"Manufacturers producing precision components often need to make caliper measurements of the parts for QC and process control - a boring and repetitive process that is a prime candidate for automation," said Stefan Friedrich, specialist at New Scale Robotics. "This white paper helps manufacturers assess whether their specific parts and processes are suited for automation using a Q-Span Workstation Kit." Collaborative robots (cobots) make automation feasible for small-batch, high-mix manufacturers. Unlike hard-tooled industrial robots, cobots are deployed quickly at relatively low cost, operate near human workers, and can be easily moved from task to task. Q-Span Workstation Kits work with cobots from Universal Robots (UR) to automatically measure small parts and record the data for statistical analysis. They combine this measurement with part handing (pick and place) to remove most of the labor from the process. The Q-Span Workstation can sort parts or alert operators to process drift based on real-time measurements.