Grant: TubeCo deploys cobot to make up for lack of manpower

The Peleman brothers have a growing business in TubeCo Inc., but not enough workers to handle the increased workload.

The installation of a cobot, with the help of an Industry 4.0 implementation grant and guidance from Macomb County Planning and Economic Development (MCPED), has helped deal with the lack of employees.

TubeCo received a $25,000 grant to help pay for the cobot. The Warren company produces a variety of metal tubes, primarily for the automotive industry. The cobot feeds tubes into a press and other machinery. It's multifunctional and helps cover the loss of manpower. The result is greater efficiency, allowing operators to focus more on quality, rather than loading parts into a machine.

"When we can't get physical bodies, we always know that we have a tool that we can use to make sure that our machines are running," Vice President Matthew Peleman said. "We can run production even if we don't have the bodies."

With TubeCo's business growing 45% in 2023 and expected to double in 2025, the company moved into a 45,000 square-foot facility in December 2023, three times the size of its previous facility. TubeCo has about 30 employees but would like to increase that number to about 60.