Case Studies

Old Zhou’s New Partner, Xiao Co(The Cobotarc), did not replace him but help him adapt to small batchs of different welding needs and lower the return rate. Old Zhou proudly told us, Xiao Co is such a good helper, safe and accurate.

Old Zhou squatted in the corner of the woodworking workshop, staring at the third cracked metal bracket he’d welded for custom chair frames. A fine hairline split ran along the joint—tomorrow was delivery day, and the client would be furious. “These custom orders are too much hassle!” He wiped sweat from his brow. “Every bracket’s dimensions are different. With hand welding, I’d have to adjust the heat ten times, and one slip-up ruins the piece.”

Tech assistant Xiao Lu wheeled in a silver robotic arm. Old Zhou was still grinding at the crack with a file. “Meet Xiao Co,” Xiao Lu said, gesturing to the machine. “It’s a collaborative robot—you can move it around, no safety barriers. Just guide it to mark the start and end points, and it’ll adjust the force itself.” Old Zhou frowned. “My old hands have been doing this for decades. A machine’s gonna teach me?”

Xiao Xie’s first shift: welding a custom metal frame. Old Zhou stood beside it, gripping the control handle, guiding the arm from the left end of the bracket to the right. “Beep”—the screen flashed “Path saved.” He stepped back, and the arm immediately began welding. The torch hovered at an angle steadier than his own hand. “Wow!” He leaned in, squinting. The weld seam was smooth, uniform, even on the trickiest curved joints—no gaps, no leaks.

But the best part was the force-sensitive protection. Last week, his apprentice Xiao Wu had stumbled, nearly smacking Xiao Co’s torch with a spool of wire. The arm froze instantly, its red warning light flashing: “External interference detected.” “Before, this’d either bend the workpiece or burn someone,” Old Zhou said, patting Xiao Co. “Now it dodges on its own. Safe as houses.”

At month’s end, Old Zhou grinned at his ledger. The return rate for custom brackets had plummeted from 15% to 3%. “The client called,” he said, flipping through the thin stack of papers. “Said they’ll double their order next time—praising the weld quality.” Xiao Wu lingered nearby, watching Xiao Co work. “This machine’s not here to steal our jobs,” Old Zhou muttered, adjusting a parameter. “It’s here to back me up.”

In the woodworking workshop, weld sparks fluttered, and the cobot hummed softly. Old Zhou ran a hand over the smooth seam, smiling. Collaborative robots aren’t here to replace old craftsmen—they’re here to team up, making sure the craft stays strong.