Unlocking Hidden Capacity in Existing Pick-and-Place Automation

The opportunity

Manufacturers invest in pick-and-place automation expecting a specific throughput. In practice, most cells run below their theoretical maximum — not because the robot is too slow, but because vibration at each stop point forces the system to pause before the next operation. This gap between rated capability and actual throughput represents stranded capital.

The conventional response is to add a second robot to the cell, upgrade to a faster platform, or accept the throughput limitation. Each of these carries significant cost — capital expenditure, integration engineering, and production downtime for installation.

Software-based vibration compensation offers a different path: recover the lost throughput from existing equipment by reducing the settling time at each precision stop. No hardware change, no cell redesign.

What this enables

• For manufacturers: Higher parts-per-minute from installed robots. Defer or eliminate the capital cost of adding capacity. Absorb volume increases without cell redesign.

• For system integrators: A performance upgrade that can be proposed for existing installations, not just new builds. Quantifiable throughput improvement strengthens the business case for automation projects.

• For robot OEMs and distributors: A software layer that improves the competitive position of existing platforms in throughput-sensitive applications.

What it is

Vibration compensation software learns how a specific robot arm vibrates and modifies motion commands to reduce that vibration. The arm follows the same path at the same speed but arrives at each stop with less oscillation, so the next operation begins sooner.

Reforge Robotics' control software includes Shaper, a vibration compensation module that has demonstrated more than 80% vibration reduction and up to 2x productivity improvement from reduced settling time in testing. The software deploys through the robot's existing command interface without mechanical modification or controller replacement.

Why this matters now

Pick-and-place is the most common robot application by volume. As labor costs rise and reshoring accelerates, manufacturers are under pressure to maximize the output of every installed robot. The gap between a robot's rated capability and its actual throughput — often 10–30% — is a leverage point that software can address at a fraction of the cost of hardware changes.

Platform and deployment

Reforge currently supports Standard Bots, UFACTORY, Trossen, and Denso platforms. Deployment requires an initial calibration session and software integration through the robot's existing SDK. No permanent sensors or mechanical modifications.