Description and product’s purpose:
The automated material loading system is designed to move material to a set, cobot-accessible working location. Material is automatically removed when completed and stowed back into the mobile rack. This lift eliminates the need for a worker to remove/reload material from the cobot work zone periodically, and can extend cobot worktime by 10 to 20x.

Development and Design:
This product was developed as a result of the restocking gap that cobots left when running long jobs. A team of engineers investigated the issue and then developed this highly efficient solution, extending uninterrupted run times for the cobots.

The automated material loading system utilizes several components from the PBC Linear product line including: Hevi-rail, linear guide rails, ball bearings, simplicity bearings, lead screws and ball screws. It offers multiple benefits including:

• Increased run times by 10-20x
• Decreased needs for worker intervention in work area
• Increased production output

These benefits ultimately allow for lights-out machining and help fix ongoing labor shortage issues.

Ideal applications:
The automated material loading system can be applied to many types of applications on the factory floor, including pick and place, packaging, inspection, and welding. Additionally, this technology can be appropriate for machine tending applications such as CNC Mills, CNC lathes, and grinding/surface finishing.

For details on patents, questions, or quotes, please contact Beau Wileman or Tim Lecrone at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.