Specialized robotics aren’t common to the furniture industry, he said. Some large manufacturers use robots in production but mainly for simple functions, like picking up and moving furniture pieces or pushing items down conveyor belts. They’re also used minimally in spraying finish applications. Loh said the Arthur system can do a lot.  “It’s just a matter of once we install the schematics for a piece, it automatically takes that and begins to manufacture. There’s almost no limit on that end,” he said.

As part of the first phase of the robotics program, AP plans to install a second system this year, and a third system later that will be dedicated to finishing, Loh said. One long-term goal is to have assembly as part of the robotic functions. The Arthur 1 machine cost about $655,000, he said, adding that overall phase one costs will be about $3.5 million. Additional robotics will be installed in a second phase, the company said. The systems will only replace retiring employees, Loh added.