# Programming Robots Without Programmers: No-Code in Automation

Author: Marin Niehues, Niehues Consulting · Published: 2024-03-11 · AI Adoption & Operations
Source: https://www.niehuesconsulting.de/en/blog/no-code-robot-programming/

Robots can be put into operation without programmers when the task is simple and repeatable; once sensors and links to other systems come in, specialist skills are still needed. Hand guiding and graphical interfaces as well as ready-made application packages have lowered the threshold for production staff. Whether this pays off in your operation depends on the task and the volumes as well as on who is responsible for the cell after commissioning.

This article explains what no-code delivers in robotics, which tasks it suits, where its limit lies and how a payback calculation tells you whether the investment is worthwhile. It touches machine safety only in passing: This article provides an overview and does not constitute legal advice.

**No-code reduces the effort of programming a robot, but the benefit arises only in operation. Who is responsible for the cell after start-up has a bigger influence on success than the programming interface.**

## What does no-code mean for robots?

No-code for robots means that skilled staff define a sequence without a programming language: by guiding the arm by hand, by assembling blocks on a tablet or by using ready-made application wizards. Classic industrial robots, by contrast, are programmed in manufacturer-specific languages, such as KRL at KUKA, RAPID at ABB or Karel at Fanuc, and trained programmers or system integrators do that work.

Three techniques shape the market. With hand guiding, the operator moves the arm by hand to the target points and stores them, so that a sequence of points and gripper commands emerges. With graphical programming, the operator assembles the sequence from blocks with conditions and loops, much like a flow chart. With application wizards, the operator selects a task such as palletising or machine tending and enters dimensions and positions, and the software generates the sequence. Simulation adds the option of checking a sequence on screen before the robot moves.

The background is the rise of collaborative robots. According to the statistics of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), 553,052 industrial robots were installed worldwide in 2022, an increase of 5 per cent. Collaborative models grew by 31 per cent to almost 55,000 units, around 10 per cent of installations. Those who use these devices often programme them with the methods described. How cobots work alongside people in daily operation is covered in the article on [cobots](/en/blog/cobots-collaborative-robots/).

## Which tasks is no-code enough for?

No-code is enough for tasks with a fixed sequence, few variants and a stable environment: placing parts from a pallet into a machine, stacking cartons, driving screws, packing products into crates. As soon as the robot has to react to sensor data, for example a camera image with varying positions of the parts, the effort grows. It grows further when the cell exchanges data with a production control system or an ERP system.

The following table sorts task types. It is a decision aid for the first check, before you request quotations.

**Suitability of no-code by task type**
Criterion | No-code is enough | Programming expertise needed | With Niehues Consulting
Sequence | Fixed sequence with few points | Branches depending on measured values and error handling | Clarify requirements and sequence with the business unit
Variants | A handful of product variants, changeover by selection | Many variants with their own parameters | Assess the number of variants in the business case
Perception | Fixed placement positions | Camera, force sensing or varying positions | Test feasibility on the real process
Integration | One signal to the machine | Data exchange with control system or ERP | Define interfaces and responsibilities
Frequency of change | Task changes are rare, new instruction by a skilled operator | Several changes a day at short cycle times | Plan operations and enablement of users
Operation | A skilled operator maintains program and parts | Permanent support from specialists | Settle responsibility from day one

The right-hand column shows where the work lies beyond programming. A robot that stacks cartons changes the flow in dispatch and warehouse. Whoever answers the question of what the robot is meant to do in operation saves time during commissioning later.

## What does a robot cost in use, and when does it pay back?

A robot pays back when the annual saving after operating costs exceeds the total investment divided by the planned service life. The total investment covers much more than the arm: grippers and part feeding, guarding, commissioning, training and the adaptation of the workplace come on top. Ask for quotations covering the whole application. Prices of comparable applications vary widely by task, and reliable ranges come from the quotations themselves.

The calculation is simple and can be done with your own figures. The following example is illustrative.

**Payback calculation (example)**
Criterion | Value in the example | Source of the figure
Total investment for the application | 80,000 euros | Quotation for arm, gripper, peripherals, guarding and commissioning
Task that falls away | 1,600 hours a year | Time records of the last twelve months
Cost per working hour in operation | 45 euros | Controlling
Saving per year | 72,000 euros | 1,600 times 45
Operating costs per year | 8,000 euros | Maintenance, energy, spare parts
Net per year | 64,000 euros | 72,000 minus 8,000
Payback | about 15 months | 80,000 divided by 64,000, times 12

The decisive value is the task that falls away. If the employees who used to load the parts are needed in other tasks, the saving is real. If there is no idea for the time that becomes free, the calculation remains an assumption. The article on the [economics of robots in mid-sized companies](/en/blog/robotics-mid-sized-companies-economic-case/) shows further test values, and the article on [automation against skills shortages](/en/blog/automation-skilled-labour-shortage-robots/) places the question of where the freed capacity is needed most.

## Where are the limits of no-code in robotics?

The limits of no-code lie in sensing and integration, in safety and in maintenance. With sensing, the effort rises because camera images as well as lighting and calibration must be coordinated. When linking machines and systems, knowledge of interfaces is needed. On safety, a collaborative robot is only as safe as the whole application: gripper and workpiece as well as the motion sequence all count, and the complete cell requires a risk assessment under the relevant standards, above all ISO 10218 and the technical specification ISO/TS 15066 for collaboration between humans and robots. That assessment belongs with specialists and the commissioning engineer.

Maintenance shows the most frequent weakness. Programs that someone once clicked together turn into legacy when nobody documents them and the author changes department. Companies know the same pattern from automated software processes, as the article on [tidying up RPA bots](/en/blog/rpa-bot-clean-up-legacy-automation/) describes: the ease of entry invites sprawl, and the maintenance costs appear only months later.

**Maturity of a robot application**
- Level 1, pilot: One robot performs one task under the supervision of the skilled operator who set it up.
- Level 2, standard: Sequence and parts as well as protective measures are documented, and a second person can operate the cell.
- Level 3, operation: Responsibilities for maintenance and faults as well as changes are named, and indicators are tracked.
- Level 4, scaling: Further applications follow the same pattern with shared rules for documentation and release.

## How do you introduce no-code robotics into operations?

Introduce no-code robotics in four steps: define the task and the measure, check suitability, run a pilot at the real workplace and name who is responsible for operations. In the first step, the business unit decides which indicator should change, for example hours per pallet or scrap per shift, and measures the baseline. In the second step, you check the task against the suitability table.

The pilot answers the central question: does the application work with real parts and real shifts as well as the people who work with it? Expect setbacks, because part tolerances and operator interventions do not appear in the lab. The fourth step determines the effect: a named person is responsible for the program and the parts as well as for faults, and the operators are trained. The production team needs an understanding of what the robot changes, so that it is received as relief. The same steps apply to driverless systems and other automation in the warehouse, as the article on [automated guided vehicles](/en/blog/agv-amr-warehouse-business-case/) shows.

## No-code robotics with Niehues Consulting

[Niehues Consulting](/en/) is a consultancy for AI management and organisational design from the delivery perspective, based in Düsseldorf. Founder Marin Niehues builds organisations that deliver, in projects from VC-funded scale-ups to DAX-40 corporations and in more than 20 countries on six continents. The technology comes from robot manufacturers and integrators. Niehues Consulting works on the questions before and after: the business case, the selection and sequence of applications, the introduction into operations and the organisation of responsibilities.

The approach follows the Niehues Delivery Model. For robot applications, three of its check questions matter: Which business outcome should change measurably? Does the prototype prove the benefit in the real process with real data? Who is responsible for operations from day one? The scope and terms of an engagement are discussed in the free initial consultation, which lasts 30 minutes and can be booked through the [contact page](/en/#kontakt).

**Conclusion**
Hand guiding and graphical interfaces let skilled staff set up simple robot tasks themselves. Whether the application pays off is shown by the calculation with the working time that falls away, and whether it keeps running is decided by responsibility in operation. Those who settle task and measure as well as ownership before the purchase use the simplicity of programming for faster results.

**Sources**
- International Federation of Robotics: World Robotics Report 2023, press release and executive summary, 2023
- ISO 10218-1 and ISO 10218-2: Industrial robots, safety requirements, standards
- ISO/TS 15066: Collaborative robots, technical specification, 2016

## Frequently asked questions

### Can you programme a robot without programming skills?

Yes, for simple and repeatable tasks. Hand guiding and graphical blocks as well as application wizards allow skilled staff to set up sequences such as palletising or machine tending. When sensors and links to other systems come in, specialist skills are still needed.

### What is lead-through programming?

Lead-through programming, also called hand guiding, means that the operator moves the robot arm by hand to the target points and stores them. The sequence emerges from the points and the gripper commands. The method is particularly common with cobots.

### How much does a cobot cost, including set-up?

The price depends on the whole application and includes, besides the arm, gripper and feeding as well as guarding and commissioning. Reliable figures come from quotations for your task. The calculation in this article shows how to compare them with the working time that falls away.

### When does a robot pay for itself?

A robot pays for itself when the net annual saving covers the total investment within its service life. You calculate the months as investment divided by annual saving minus operating costs, times twelve. The hours that fall away must be documented, for example from time records.

### Do cobots need a safety fence?

The risk assessment of the whole application decides this. ISO 10218 and ISO/TS 15066 apply to collaborative applications, and the gripper and the workpiece enter the assessment. Specialists carry out the assessment, and the application is released only afterwards.

### Who maintains the robot program after commissioning?

A named skilled employee in operations should maintain the program, with a deputy. Without this responsibility, sequences become outdated and changes to parts lead to faults. Documentation and release of changes are part of the rollout.

### Is a robot worth it for small production runs?

For small runs a robot is worth it when task changes are rare and set-up time stays low. Hand guiding makes the changeover easier but does not replace the calculation. Check how many hours a year actually fall away.

### Which tasks should you automate first?

Start with a task that is physically demanding, has a fixed sequence and ties up measurable hours. These features keep the risk and effort of the first application small. Further applications follow once the first one runs in regular operation.