What was a small Belgian CNC Automation company doing at Fanuc's booth at TechniShow in 2012?
Why did Fanuc invite RoboJob to its TechniShow booth in 2012?
As we moved into our new headquarters, we stumbled upon some boxes with old memories. Take a look at this old gem from our two founders Helmut De Roovere (on the left) and Luc De Ceuster (on the right) from March 2012. Our CTO Luc gladly tells us what it's about.
Why was CNC Automation for small batches such a challenge in 2012?
“This picture was taken in 2012 at TechniShow. It was still early days for CNC Automation back then. And we not only had to convince CNC experts of CNC Automation, we also had to convince them to consider it for small and medium-sized batches. It’s true: we were the first to claim that segment.
Because those series were hard to automate: you’d need to be able to program the robot in under 5 minutes, otherwise it wouldn’t be profitable to automate a batch cycle of only 30 minutes.
That was already a challenge, but we also had to show that every CNC operator could do this, so they wouldn’t need the help of expensive experts for those small batches.
How did RoboJob convince visitors at TechniShow 2012?
So we rose to the challenge and grabbed nearly every visitor by the collar to program our robot themselves. The disbelief was immense. You should have seen those faces when they not only saw that it was possible to program a robot in a few minutes, but also that they could do it themselves. Jaws were on the floor. Human jaws, that is. (laughs)
Those demos were intensive, and it took a lot of preparation to get those 4 RoboJob systems up and running in only a short week. We needed four of our technical colleagues to give the live demos, and our colleagues from Sales to talk to the booth visitors. That was actually nearly our entire team, as we were that small in 2012. (laughs)
Why was Fanuc’s invitation a milestone for RoboJob?
It was a huge adventure, because back then we were only a small Belgian company selling a pioneering solution, yet it was Fanuc, the world’s largest robot supplier, who invited us to their booth at TechniShow. That was unheard of, and we were incredibly proud of that opportunity.
Those four days really are a milestone in the history of RoboJob.”
What does this mean for CNC Automation today?
The idea behind those demos is still at the heart of RoboJob: CNC Automation that every operator can program and use, also for small and medium-sized batches. Want to know more about who we are and how we got here?
Frequently asked questions about RoboJob at TechniShow 2012
Why was RoboJob at Fanuc’s booth at TechniShow 2012?
Fanuc, the world’s largest robot supplier, invited RoboJob to its booth at TechniShow in 2012. At the time, RoboJob was still a small Belgian company with a pioneering CNC Automation solution.
Who founded RoboJob?
RoboJob was founded by Helmut De Roovere and Luc De Ceuster. Luc is RoboJob’s CTO.
Why were small batches hard to automate in 2012?
To make automating small batches profitable, the robot had to be programmed in under 5 minutes. Otherwise, automating a batch cycle of only 30 minutes was not worth it.
What did RoboJob show at TechniShow 2012?
RoboJob ran live demos on 4 RoboJob systems. Visitors programmed the robot themselves and discovered that it only took a few minutes.
Can a CNC operator program a RoboJob system without a robot expert?
That has been RoboJob’s goal from the start: every CNC operator should be able to program the robot, without help from expensive experts. Request a demo to see how it works.