Motion Control & Drives


OMC deploys cobots to improve throughput ten times

October 2025 Motion Control & Drives

OMC, a pioneer in optoelectronics design and manufacture, is investing to introduce innovative cobot technology onto its fibre optic production line in Cornwall. The company is now deploying the first of several cobots, designed to work safely alongside human operators in a shared workspace. The cobots will assist with labour-intensive repetitive and time-consuming tasks where experienced human operators can often tire, increasing throughput and capacity up to 10 times, while crucially maintaining quality and ensuring consistency.

Established in 1984, OMC is an ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 certified manufacturer of industrial fibre-optic datalinks and optoelectronic devices. The company is a pioneer in the design and manufacture of industrial fibre optic datalinks, discrete optoelectronic components and solid-state/LED lighting devices. William Heath, commercial director of OMC, explains: “Continuous innovation has been key to our company’s success over the last 40 years. Our innovations span both technological and environmental improvements.”

As part of this culture of continuous improvement, OMC has been evaluating next-generation robotic automation technologies for some time, while balancing potential efficiency gains against quality concerns, and ensuring the standards of performance, robustness and consistency demanded in long-life industrial applications are maintained. Having worked closely with its robotics partners to develop custom tooling and to train and calibrate the cobots, experienced operators are now working closely alongside the cobots to increase throughput and capacity while maintaining quality and ensuring consistency. “Global electrification is driving increased demand for our fibre-optic datalinks, particularly for applications requiring isolation in high voltage, transportation and medical sectors, and this development allows us to respond with considerably enhanced throughput and efficiency,” says Heath. “With each skilled operator supervising multiple cobots, productivity can be increased up to 10 times, reducing time-consuming and repetitive manual tasks to improve their working environment.”

OMC technologies are found in many diverse applications where long-term performance and reliability are key. From transportation and aerospace to industrial electronics, OMC products are used daily and globally by millions of people, making their everyday lives safer and easier without them even realising it. OMC’s worldwide end-user base ranges from SMEs to global corporations, as well as leading universities, public sector and research institutions.

For more information contact William Heath, OMC, +44 1209 215424, [email protected], www.omc-uk.com




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