Experts believe that the industrial robot “Balthazar” is a pioneer of an automation boom for small and medium enterprises. It has conquered a completely new application field – in its case, the beauty industry. A Slovenian start-up company discovered the unusual talent of the double-arm droid. As an industrial robot of the 4.0 generation, “Balthazar” works linked to the Internet. Its specialty: Compose beauty and wellness products completely according to individual consumer requests at the touch of a button at the online store website.

“Balthazar” can be seen live at the world’s largest robot trade fair Automatica in Munich from June 21 to 24.

“The flexible use of the robot Balthazar embodies a new automation trend that is now possible for small and medium enterprises,” stated Dr. Martin Lechner, Head of Technology Trade Fairs at Messe München and responsible for Automatica. “With the digital networking of more inexpensive industrial or service robots, the desire for customized, personalized products and services is becoming a cost-effective reality.”

“Balthazar”, a robot from the company Yaskawa, provides Internet shoppers with their individually desired formula in AlpStories online shop via mouse click. Size and ingredients of the products are determined by consumers themselves and adapted to personal needs using an online wizard. Before delivery, shoppers also have the opportunity to design the packaging and track the production process of “Balthazar” via live stream.

The robot works according to the concept of “built-to-order”, the next wave of automation: production only takes place after an order has been placed. The desire for individualization in mass production (mass customization) is also enabled in a completely new way thanks to the cooperative robot of the latest generation. Such limited series production is a trend in many application fields, as it already is in the automotive industry today. Different product variants are produced seamlessly in succession. Extensive and expensive production adjustments are eliminated. Machine vision systems and sensors enable robots practically to “see” and “feel” and consequently communicate with their surrounding infrastructure. As a result, they form a central pillar for networked production.

“Decision-makers at SMEs should not miss the industrial robot Balthazar and many of its pioneering colleagues at Automatica in Munich,” Dr. Martin Lechner emphasized.