Originally published in The Fabricator
Written by: Tim Heston

Matt Bush runs an employment agency, of sorts. His workers always start their shifts on time. In fact, Bush knows where they are at all times, tracks their performance, even trains them himself. Thing is, his workers aren’t humans, though he occasionally mistakes them for humans. They’re robots, rented from Hirebotics.

When Bush and his business partner, Rob Goldiez, launched the company in December 2015, their aim was to make automation more accessible and flexible than it is today, particularly for the high-product-mix world.

Before launching Hirebotics, the founders spent years in various manufacturing businesses. Most recently Bush was director of operations and Goldiez was general manager at Scott Fetzer Electrical Group (SFEG) in Tennessee. In 2014 and 2015 the two worked to help automate the factory, basically to make it globally competitive.

SFEG purchased 14 robots from Universal Robots, and over the ensuing months it deployed them. “We found that we could place these robots on the line to handle mundane tasks, and then move people to stations on the line where we really needed the manual dexterity and cognitive ability,” Bush said.

After launching Hirebotics in December 2015, the two began working with manufacturers at the beginning of 2016. The firm uses off-the-shelf robots and components, and works exclusively with collaborative robots from UR.

All the robot monitoring happens through a mobile app. The remote monitoring also allows Hirebotics to bill only for the hours the robot works. “If a robot works 16 hours, 32 minutes, and 18 seconds in a day, that’s what you get billed for,” Bush said. He added that the minimum period is 80 hours, or two shifts, a week.

Customers sign a two-page agreement that resembles an employment contract, but for robots instead of humans. “There’s no upfront money, and there are no long-term commitments. Customers are essentially hiring an at-will worker.”

“We show up with a box of parts, and we start integrating with your existing equipment. We come in, install the robots, teach them, and design end effectors and tooling. Previously there was a person standing by the machine, and now there’s a collaborative robot.”

Today Hirebotics has robots working in companies that run the gamut from a four-person manufacturer to a multibillion-dollar conglomerate. All represent a new way to implement automation — by “hiring” robots when they’re needed.