The arm runs; the shift does not use it—pilots stall between “good for demos” and “required for ship”; published bands cite ~2–6 weeks for full-station tune and integration ~30–50% of project cost. Cobot pilot go-live notes.
The station named in the charter is often the visible one—not the bottleneck; published payback bands often cite ~12–24 months single-shift—modeling the whole factory from a showcase sample skews ROI from the root. Cobot first-station site selection notes.
Manual looks flexible because cost scatters across wages, overtime, rework, and hiring—published palletizing guides cite injury rates ~2–3× manufacturing average and single back claims often ~$35k–$75k. Cobot manual-line hidden-cost notes.
Reliable is not “never faults”—it is unpacking the problem in the hardest week; ISO 10218 / TS 15066 context plus clear docs, SLA, and rollback beat a good dinner. Cobot partner selection notes.
The arm above the waterline is often only ~25–50% of project cost; integration ~30–50% and EOAT ~$2k–$40k+ sit below—and rarely appear complete on the first quote. Cobot integration hidden-cost notes.
