What does it look like when a single cobot workcell solves a real problem, earns full ROI in under a year, and quietly grows into a 27-station automation program? That's exactly what happened at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) after they deployed Robotiq Cobot Components and the Screwdriving Workcell on their assembly line.
SEL designs, develops, and manufactures digital products and systems that protect, automate, and control critical infrastructure in over 170 countries. With a mission to make electric power safer, more reliable, and more economical, quality and repeatability are non-negotiable at SEL. When a recurring ergonomic problem started putting operators out of action, they turned to Robotiq to fix it and what started as one workcell became something much bigger.
As SEL's production volumes increased, tasks that were once manageable became real ergonomic challenges. One product in particular, the 700 series, required operators to drive 8 screws on the rear panel, repeatedly reaching up to grab a tool and tighten screws all day long.
With hundreds of units moving through the line each day, operators were manually driving 4,000 screws daily. The repetition might sound routine on paper, but the physical toll was anything but. Within two years, three operators suffered rotator cuff injuries, a clear sign that the cumulative strain was significant and only getting worse.
SEL needed a solution, and it had to check several boxes at once. It had to eliminate the repetitive ergonomic risk causing these injuries. It had to integrate quickly, without the long deployment cycles typical of traditional automation projects. It had to be easy enough for SEL's own engineers to operate without specialized robotics training. And critically, it couldn't be a one-off fix. SEL needed something that could scale to other products and applications beyond this single use case.
SEL acquired their first Robotiq Workcell, specifically building a Screwdriving Workcell integrated with a UR cobot. The ease of implementation, particularly thanks to the Robotiq URCap software, meant a working program was running within days.
For Tyler Marines, Development Lead Engineer at SEL, that early experience stuck with him:
"It was very, very cool to be able to get a robot, get a screwdriver, and solve a problem without breaking the bank."
That first success on the 700 series rear panels didn't stay contained to one workcell. SEL's automation program expanded quickly with the addition of more cobot components. The Screwdriving Workcell, including feeders for high-volume screw supply, is now used across multiple product lines. The team added Adaptive Grippers (2F-85 and 2F-140) for pick & place of circuit boards and parts. A tool changer from TripleA enabled multi-component cells, letting a single robot switch between tasks.
What began as a single pilot cell became a coordinated, multi-cell automation program, and the results went beyond ergonomics. Since deploying the solution, SEL has recorded zero customer feedback or returns related to screwdriving.
1.4 million screws automated yearly. What once required operators to hand-drive 4,000 screws across hundreds of units each day is now fully automated. The single most physically demanding manual task on the line has been removed entirely.
3 to 0 rotator cuff injuries. After 3 cases in two years, automating the repetitive manual assembly movements eliminated the ergonomic strain that had been building as production volumes increased. This was the problem SEL set out to solve, and it's been solved.
27 active stations across the facility. From 1 pilot cell to 27 production stations, what started as a single Screwdriving Workcell has grown into a multi-cell automation program with Robotiq products ranging from grippers to screwdrivers.
A few factors explain why SEL's relationship with Robotiq grew from a single Workcell into a facility-wide program.
Rapid time to value. A working automation Workcell using Robotiq cobot components was running within 3 months. The URCap integration with Universal Robots made programming fast and accessible for SEL's internal engineers.
Full ROI within one year. Factoring in hardware costs and the financial impact of ergonomic injuries, SEL recouped their investment within twelve months.
Low barrier to entry. The price of a Robotiq Workcell allows teams like SEL's to acquire one and start experimenting internally, reducing the barrier to proving ROI before committing to a larger-scale deployment.
Easy operator training. New operators were able to be quickly trained on the use of Robotiq cobot components and Workcell. The ease of use reduced training time and reliance on specialized knowledge.
SEL's story isn't really about screws. It's about what happens when a manufacturer takes a recurring ergonomic problem seriously and finds a tool that's accessible enough to start small, fast enough to show value quickly, and flexible enough to grow well beyond its original use case.
If your team is doing repetitive assembly, pick & place, or parts handling, Robotiq cobot components are built to grow with you, from a single pilot cell to a full multi-cell automation solution.
The Screwdriving Workcell isn't limited to traditional automation applications. As physical AI continues to reshape manufacturing, structured and repeatable tasks like screwdriving are among the first to benefit from AI-driven robot intelligence, enabling cobots to adapt, learn, and perform with even greater precision and flexibility on the factory floor.
If you're exploring how physical AI can be applied to your assembly operations, the Screwdriving Workcell is a strong starting point. Explore more about physical AI here.