Project description
A sensor to sit on robot welding head
The changeovers required by welding robots between production batches result in downtime, which is inefficient and costly. The EU-funded SmoothTool project has a solution – a sensor that fits on any robot welding head. Using a handheld controller, the operator can trace the welding path, and specially designed software can automatically programme the robot. Testing with customers shows that SmoothTool sensor reduces changeover time by a whopping 80 %. The project estimates that there are 10 000 European SMEs that could boost their profits and competitiveness with the SmoothTool technology. The project will target markets in France, Germany and the United Kingdom before launching in North America and Asia.
Objective
Smooth Robotics is revolutionizing the SME metalworking industry with our SmoothTool innovation. In Europe alone, SMEs working with welding robots spend more than €240M on changeovers between production series, and leave an additional €80M on the table in lost revenues every year, because their factories are not agile enough to profitably produce small series orders. The reason for this is two-fold: 1) with current welding robots on the market, changeover requires offline programming based on a CAD model and; 2) SMEs do not have the in-house skills needed for programming and changeover, so they must hire an external integrator which further adds to their production costs. Smooth Robotics is solving this problem with our SmoothTool - a patent-pending sensor that fits on any robot welding head. Using our joysticks, the operator traces the welding path with the sensor. Our software learns by demonstration and automatically programs the robot. No complicated instruction manual and no expert required. Early testing with customers shows that our SmoothTool reduces changeover time by over 80%. At Birk Stål A/S, a leader in hooks and suspensions, average changeover time is expected to be reduced from 17 to 2 hours, allowing them to accept 50+ more orders per year and boost revenues by 30%. There are 10,000 European SMEs that could boost their profits and competitiveness with the SmoothTool. Having already signed contracts and pre-orders valued at €700K, our phase 1 feasibility study will set the bases for successful company scale-up across Europe and then to N. America and Asia. We will perform a private Beta test with 5 test customers, strengthen our IP management strategy and develop a clear go-to-market business plan. Outputs from this project will enable a soft launch product validation as part of our foreseen SME phase 2 project. With a global launch planned in Q1 2021, Smooth Robotics seeks to generate €18M in revenues and grow to a team of 45 employees by 2023.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences software
- social sciences economics and business business and management business models
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering robotics
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
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H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
5260 ODENSE
Denmark
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.