Spain · Europe
The robot is less than half
As a market reference, the robot arm accounts for 30 to 45% of a working installation. For every euro spent on the robot there are usually another €1.50 to €2.50 of tooling, safety, cabinet, engineering and commissioning.
Source of the market references: «Precio de un robot industrial: guía 2026», Nexum Automatics. These are not APRI prices: every cell is costed with its own part and cycle time.
What the price of a cell includes
| Item | What it is |
|---|---|
| Robot and controller | The arm, its controller and the software options. |
| End-of-arm tooling (gripper) | Designed for your part: vacuum, magnets, grippers or automatic tool change. |
| Safety | Guarding, doors, light curtains, e-stops and their integration into the PLC. |
| Cabinet and PLC | Electrical cabinet, safety PLC and HMI. |
| Vision | Only if the part needs locating or inspecting. |
| Engineering | Layout, simulation, mechanical and electrical design. |
| Programming and testing | Robot, PLC, vision and HMI, with a workshop FAT. |
| Commissioning | Installation, tuning to production rate and training. |
Market references
- Cobots: €15,000 to €40,000 for the robot, before integration. SCARA: €15,000 to €35,000.
- 6-axis articulated robot: €25,000 to €80,000 before integration.
- High-payload and palletising robots: €60,000 to €150,000 or more, robot only.
- A €30,000 robot rarely ends up in a cell costing less than €75,000–100,000.
What drives the price up
- Heavy or large parts: a bigger robot and a more complex gripper.
- Short cycle times: sometimes two robots are needed instead of one.
- Many part numbers: tool changes and more programming.
- Parts with no fixed position: vision is needed to locate them.
- Integration with an existing line: more signals, more testing and more work during the shutdown.
What we need to give you a figure
- The part or its CAD, with weight and dimensions.
- The cycle time you need and the shifts the line runs.
- The layout of the area and photos of the machine.
- The robot or PLC brand, if the plant has a standard.
With that information we send you a first proposal with the cell placed in your plant. Free of charge.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an industrial robot cost?
As a market reference, a 6-axis articulated robot costs between €25,000 and €80,000 before integration; cobots and SCARA robots start at around €15,000, and high-payload robots range from €60,000 to over €150,000.
Why does the cell cost so much more than the robot?
Because the robot is only one part: tooling, guarding and safety, the electrical cabinet, vision, engineering, programming and commissioning usually cost more than the robot itself.
How long does a cell take to pay for itself?
It depends on how many shifts it runs, how many operators it frees up and the investment. Our calculator gives you a first estimate in one minute.