Robotics Company Ships Collaborative Robot for Small-Scale Factories
CINCINNATI, Ohio, November 27, 2025 – FlexBot Automation announced today the commercial shipment of its CB Series collaborative robots, engineered specifically for small-to-medium manufacturing enterprises operating with limited technical staff and floor space. The inaugural delivery to three Ohio-based contract manufacturers marks the company’s entry into the rapidly expanding SME automation market, where demand for accessible robotics solutions has accelerated amid persistent workforce constraints.
The CB Series rollout addresses a critical gap in industrial automation for factories with fewer than 500 employees, which comprise 98% of U.S. manufacturing establishments but have historically faced barriers to robotic integration. According to recent industry analysis, integration costs for traditional robots typically run four to five times the equipment price—a prohibitive expense for smaller operations. FlexBot’s turnkey approach reduces total deployment costs by up to 60% through pre-configured software modules and a zero-code programming interface that enables machinists and line operators to reprogram units in under two hours.
This democratization of automation aligns with broader market trends, as collaborative robot revenue is projected to reach $7.2 billion by 2030, driven largely by SME adoption. ABI Research forecasts that cobot shipments in North America alone will grow at a 29% compound annual rate, with small manufacturers representing the fastest-growing segment as they seek to compete with larger firms reshoring production.
“Small-scale factories are the backbone of American manufacturing, yet they’ve been systematically priced out of automation innovation,” said Michael Torres, CEO and co-founder of FlexBot Automation. “Our CB Series doesn’t just offer a cheaper robot—it reimagines the entire integration model so a 30-person machine shop can achieve ROI within eight months, not three years. We’re seeing customers reduce machine-tending labor costs by 30% while improving first-pass yield rates through consistent, repeatable operations.”
The CB Series includes three payload variants—3 kg, 5 kg, and 10 kg—with reach distances from 590 mm to 1,000 mm and repeatability of ±0.02 mm, matching the precision of industrial-grade systems. Each unit features integrated 3D vision for real-time part recognition and collision avoidance, enabling safe operation alongside human workers without safety cages. The proprietary FlexOS platform allows operators to create new tasks via tablet-based drag-and-drop sequencing, eliminating the need for specialized robotics programmers. Early deployments demonstrate versatility across applications including CNC machine tending, light assembly, pick-and-place packaging, and automated inspection.
Market data underscores the urgency driving SME automation adoption. The collaborative robot market reached $5.58 billion in 2025, expanding at a 32.7% CAGR, according to Precedence Research. Labor shortages remain the primary catalyst, with the U.S. manufacturing sector facing a deficit of approximately 600,000 skilled workers. Concurrently, supply chain volatility has pushed 72% of Western manufacturers to evaluate reshoring, increasing pressure on domestic suppliers to boost capacity without proportional headcount growth.
FlexBot’s shipment launch follows a successful six-month beta program with twelve pilot customers across the Midwest, where units accumulated over 18,000 operating hours with 99.2% uptime. The company has established a Cincinnati-based integration center to provide same-day technical support and maintains an inventory of 50 units for shipment within one week—addressing a critical pain point for smaller manufacturers who cannot afford extended production disruptions.
The CB Series is priced from $28,500 to $42,000 depending on payload, approximately 40% below comparable systems from established vendors. FlexBot offers a subscription model at $850 monthly that includes maintenance, software updates, and remote monitoring, making automation accessible to shops with annual revenues under $5 million. This financing structure directly responds to SME budget constraints cited in MIT Sloan research, where capital expenditure limitations and uncertain ROI calculations remain the top barriers to technology adoption.
About FlexBot Automation
Founded in 2022 by former FANUC and ABB engineers, FlexBot Automation designs collaborative robotics systems exclusively for small-to-medium manufacturers. The company has secured $12 million in Series A funding led by Manufacturing Tech Ventures and operates integration facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Grand Rapids, Michigan. FlexBot’s mission is to democratize industrial automation through accessible technology, transparent pricing, and localized support. For more information, visit
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