, technologies such as light curtains, laser scanners, and presence detection systems have significantly improved operational safety.
Performing risk assessments on production lines and strengthening employee safety training can help reduce accidents.
Multi-layered safety measures create a safer and more efficient robot working environment for enterprises.

Training Challenges for Industrial Robots
Robot operation and programming typically require specialized skills. Even experienced technicians need to relearn relevant knowledge when faced with new software or equipment models. Operational errors can impact production efficiency and even pose safety risks.
In recent years, the rise of no-code and low-code programming platforms has lowered the barrier to entry for programming. Operators can quickly configure robots using a visual interface and drag-and-drop tools.
This reduces reliance on professional programmers, lowers labor costs, and improves the production line's responsiveness to changes.
A survey shows that approximately 84% of companies in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia have adopted low-code development environments, and this trend is expanding.

Summary
Industrial robots hold enormous potential for improving production efficiency and achieving a positive return on investment, but companies must address challenges such as cost, safety, and training.
Through sound investment planning, strengthened safety management, and the promotion of advanced training methods, manufacturing companies can effectively overcome bottlenecks, maximize the advantages of industrial robots, and elevate intelligent manufacturing to a new level.

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