Fast Radius > Case Studies > Manufacturing high-quality parts for high-performing robots

Manufacturing high-quality parts for high-performing robots

Customer Company Size

Mid-size Company

Region

America

Country

United States

Product

Cobalt Security Robots
Fast Radius Manufacturing Services

Tech Stack

Urethane Casting
CNC Master Patterns
3D Printing

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Cost Savings
Productivity Improvements

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems

Applicable Industries

Security & Public Safety

Applicable Functions

Discrete Manufacturing
Product Research & Development

Use Cases

Manufacturing System Automation
Predictive Maintenance

Services

Hardware Design & Engineering Services
System Integration

About The Customer

Cobalt Robotics is a company that produces security robots. Their mission is to make robots that are useful to society. To achieve this, they aim to ensure that every human interaction with their robot is not only useful but positive. Their goal is to move toward a harmonious relationship between machines and humans. To achieve this vision, Cobalt created a very reliable robot that could augment the work of humans in security, rather than replace it. Cobalt’s robots are purposefully designed to not appear humanoid, but because the robot operates in spaces where humans work and live, it was important that the machine still exude an approachability and warmth that would make people feel comfortable interacting with it.

The Challenge

Cobalt Robotics is a company that produces security robots designed to augment human security efforts rather than replace them. The robots are designed to be approachable and warm, making people feel comfortable interacting with them. This necessitated special attention to the cosmetic components of the robots, which are the external parts that humans will see and interact with. Cobalt needed these cosmetic parts to be made exactly to their design specifications. Prior to working with Fast Radius, Cobalt struggled to find a cost-effective supplier that could deliver on the exact specifications of the product.

The Solution

Cobalt partnered with Fast Radius to manufacture the critical cosmetic parts of their robots using urethane casting. Fast Radius provided fast response times, ongoing communication, and advanced manufacturing expertise across different processes. They advised that new CNC master patterns would be more accurate than Cobalt’s original FDM ones, resolving previous fitment issues and coming up with a more cost-effective way of producing cast urethane molds for the parts. Fast Radius also went through multiple rounds of sample production and feedback to ensure the parts met Cobalt's high quality standards. In addition, Fast Radius managed all the logistics of the project, shipping parts quickly and easily across the globe thanks to their partnership with UPS.

Operational Impact

Fast Radius provided dedicated service from manufacturing experts, meeting Cobalt’s need for speed and agility.
Fast Radius demonstrated a commitment to quality, going through multiple rounds of sample production and feedback to ensure the parts met Cobalt's high quality standards.
Fast Radius made logistics easy, managing all aspects of the project and shipping parts quickly and easily across the globe.

Quantitative Benefit