Services

Six disciplines. One manipulation lab.

RoboShift Lab delivers connected engineering across robotic cells, tooling, controls and training. Scopes are quoted in Canadian dollars after an initial assessment. Ranges below are typical starting bands — final fees depend on travel, hardware access and documentation depth.

Palletizing bench setup at RoboShift Lab for layer-pattern validation

Discipline 01

Cell assessment & feasibility

We begin every engagement with a structured cell assessment: SKU variability, conveyor timing, existing safety architecture and maintenance capacity. Our engineers walk the line, capture cycle data, interview operators and document failure modes that never appear in vendor brochures. You receive a written feasibility memo with reach diagrams, risk notes aligned to WorkSafeBC expectations and a phased commissioning roadmap — not a generic automation scorecard. Remote assessments are available when video and CAD access suffice. This discipline prevents capital spend on cells that cannot grip your actual packaging or reach behind your existing guarding without rework.

Typical range: C$4,800 – C$12,500 per cell or line segment

Discipline 02

End-of-arm tooling design

Generic grippers fail on mixed-SKU lines, textured films and temperature-shifted parts. Our tooling desk designs and prototypes EOAT in-house: vacuum circuits with predictable release, compliant fingers for irregular produce, quick-change plates for seasonal packaging and force-limited inserts for delicate assemblies. We machine fixtures, run grasp trials on your sample parts and document pneumatic, electrical and mechanical interfaces so integrators and maintenance teams share one source of truth. Tooling deliverables include CAD, BOM, assembly drawings and a signed-off grasp envelope chart. We do not ship untested fingers to your floor and call it done.

Typical range: C$8,500 – C$28,000 per tooling family

Force-sensing rig used for EOAT validation at RoboShift Lab
PLC and robot controller coordination rack in the RoboShift Lab studio

Discipline 03

Robot & PLC integration

Motion without coordination is downtime waiting to happen. We integrate industrial and collaborative robot arms with your PLC, HMI, vision triggers and upstream MES signals — mapping interlocks, fault codes and recovery sequences operators can execute without calling us at midnight. Our controls engineers document ladder logic changes, robot program structure, I/O tables and lockout/tagout touchpoints. We favour readable, commented code over opaque black boxes. Integration passes include staged FAT at our Vernon Drive bench when feasible, then on-site SAT with structured punch lists. We are vendor-neutral: we commission what you own or help you specify purchases without sales commission.

Typical range: C$15,000 – C$65,000 per integration scope

Discipline 04

Palletizing & case packing

Layer patterns that look elegant in simulation collapse when slip sheets warp or case heights drift. Our palletizing practice covers pattern generation, slip-sheet handling, tier sheet placement, stretch-wrap coordination and upstream case alignment. We tune approach vectors, deceleration profiles and layer interlocks so robots do not fight conveyors. Engagements include throughput modelling with explicit assumptions, not guaranteed cases-per-hour claims. We work with beverage, food, consumer goods and industrial parts clients across BC. When your existing cell needs reprogramming for a new SKU mix, we scope delta commissioning rather than forcing a greenfield sale.

Typical range: C$18,000 – C$85,000 per line

Discipline 05

Force-controlled assembly

Press fits, snap fits and threaded inserts need controlled force, not maximum speed. We design assembly sequences with force-torque sensing, compliant alignment and explicit abort thresholds when parts mis-seat. Our lab validates insertion curves on sample lots, documents acceptable force bands and trains operators to distinguish normal variation from fault conditions. Medical-device and precision industrial clients use this discipline to reduce scrap without sacrificing tactile feedback maintenance teams understand. We align documentation with your quality system — not a parallel binder nobody reads.

Typical range: C$12,000 – C$45,000 per assembly station

Discipline 06

Operator training & retainer support

Cells fail culturally when only two people know how to recover from a fault. We deliver operator training with runbooks, fault trees, hands-on recovery drills and maintenance briefings on lubrication, EOAT changeovers and safe jog procedures. Retainer clients receive scheduled drift reviews, program backup verification and priority access for line-change support. Training is delivered on your floor or at our Vernon Drive studio with production-representative fixtures. We do not issue certificates that replace employer responsibility for ongoing competency under BC occupational health requirements.

Typical range: C$2,400 – C$9,500 per training day; retainers from C$3,200/month

Not sure which discipline fits?

Start with a cell assessment. We will map the right sequence before quoting integration work.

Request a cell assessment