Determining which type of robot fits your application can be difficult. LOSTPED is an acronym that helps you cover all the bases. It stands for Load, Orientation, Speed, Travel, Precision, Environment, and Duty Cycle. Engineers from Bosch Rexroth Corporation are credited with coming up with this helpful checklist.
LOSTPED helps you avoid the headaches and financial losses that can result from over or under engineering your robot system. It is often used to convert linear-motion modules to Cartesian-style robot systems. LOSTPED also provides a good guideline when deciding which robot type (Cartesian, gantry, SCARA, or articulated) fits your application.
Load:
Think about the part and determine your payload needs. Is any special
handling needed?
Orientation:
What is the best orientation for the robot? How will this impact the part, the mounting?
Speed:
How important is speed to your application? Are you trying to increase throughput?
Travel:
What kind of reach is needed? Figure out the range of motion and distance you require.
Precision:
Consider the level of accuracy and repeatability you need for your application. Is precision more important than speed?
Environment:
Don't forget the environment your system is entering. Are there extreme temperatures, hazards, dirt, contaminants?
Should you consider certain protection classes or cleanroom robots?
Duty Cycle:
Figure out what kind of wear and tear you'd be putting the robot through.
