Methodology

How we estimate robot-cell cost and payback

This page documents how Robot Cell ROI builds its cost stacks and payback models, so you can judge — and re-run — every number we publish.

Where our numbers come from

  • Cost-share ranges (e.g. "robot is 30-50% of the cell") are planning ranges drawn from public automation-cost benchmarks and integrator-association guidance, not from any single vendor quote.
  • Labor figures reference public labor-cost data such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and equivalent regional sources, named inline.
  • Freight, duty, and landed-cost lines reference freight indices and published customs schedules, and always carry a "verify with a licensed customs broker" caveat.
  • Robot facts (tracks, families, named makers) come from manufacturer spec sheets and marketplace listings, cited with an access date. We do not fabricate specs, ratings, or reviews.

The payback model

Payback (years) = Total installed cell cost ÷ (Annual labor + scrap cost displaced − Annual operating cost of the cell)

We always show the assumptions — utilization (shifts/day), loaded labor rate, operating cost — because they, not the arithmetic, decide the answer. Every worked example is labeled illustrative and built to be re-run with your own figures.

What we will not do

We do not publish an uncited cost figure, a fabricated price band, or a "magic" single payback number. Where a number is genuinely unknown, we say so rather than invent it. We are not a substitute for a configured quote, a customs broker, or a notified body.

Corrections

If a figure is wrong or stale, email [email protected] with the article and the number. We correct or clarify promptly and note material changes.