New and Used Robots - Tips, Trends, Advice - February 2008

• How much do you want to spend?
  This is the most important question of all. Before you start your search, know your limitations. Make sure everything is included in your bottom line - finance charges, interest, taxes, even insurance. Then stick to your budget.

• Do you have a robot manufacturer preference? Does it matter?
  You may have more loyalty to one robot manufacturer than another. Sometimes it makes sense to stick to the familiar - something you understand how to program, or a model that will work with robot systems that already exist in your facility. Just make sure you have a reason for choosing a specific manufacturing company.  

• Do you need (or just want) a large, medium or small robot?
  Consider which robot is best for each application and work environment. If you need the robot to fit in a specific space, that will narrow down your choices. On the other hand, your application may require a robot with a certain payload capacity. You can narrow down your choices just by considering how much weight your robot should be able to handle.

• Do you need (or just want) an articulated, gantry, or SCARA-style robot?
  Make sure you're considering the right style of robot. Articulated, gantry, SCARA - each robot type has its advantages. Do you need the flexibility of an articulated robot, the precision of a SCARA? Make sure you match your robot to your needs and the physical requirements of your setting.

• What type of performance do you need? How important is repeatability, accuracy?  
  When you go shopping for robots, establish standards. How precise, how fast, how sturdy do you want this robot to be? Much of this will be determined by the application and type of part.

• What type of safety environment do you need?
  Think through the types of safety features you would like included with your robot - screens, light curtains, sensors, cameras, locks. How much will humans come into contact with the robot?  

• Does the robot come with a warranty that meet your expectations?
  Check into the types of robot warranties that are available. Narrow your search to companies that offer the coverage you need. Determine how long you want your robot to stay under warranty and zero in on robots that meet your criteria.  

• Is resale/trade-in value a big consideration?
  If you plan to resell your robot at some point in the future, you want a brand (and a model) that retains its value. Choose one of the major brands, and go for a newer model.

When you've narrowed your choices down to about six robots, it is time to see the robots for yourself. Try to see the robots in action. Think of it as taking your robot for a test drive. Jot notes down the pros and cons of each model. Now you're ready to make the final decision!

Get Pricing on an Industrial Robot

As with any business decision, there are pros and cons to automating with industrial robots. It's important to take time to consider the facts and evaluate your needs. The following points address some of the good and the bad of buying robots.

The Advantages of Industrial Robots

1. Quality:
   Robots have the capacity to dramatically improve product quality. Applications are performed with precision and high repeatability every time. This level of consistency can be hard to achieve any other way.
   
2. Production:
   With robots, throughput speeds increase, which directly impacts production. Because robots have the ability to work at a constant speed without pausing for breaks, sleep, vacations, they have the potential to produce more than a human worker.
   
3. Safety:
   Robots increase workplace safety. Workers are moved to supervisory roles, so they no longer have to perform dangerous applications in hazardous settings.
   
4. Savings:
   Greater worker safety leads to financial savings. There are fewer healthcare and insurance concerns for employers. Robots also offer untiring performance which saves valuable time. Their movements are always exact, so less material is wasted.

The Disadvantages of Industrial Robots:

1. Expense:
   The initial investment of robots is significant, especially when business owners are limiting their purchases to new robotic equipment. The cost of automation should be calculated in light of a business' greater financial budget. Regular maintenance needs can have a financial toll as well.
2. ROI:
   Incorporating industrial robots does not guarantee results. Without planning, companies can have difficulty achieving their goals.
3. Expertise:
   Employees will require training in programming and interacting with the new robotic equipment. This normally takestime and financial output.
   
4. Safety:
   Robots may protect workers from some hazards, but in the meantime, their very presence can create other safety problems. These new dangers must be taken into consideration.

Are you still on the fence about whether or not to automate with robots? Call RobotWorx at 740-383-8383 to discuss your options.

Put Motoman's 2006 robots, the IA20 and the DA20 together and what do you get? A 2007 creation: the 15-axis Motoman DIA 10

At first glance, this robot looks like the 13-axis DA20 - with two arms and a human-like torso. But the Motoman DIA 10 has the snake-like flexibility of the 7-axis IA20 as well. Each arm has 7 axes of motion. A rotary axis at the base moves the robot from side to side.

Each arm of the DIA10 has a payload of 10kg, a horizontal reach of 1,100mm, and a vertical reach of 1,440mm. It has the coordination, precision, and speed to handle the complicated applications. The dual arms can work independently or together. One arm, for example, can hold a part while the other works on the part. The robot has been heralded as "human-like," but in truth its arms provide even more flexibility than a humans.

The DIA 10 has a compact build with the motor, encoder, reducer and brake of each axis contained in the robot's body. All cabling is internally routed and the base provides a tiny footprint. The DIA 10 Motoman robot is powered by the NX100 controller.