There’s been a lot of momentum in robotic systems integration across industries like aerospace,
consumer products, automotive and more.

We take it as a good sign for manufacturing and CNC-robot integration at large that interest in these
technologies is expanding. Which makes sense — there’s a lot to be interested in and a lot that’s
changing in the coming year.

With 2026 underway, let’s walk through the major changes in the field that we saw in 2025, and how
we’re seeing them take effect now.

What we saw in 2025

Electric robot grippers are taking over

Schunk, originally serving the industry with pneumatic grippers, has introduced electric robot grippers
into the marketplace. That’s a big deal for a lot of CNC operations.

Unlike pneumatic robot grippers, these newer electric models offer a far greater degree of flexibility.
These grippers can be programmed to accommodate a variety of part types and sizes. That means shops
can set up robots for new jobs without investing in custom tooling for each application.

Auxiliary controls eliminate the need for electrical cabinets

For too many systems integration projects, building electrical cabinets is a notoriously frustrating
process. They can take a week or more to implement, and once in place, are the site of wiring issues that
can — in worst-case scenarios — cause downtime.

With auxiliary controls, like Beckhoff’s recently introduced MX system, those problems are in the past.
These controls are independent of both CNC machines and robots, allowing for easier, touchscreen-
based communication. And because they’re individual, waterproof units, they don’t need electrical
cabinets. Which means systems integration projects can happen much faster.

What we’re planning for in 2026

Remote service is here

The technologies for CNC-robotics integration have advanced enough for us to reliably perform remote
service if facilities run into problems. SDMS Robotics can now connect to your robot from our base in
San Diego, instead of sending a tech.

So, while we’re always ready to come out to our customers’ shops to troubleshoot, customers no longer
have to wait for boots on the ground to keep their operations humming for a large swath of both
common and uncommon issues.

Cobots are getting a lot more flexible

Robotics systems integrators have long dealt with a lack of clarity around safety guidelines surrounding
collaborative robots. Cobots are designed to stop work upon encountering human workers. Even so,
guidelines have limited their deployment in facilities that can’t accommodate keeping them behind
fences or other guards.

With more evidence for the safety of these systems, ISO has now clarified that whole production cells
can be designated as collaborative. This allows humans and cobots to share the same workspace, which
opens up a ton of new options for facilities when designing their operations. We’re looking forward to
implementing a lot more creativity and efficiency into our solutions, while always treating safety as the
highest priority.

AI vision systems are the new frontier

SDMS Robotics has been investigating the new technologies in AI vision systems, and there’s a lot to be
excited about. While traditional vision systems have always been a part of our solutions, they struggle
with operations that involve multiple different parts, and so we’ve only been able to successfully deploy
them for customers that have only one type of or a small family of parts.

AI visions systems break that barrier. They can see and identify pieces of material, grab and then
integrate them into the rest of the programming architecture. While a lot of the current offerings saddle
facilities with onerous subscription models or expensive pay-per-part plans, we’re discovering ways to
incorporate this technology without creating new headaches for customers.

How will your facility evolve in 2026?

Let’s talk about how SDMS Robotics can take your facility to the next level this year. Get in touch with
our team, and we’ll get back to you within a business day to talk shop.