When thinking about automating any industrial application, specifying an industrial robot arm that can fulfill the goals of the application is an important beginning step. In order to select an industrial robot arm that will be a good match for the company, the industrial application and other factors should be considered.
Different robot arms are designed to perform specific applications. For example, if an arc welding task is being automated, the user would not want to integrate a FANUC R-2000iA. The R-2000iA is designed to automate material handling tasks. A better robot arm choice would be either a FANUC ArcMate robot arm or a Motoman VA1400 arm. Specifying a robot arm that will serve the application best will help ensure product quality and operation efficiency.
The required payload capacity also needs to be considered. Many arc welding applications only require enough strength to handle a welding torch. Other applications, such as material handling and spot welding, require more robust robot arms that can handle higher payloads, sometimes upwards of 200 kilograms or more.
Along the same lines, the work area of the robot arm or workcell needs to be established. Vertical and horizontal reaches vary across robot models. FANUC Robotics and Motoman Robotics both design and manufacture long-reach version of many of their popular robot arms, including FANUC’s ArcMate 100iC/6L and Motoman’s UP20-6 robot arm. Various mounting styles can further increase a robot arm’s reach
Other physical characteristics, such as the factory’s floor plan, should be considered when searching for the perfect industrial robot arm. The size and dimensions of the robot arm needed will often be determined by the area in which it is working. If the robot arm needs to work in small, confined area, a tabletop sized robot, such as Motoman’s HP3 robot arm, might be more appropriate than a larger standard sized robot.
Everyday, RobotWorx helps manufacturers specify a robot arm that would automate their application. Our experts help customers specify robot arms that would work for their application by discussing their industrial process, evaluating their needs, and working with application engineers to develop a robotic system to increase productivity and efficiency. To speak with the experts at RobotWorx, submit your information on our contact page or call 740-251-4312.
