COPENHAGEN—Bosch Rexroth Corp. has acquired a majority stake in Kassow Robots ApS, which specializes in seven-axis cobots that can work in tight spaces.

“Collaborative industrial robots are another important building block for the versatile factory of the future,” says Marc Wucherer, Ph.D., the member of Bosch Rexroth’s executive board who oversees sales and factory automation. “There is a huge demand for flexible robotic systems. In the coming years, the market for cobots is expected to grow by 15 percent to 20 percent each year.”

According to Wucherer, only the floors, ceilings and walls will be stationary and fixed in the factory of the future. Everything else will be interchangeable and flexible.

“We want to take advantage of this potential and expand our portfolio with collaborative [machines] from Kassow Robots,” explains Wucherer. “This will benefit, in particular, our customers in the consumer goods and mobility industry, including battery and semiconductor production.”

“With Bosch Rexroth, we have found a partner that is an international leader in factory automation [that] can help us expand our business activities,” adds Kristian Kassow, founder and managing director of Kassow Robots. “This will enable us to open up new markets for our cobot portfolio.”

Since launching its first two cobots in 2019, Kassow’s line of products has grown to five models. The machines offer reaches from 850 to 1,800 millimeters, payloads from 5 to 18 kilograms and can achieve joint speeds of up to 225 degrees per second.