Engineering teams are constantly challenged to produce more with less. Fusion OEM—a high-mix, low-volume CNC machining expert in the Midwest—was facing the challenge of doing more with less: increasing output, eliminating human error, and maximizing uptime. Their solution? Integrating collaborative robots (cobots) powered by Universal Robots and Robotiq adaptive grippers—driving transformative results in their factory.​

The Problem: Bottlenecks and Manual Labor

Fusion OEM relied on manual machine tending for 14 CNC machines. Skilled machinists were spending valuable time loading and unloading parts instead of tackling high-value programming and process improvements. With demand rising and qualified labor hard to find, the team sought an automation strategy that could scale without sacrificing quality.

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The Solution: Universal Robots + Robotiq Grippers

By installing four Universal Robots equipped with Robotiq's Hand-E Adaptive Gripper, Force Copilot, and Insights software, Fusion OEM engineered a production leap:

• Automated machine tending enabled lights-out manufacturing.

• Four times cost reduction in running key jobs compared to manual labor.​​

• Dramatic defect rate decrease—robots made fewer mistakes than even top machinists.

Watch how collaborative robots revolutionize CNC machine tending in this case study video:

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Engineering Benefits: Smarter, Faster, Simpler

Robotiq's Hand-E Adaptive Gripper proved flawless for precision part insertion—IP67-rated for rugged CNC environments, with plug-and-play setup that even first-time users mastered in minutes. Engineers noted several advantages:​​

• Consistent part handling—robotic loading minimized human error.

• Simple programming—Force Copilot software reduced coding to just a few lines for multi-axis moves.

• Remote monitoring and alerts—Operators received real-time updates and predictive maintenance notifications.​

The Human Impact

Rather than replacing jobs, cobots empowered Fusion OEM's team to focus on engineering tasks and continuous improvement. Machinists described robots as "brobots"—valued shop companions enhancing consistency and throughput while freeing up time for value-added work.​​

Production supervisor Chris Wenzel put it simply: “Compared to traditional robots, it’s night and day. Now we talk in minutes, not hours.”

Scalability and Results

Fusion OEM plans to automate all 14 CNC machines to double capacity by next year. Using Lean Robotics methods, the company standardizes deployments for rapid results. The numbers speak for themselves: recurring jobs that once took 6 days are now finished in 3, even with overnight runs.​​​

Engineer Your Future

Ready to maximize engineering value and future-proof your shop with automation? Discover Universal Robots, Robotiq grippers, and next-gen CNC integrations at Automation Distribution. Explore our full range of automation solutions and connect with our applications team for personalized advice.

Start your automation success story today—contact Automation Distribution at 1-888-600-3080 to schedule a demo or request technical consultation!