Manufacturing Addressing the Skilled Labor Shortage With Cobots

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Companies in industrial manufacturing are under growing pressure: customers expect shorter delivery times, smaller batch sizes, and the highest quality—all while facing a shortage of skilled workers.

The heat sink industry, like many manufacturing segments, is undergoing profound change. Customers are increasingly demanding customized solutions, short delivery times, and high product variety. At the same time, thermal requirements for components are rising, while available space is decreasing. This results in complex geometries, demanding tolerances, and frequent product changes in production. The trend toward electrification—for example, in power electronics or the e-mobility sector—further intensifies the pressure for innovation.

Junior Kühlkörper addresses these challenges with state-of-the-art manufacturing. At its Plettenberg site, the company produces over two million heat sinks and aluminum components annually with around 200 employees. An in-house toolmaking facility and more than 80 CNC machining centers ensure the necessary flexibility—and form the basis for extensive automation progress.

Over 40 Cobots in Productive Use

To economically automate typical manual manufacturing steps such as pick-and-place processes, machine loading, and palletizing, Junior Kühlkörper relies on collaborative robots. Overall, more than 40 cobots from the E-Series and the new generation of Universal Robots are in productive use today—including the models UR5e, UR10e, UR20, and UR30. The selection depends on the specific application, required reach, and payload.

"When others are still planning, we are already implementing. With Universal Robots, we have the freedom to just get started. The cobots are intuitive, safe, and immediately won over our team," reports Operations Manager Thomas Borchard.

The pick-and-place applications are implemented with vacuum grippers that can be adjusted to various component diameters without tools. This makes the use of cobots economically viable even for small batch sizes—a key requirement for cost-effective operation given the high variety of variants.

Particularly important for Junior Kühlkörper was the simple commissioning and flexibility in ongoing operations. For applications with low risk potential, such as loading CNC centers, UR5e and UR10e models are used without separating protective devices after a successfully conducted risk assessment. The CE-compliant evaluation is carried out internally by specially trained engineers.

Automation

Increase Productivity Without Risk With Low-Cost Robotics

For more force-intensive tasks—such as handling parts at saws or palletizing heavy workpieces—UR20 and UR30 cobots are used, which are integrated into specially constructed safety enclosures for security reasons. This clearly structured separation allows for a high degree of flexibility and safety—without unnecessary complexity.

Modularity As A Success Factor

To make the cobots even more versatile, Junior developed its own mobile cobot cells. These can be easily relocated within the production environment. A modular quick-change system enables the flexible exchange of various grippers, clamping devices, or workpiece holders—all without the need for special tools. This creates a highly adaptive manufacturing environment that can quickly adjust to new components or product variants.

The Fascination of Robotics

When the Wheelchair Learns to Walk

"We wanted to become more flexible and deploy our skilled workers where they are really needed," says Thomas Borchard. "The cobots take over monotonous tasks and relieve our team—this creates free space and motivates."

For more complex applications, Junior uses CAD-based 3D simulations to efficiently prepare new cobot projects. "Especially for more demanding applications, this helps us immensely," says Borchard. "The planning becomes tangible—and the cobot is productive faster."

Build And Share Know-How

An important factor for the successful use of cobots was employee training. Numerous colleagues completed the online courses of the UR Academy to become familiar with programming, operation, and integration of the cobots. Additionally, a technician team underwent UR service training on-site in Munich to independently carry out minor maintenance tasks.

"Our technicians have the necessary know-how to immediately fix minor issues themselves," reports Borchard. This saves time and ensures system availability—a key advantage in shift operations. For more complex issues, the Universal Robots service team provides advisory support.

Automation As the Key to Competitiveness

The introduction of cobots at Junior Kühlkörper is more than just a response to the shortage of skilled workers—it is part of a long-term strategy to secure competitiveness. The technology enables the establishment of stable and scalable processes that can be quickly adapted to new requirements. At the same time, automation creates new opportunities for employees.

Our employees see that the cobots take over monotonous burdens for them. At the same time, they can contribute their ideas and take responsibility for automation. This motivates them.

Thomas Borchard, Operations manager

"You have to bring people along—that's something we succeeded in doing," emphasizes Borchard. "Our employees see that the cobots take over monotonous burdens for them. At the same time, they can contribute their ideas and take responsibility for automation. This motivates them."

With its well-thought-out, practical approach, Junior Kühlkörper demonstrates how medium-sized manufacturing companies can successfully balance the challenges of a skilled labor shortage, customer expectations, and technological progress—modular, scalable, and future-proof.

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