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Robotic Assembly Systems UK: Assembly Robots & Assembly Line Robots
We design, supply, and install robotic assembly systems for UK manufacturers. Start with a refurbished assembly robot from £8,000, add a cobot alongside your operators, or let us build a complete assembly cell with screwdriving, feeding, vision inspection, and guarding included. Visit Robot Store’s automation engineers.
Assembly-ready robots in UK stock from
Cost of a single-robot assembly cell
Usual payback on two-shift work
Repeatability of small assembly robots
What is robotic assembly? Assembly robots explained
Robotic assembly is the use of industrial robots, cobots, SCARA or delta robots to join, fasten, insert, press, glue and inspect parts automatically. An assembly robot picks each component, places it in the right position and carries out the assembly step the same way every cycle, so output goes up and defects go down.
A robot on its own doesn’t assemble anything. A working robotic assembly system combines the robot with end-of-arm tooling (grippers, screwdrivers, press tools), part feeders, fixtures, sensors or vision, safety guarding and a PLC that ties it into your line. That is why we quote the whole cell, not just the arm.
Assembly line robots usually take over the repetitive, high-volume or ergonomically hard steps, while your operators keep the jobs that need judgement, such as complex fitting, rework and final checks.
Assembly robots for sale: in stock and ready to integrate
These refurbished robots are in our UK stock and suit assembly work. Each one is tested and supplied with its controller, teach pendant and cables. Prices are for the robot only; tooling, feeders, guarding and programming are quoted as part of a cell. For every robot we sell, see industrial robots for sale.
Assembly robots in stock now: models and prices
| Robot | Controller | Payload | Reach | Refurbished price | Stock | Best assembly use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABB IRB 120 | IRC5 | 3 kg | 580 mm | £10,000 | In stock | Electronics, small parts and bench-top assembly |
| ABB IRB 1200-5/0.9 | IRC5 | 5 kg | 900 mm | £11,000 | In stock | Compact cells, screwdriving and insertion |
| ABB IRB 140 | S4C+ / IRC5 | 6 kg | 810 mm | £8,000 – £10,000 | In stock | Fast pick and place and small sub-assemblies |
| ABB IRB 1600 (6–10 kg) | IRC5 | 6–10 kg | 1,200–1,450 mm | £10,000 | In stock | General assembly, fastening and machine tending |
| ABB IRB 340 FlexPicker | IRC5 | 1 kg | 1,130 mm | £9,000 | In stock | High-speed picking from moving conveyors |
| ABB IRB 360 FlexPicker | IRC5 | 1–3 kg | 1,130 mm | £10,000 | In stock | Vision-guided pick and place, kitting and packing |
| FANUC LR Mate 200iC | R-30iA Mate | 5 kg | 650 mm | £10,000 | In stock | Small-part handling, testing and lab automation |
| FANUC LR Mate 200iD | R-30iB Mate | 7 kg | 810 mm | £11,000 | In stock | Fast small-part assembly, IP67 as standard |
| FANUC M-20iA/20M | R-30iB | 20 kg | 1,811 mm | £11,500 | In stock | Heavier parts; hollow wrist keeps tool cables tidy |
| KUKA KR 10 R1100 | KRC4 | 10 kg | 1,100 mm | £10,000 | In stock | Compact high-speed assembly and testing |
| KUKA KR 16 R2010 | KRC4 | 16 kg | 2,010 mm | £11,000 | In stock | Long-reach assembly, gluing and sealing |
| FANUC M-710iC/70 | R-30iA | 70 kg | 2,050 mm | £14,000 | In stock | Heavy assembly: seats, doors, castings, housings |
Prices exclude VAT and delivery and match our brand stock finders on the date above. Stock changes quickly, so ask us to confirm availability. Need a SCARA, a different cobot or another model? We source to order.
Refurbished assembly robot
- ABB, FANUC and KUKA, 1–70 kg
- Tested, with controller and pendant
- Up to 70% less than the same robot new
From £8,000
Cobot for assembly
- Works beside operators after a risk assessment
- Hand-guided teaching for short batches
- Ideal for screwdriving and kitting
From £12,000
Complete robotic assembly cell
- Robot, tooling, feeders and fixtures
- Guarding, PLC, vision and CE/UKCA paperwork
- Installed, programmed and staff trained
From £30,000
Robotic assembly tasks we automate
Most assembly lines have a handful of steps that are repetitive, tiring or hard to do the same way every time. These are the tasks assembly robots take over first.
Screwdriving & fastening
Automatic screw feeding with torque and angle monitoring on every joint, plus nut running, riveting and clinching.
Pick and place
Moving parts from trays, conveyors or feeders into fixtures at speed, with grippers or vacuum cups.
Press-fit & insertion
Pressing bearings, bushes, pins and connectors with force monitoring, so bad fits are rejected.
Adhesive dispensing & sealing
Applying glue, sealant or gaskets along a precise path at a constant bead size.
Vision inspection & testing
Checking parts are present, the right way round and fully seated, then running electrical or leak tests.
Sub-assembly & kitting
Building sub-assemblies or kits for the next station, and loading machines with the finished parts.
Welding and palletising are assembly-line jobs too, but they have their own pages: welding robots and palletising robots.
Types of assembly robots
Four types of robot do most assembly work. The right one depends on part size, how many directions the robot must approach from, cycle time and whether people work alongside it. For a full comparison of every robot type, see our guide to types of robots.
6-axis articulated robots
The most flexible choice. Reaches parts from any angle, handles 3D assemblies and heavier parts, and can switch tools.
Refurbished from £8,000
SCARA robots
Fast and rigid in the horizontal plane. Ideal for small parts assembled from above: electronics, screwdriving and insertion.
New from £10,000
Collaborative robots (cobots)
Work beside people after a risk assessment, are taught by hand and move easily between jobs. Best for mixed, lower-volume work.
Refurbished from £12,000
Delta robots
The fastest pickers, at up to about 150 picks a minute. Used for light parts on conveyors, kitting and packing.
Refurbished from £9,000
| Type | Typical payload | Speed | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6-axis articulated | 3–70 kg+ | Medium–fast | 3D parts, heavy parts, several tasks in one cell | Needs guarding unless collaborative mode is designed in |
| SCARA | 1–20 kg | Very fast | Top-down insertion, screwdriving, PCB work | Can’t tilt the tool or reach under parts |
| Cobot | 3–20 kg | Slower near people | Mixed batches, working beside operators | Speed is limited when people are close; still needs a risk assessment |
| Delta | 0.5–8 kg | Fastest | Light parts from conveyors, kitting, packing | Light payloads and a dome-shaped work area |
Cobot assembly: collaborative robots on the assembly line
Cobot assembly puts a collaborative robot on the same bench as your operators. The cobot does the repetitive part of the job, such as driving screws, placing components or holding a part, while the operator does the fiddly fitting and checks. Because cobots limit their force and speed, many stations need no full fence, which saves floor space and cost.
Collaborative doesn’t mean no safety work. Every cobot station still needs a risk assessment to ISO 10218 and ISO/TS 15066, because a sharp tool or heavy part can make a cobot application unsafe. We carry it out as part of the project.
- Refurbished cobots from about £12,000, new from about £15,000
- A complete cobot assembly station typically costs £25,000–£60,000
- Hand-guided teaching, so new products are added in hours
- Easy to move to another line when demand changes
Key elements of an automated robotic assembly line
Every robotic assembly system is built from the same eight parts. Getting the feeding, tooling and fixtures right matters as much as choosing the robot: together they decide the cycle time and how reliably the cell runs.
1. Industrial robot or cobot
Usually a 6-axis robot or SCARA from ABB, FANUC or KUKA, chosen for payload, reach and cycle time.
2. End-of-arm tooling
Grippers, vacuum cups, screwdrivers, press tools or dispensers, often with a tool changer.
3. Part feeding
Trays, conveyors, bowl feeders or flexible feeders that present parts the same way every cycle.
4. Fixtures & indexing tables
Hold parts in an exact position while the robot works, or index them between stations.
5. Vision & sensors
2D or 3D cameras (for example Cognex or Keyence) to locate parts and check quality.
6. PLC & HMI
A PLC (Siemens or Allen-Bradley) runs the sequence and links the cell to your line and MES.
7. Safety system
Fencing, light curtains, area scanners and emergency stops, designed to current standards.
8. Programming & simulation
Robot programs and cycle-time simulation, done and tested before installation.
See what each part typically costs in the robotic assembly cost section, or read about our robot programming service.
Robotic assembly cell layouts
1. Single-robot cell
- One robot, one fixture, one feeder
- Smallest footprint and lowest cost
Best for: SMEs and low-volume, varied work
2. Dual-station cell
- Robot works at one station while the operator loads the other
- The robot never waits for loading
Best for: Medium volumes
3. Inline assembly line
- Several robots in sequence on a conveyor
- Each robot does one or two steps
Best for: High-volume manufacturing
4. Cobot workstation
- Cobot beside the operator, often without a fence
- Quick to re-task between products
Best for: Flexible, mixed assembly
We model the layout and cycle time in simulation before anything is built, so you can see the cell running in your floor space.
How robotic assembly works: step by step
A typical robotic assembly cycle takes 2–10 seconds per step, depending on the task. Here is what happens in each cycle.
Component feeding
Parts arrive by tray, conveyor, hopper or vibratory feeder, positioned and timed for the robot.
Part detection
Sensors or a vision system find each part and its orientation, so the robot never picks blind.
Pick and place
The robot picks the part with a gripper or vacuum tool and places it in the fixture.
Assembly operation
The robot screws, presses, clips, inserts or glues with the same force and speed every cycle.
Quality inspection
Cameras and sensors check every part is present and fully seated before it moves on.
Transfer
The finished assembly goes to a conveyor, test station, packing or the next step.
Continuous improvement
Cycle times, faults and output are logged so the cell can be tuned over time.
Send us a video of your assembly process and we’ll tell you what a robot can take over, free of charge.
Robotic assembly cost: robots, cells and assembly lines
How much does robotic assembly cost? In the UK, a refurbished assembly robot costs from £8,000, and a cobot from about £12,000. A complete single-robot assembly cell typically costs £30,000–£90,000 including tooling, feeding, guarding and programming. Multi-robot assembly lines start at around £200,000. Most cells pay back in 9–18 months on two-shift work.
Assembly robot
From £8,000
Refurbished ABB, FANUC or KUKA robot with controller. New robots from about £18,000.
Cobot station
From £25,000
Collaborative robot, tooling, bench and risk assessment, ready to run.
Assembly cell
£30k–£90k
One robot with feeding, fixtures, guarding, PLC and programming.
Assembly line
From £200k
Several robots, conveyors and line control, quoted per project.
| Project | What’s included | With a refurbished robot | With a new robot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly robot only | Robot, controller, teach pendant, cables | £8,000 – £15,000 | £18,000 – £45,000 |
| Cobot only | Cobot arm, controller and pendant | £12,000 – £30,000 | £15,000 – £40,000 |
| SCARA robot only | Robot and controller | Sourced to order | £10,000 – £30,000 |
| Delta robot only | Robot and controller | £9,000 – £10,000 | £15,000 – £50,000 |
| Single-robot assembly cell | Robot, tooling, fixture, simple feeding, guarding, programming, installation | £30,000 – £60,000 | £50,000 – £90,000 |
| Cobot assembly station | Cobot, screwdriver or gripper, bench, risk assessment, programming | £25,000 – £45,000 | £30,000 – £60,000 |
| Vision-guided or dual-station cell | Adds cameras, flexible feeding or a second station | £50,000 – £90,000 | £80,000 – £150,000 |
| Multi-robot assembly line | 5–20 robots, conveyors, PLC, line control | £200,000 – £2 million | £500,000 – £5 million+ |
What adds to the cost of an assembly cell?
The robot is usually only a quarter to a third of a robotic assembly project. Tooling, part feeding, guarding and engineering time make up the rest. Using a refurbished robot is the quickest way to cut the total: it typically saves 30–50% on the robot, and a well-specified cell runs just as reliably.
For prices of every robot type and a full ROI guide, see our robot prices and ROI guide.
| Add-on | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Grippers & vacuum cups | £500 – £5,000 |
| Automatic screwdriving system | £5,000 – £20,000 |
| Bowl or flexible part feeder | £5,000 – £25,000 |
| 2D or 3D vision system | £3,000 – £15,000 |
| Guarding, light curtains & scanners | £5,000 – £15,000 |
| Programming, commissioning & training | £5,000 – £20,000 |
Robotic assembly cost & payback calculator
Choose your robot, task and options to get a budget price for a single-robot assembly cell, then add your labour costs to see the payback. The result is a guide only; we confirm it with a fixed-price quote.
Payback (optional)
Figures are typical UK budget prices for a single-robot cell in 2026, excluding VAT. Labour savings assume the robot frees the share of operator time you enter.
ROI of assembly line robots: a worked example
This is a typical business case for a UK manufacturer replacing two operators (one per shift) on a repetitive screwdriving and assembly task with a refurbished robot cell.
Investment
| Refurbished robot cell | £45,000 |
| Integration & set-up | £15,000 |
| Total | £60,000 |
Annual benefit
| Labour (2 operators) | £50,000 |
| Less scrap & rework | £8,000 |
| Extra output | £20,000 |
| Total | £78,000 |
Payback
9–12 months
£60,000 ÷ £78,000 a year is about 9 months. We allow up to 12 months for ramp-up and fine-tuning.
Over 3 years
£174,000
Net benefit after the £60,000 investment (£234,000 total benefit), before tax relief on the equipment.
Run your own numbers in the payback calculator above. Your result will depend on shifts, wages, cycle time and how much of each operator’s job the robot can take over.
Robotic assembly vs manual assembly
Choosing between robotic and manual assembly isn’t about replacing your workforce. It’s about putting each task where it runs best. Here is a straightforward comparison for UK manufacturers.
| Factor | Robotic assembly | Manual assembly |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | £30k–£90k for a typical cell | Low: recruitment and training |
| Running cost | Low: power and servicing | £25k–£35k+ per operator per shift, rising every year |
| Consistency | Same force, torque and position every cycle | Varies with fatigue and experience |
| Hours | Up to 24/7 with no overtime | Limited by shifts and availability |
| Flexibility | Needs reprogramming for new products | Adapts instantly to changes |
| Best for | High-volume, repetitive, precise or heavy tasks | Low volume, complex fitting, frequent changes |
| Payback | Typically 9–18 months | No payback; cost continues |
The hybrid approach most factories use
The most successful projects combine both. Robots do the repetitive, high-speed and ergonomically hard steps; people do quality checks, complex assembly and problem-solving. Cobots make this easier because they can share a bench with an operator.
Robotic assembly case studies in the UK
Four examples of assembly projects for UK manufacturers, from a Tier 2 automotive supplier to a small business using a refurbished robot.
Tier 2 automotive component assembly
Challenge: manual assembly, quality issues and slow output.
Solution: a 6-axis robot cell with automatic screwdriving and vision-based alignment.
- Assembly time cut by 42%
- Defects down 65%
- Output up from 480 to 700 units a day
- Payback in 11 months
High-mix pick and place for a packaging manufacturer
Challenge: labour shortages and many product variants.
Solution: a high-speed pick-and-place robot with a conveyor and a custom gripper.
- Production speed up 55%
- Labour costs down 30%
- 24/7 operation
- Payback in 14 months
Precision PCB assembly for an electronics SME
Challenge: delicate parts and human error.
Solution: a SCARA robot with vision inspection and automated quality checks.
- 99.8% placement accuracy
- Assembly errors down 70%
- Throughput up 35%
- Payback in 12 months
Refurbished robot for a small manufacturer
Challenge: could not afford new automation; one manual bottleneck.
Solution: a refurbished industrial robot, a custom fixture and simple integration.
- Half the cost of a new system
- Production up 38%
- Payback in 9 months
- Business able to expand
Car assembly robots and EV assembly lines
The car industry uses more assembly robots than any other. A car assembly line has four main shops, and robots work in each one:
- Body shop: spot and arc welding of the body-in-white, covered on our welding robots page.
- Paint shop: sealing and painting; see robotic painting.
- Trim and final assembly: fitting glass, seats, doors, wheels, dashboards and wiring, often with vision guidance and torque-controlled fastening.
- Powertrain and EV battery: stacking battery modules, applying thermal paste and sealant, bolting packs and handling heavy parts safely.
Electric car assembly uses even more automation, because battery cells and modules need precise, repeatable handling and high-voltage safety. Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers often use refurbished robots for sub-assembly cells, saving 30–50% on robots without affecting quality.
Industries using assembly line robots
Robotic assembly isn’t just for car makers. These are the sectors where we see the fastest payback.
Automotive & EV
Sub-assemblies, fastening, glazing, seats and battery modules for OEMs and Tier 1–2 suppliers.
Electronics & PCB
Component insertion, screwdriving, connector fitting and test handling.
Medical devices
Clean, traceable assembly of small parts, with vision checks on every unit.
Aerospace
Drilling, fastening and handling of large, high-value parts with full traceability.
Appliances & consumer goods
Screwdriving, sealing and sub-assembly for high-mix product ranges.
Renewable energy
Solar panel, inverter and battery assembly where precision and volume matter.
Plastics & rubber
Insert loading, assembly and trimming next to injection moulding machines.
Food, drink & pharma
Hygienic pick and place, kitting and packing, with palletising at the end of the line.
Assembly robot brands we supply
We keep refurbished ABB, FANUC and KUKA robots in UK stock because parts, programmers and training for them are easy to find. We can also source Universal Robots, Yaskawa, Epson and Stäubli robots to order.
IRB 120, IRB 1200, IRB 140 and IRB 1600 for small-part assembly, plus IRB 340/360 FlexPicker delta robots for high-speed picking.
KR 10 and KR 16 robots with the KRC4 controller for compact, fast assembly, gluing and sealing.
LR Mate 200iC/iD mini robots for small parts, M-20iA for 20 kg handling and M-710iC for heavy assemblies.
Robotic assembly integration services UK
We design, build and install complete robotic assembly systems, from a single cobot to a multi-robot line. Because we also sell refurbished robots, we can often deliver the same result for far less than a new-only integrator.
Design & simulation
Feasibility study, cell layout and cycle-time simulation before you commit.
Refurbished & new robots
Tested refurbished robots or new robots from leading brands, whichever fits.
Integration & commissioning
Tooling, feeders, PLC, guarding and CE/UKCA marking, installed on your site.
Vision & quality
Camera-based part location, inspection and traceability.
Programming & training
Robot programs written for you and hands-on training for your team.
Maintenance & support
Servicing, spare parts and breakdown support across the UK.
Control panels and PLC programming can be supplied through our partner Phoenix Control. We provide installations across the UK, including Birmingham, Manchester, London, Leeds, and Sheffield, as well as in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and we supply robots throughout Europe. Learn more about how to reduce robotic automation costs.
How a project runs
- Consultation and site visit
- Process analysis and feasibility
- Cell design and simulation
- Build and factory acceptance test
- Installation and commissioning
- Training and ongoing support
Get a robotic assembly quote
Tell us about your parts and process and we’ll recommend the right assembly robot or cell, with a clear, fixed-price quote. It’s free and there’s no obligation.
- Photos, drawings or a short video of the assembly
- Parts per shift and target cycle time
- Number of product variants
- Floor space and any existing equipment
Prefer email? Write to info@robot-store.co.uk.
FAQs about robotic assembly
What is robotic assembly?
Robotic assembly is the use of industrial robots, cobots, SCARA or delta robots to join, fasten, insert, press, glue and inspect parts automatically. A complete system combines the robot with tooling, part feeders, fixtures, vision and safety guarding.
How much does robotic assembly cost?
In the UK, a refurbished assembly robot costs from £8,000 and a cobot from about £12,000. A complete single-robot assembly cell typically costs £30,000–£90,000, and multi-robot assembly lines start at around £200,000. Try our cost and payback calculator.
What is the payback period for an assembly robot?
Most assembly cells pay back in 9–18 months when they take over a repetitive task on two shifts. Single-shift work or very low volumes take longer, usually 2–3 years.
Which robot is best for assembly?
SCARA robots suit fast, small-part assembly from above. 6-axis robots suit 3D parts, heavier parts and multi-step cells. Cobots suit mixed batches next to operators, and delta robots suit very fast picking of light parts. We recommend the type after looking at your parts and cycle time.
Can I use a refurbished robot for assembly?
Yes. Refurbished ABB, FANUC and KUKA robots are widely used for assembly and typically cost 30–50% less than new. Every robot we sell is tested and supplied with its controller and pendant. Read why refurbished robots make sense.
Do cobots need safety guarding for assembly?
Often not a full fence, but every cobot application needs a risk assessment to ISO 10218 and ISO/TS 15066. Sharp tools, heavy parts or high speeds may still need scanners or guarding.
Can robots do screwdriving?
Yes. Robotic screwdriving systems feed screws automatically and monitor torque and angle on every joint, so a missing or cross-threaded screw is caught at once. It is one of the most common tasks we automate.
How long does it take to install a robotic assembly cell?
A simple cobot station can be running in 4–8 weeks. A complete assembly cell with custom tooling and feeding usually takes 8–16 weeks from order, including design, build, testing and installation.
Can you add robots to our existing assembly line?
Often, yes. We retrofit robots to existing conveyors and stations, automating the slowest or most repetitive steps first. This is usually cheaper than replacing the line.
Is robotic assembly worth it for small manufacturers?
Yes, especially with a refurbished robot or a cobot. One robot taking over a bottleneck on two shifts often pays back within a year, and it makes it easier to cope with labour shortages.
What types of robots are used in car assembly?
Car assembly lines use spot and arc welding robots, painting robots, heavy handling robots and assembly robots that fit glass, seats, wheels and dashboards. EV lines also use robots to handle and assemble battery modules.
How are robotic assembly systems programmed?
Programs are created on the teach pendant or offline from CAD, and the cycle is simulated before installation. We provide robot programming and training so your team can add new products.
Can I claim tax relief on an assembly robot?
Usually. UK companies can normally claim the Annual Investment Allowance on new and second-hand plant, and full expensing on new plant. Check with your accountant, as the rules depend on your business.
Do you supply robotic assembly systems across the UK?
Yes. We install and support robotic assembly systems across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and supply robots across Europe.
More robot applications & services
- Robot Store home
- Industrial robots for sale
- Robot prices
- Welding robots
- Painting robots
- Palletising robots
- KUKA palletising cell
- Milling robots
- Manufacturing robots
- Types of robots
- 6-axis robots compared
- Robotic integration
- Robot programming
- Industrial automation systems
- Why refurbished robots?
- Robotics vs traditional automation
Tell us what you assemble and how many parts you make. We’ll recommend the right assembly robot or robotic assembly cell and send a clear, fixed-price quote.
