Integrators joke: “The arm is the fastest thing to ship.” True—and the project is not necessarily the fastest thing to start. Six stages below map a typical cobot cell from first email to production run-off. Use it as an inquiry checklist or a pre-PO agenda.
Stage 0 — Inquiry alignment (day 0–7)
Send once (what Contact us and partner calls want most):
| Field | Why now |
|---|---|
| Part photos / weight / infeed | → End-effector guide |
| Worst-case TCP load | → Payload guide |
| Top-view sketch or station video | → Workcell layout guide |
| Target cycle time (s/piece) | → Cycle time guide |
| PLC brand / protocol | → Safety & I/O guide |
| Environment (dust, fluid, clean) | IP and guarding |
| Target production window | Drives freight and downtime planning |
Output: 2–3 candidates + Side-by-Side Comparison or Product Advisor link
Stage 1 — Proposal and quote (~1–3 weeks)
One SOW for above and below the waterline: arm tier, EOAT lead time, IO list, e-stop topology, acceptance (takt, yield, run hours). Pair with → ROI guide
Stage 2 — PO and delivery (~3–8 weeks)
Parallel: bench/mechanical work, EOAT order, PLC skeleton, trainees named. Classic slip: arm arrives, bench holes not drilled.
Stage 3 — Mount and power-up (~1–5 days)
Base, dress, tool install, TCP, first jog. Skilled teams often jog a first pick-place in hours to one day—empty or ideal infeed, not production acceptance.
Stage 4 — Integration tune (~1–4 weeks, widest spread)
Real parts, real takt, real handshakes: fixture trim, PLC interlocks, safety speeds, 20–30 cycles (average + slowest loop). Traps: empty-rack demo, arm-only takt, three spec stories → Selection mistakes guide
Stage 5 — Run-off and handover (~3–10 days)
SOPs, spares, owner after integrator leaves, rollback if pilot fails.
Stage 6 — Stable production (ongoing)
First 30 days: vacuum PM, path tweaks, changeover recipes. Task fit shows here → Task readiness guide
Two timelines side by side
| Scope | Rough expectation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Arm only + skilled team + simple pick-place | Hours to 1 day after delivery for first path | No PLC, not production sign-off |
| Full station (EOAT + fixture + I/O + run-off) | ~2–6 weeks common | Parallel work swings this |
| Downtime + cross-border + vision | 6–12+ weeks not unusual | Name in stage 0 |
Roooll’s role: predictable arm supply and spec alignment—integration, PLC, and fixtures stay your scope; send payload, reach, takt, and flange context once so the floor does not discover gaps in week two.
