Work Cell Specials
Robot Basics
Industrial robots are programmable, multi-function manipulators designed to automate tasks such as welding or the movement of materials through variable programmed motions. Robots are capable of performing a wide variety of tasks and are an integral part of automated manufacturing systems.
Industrial robots consist of a number of rigid links connected by mechanical joints. The link assembly, or robot arm, is mounted onto a base and the entire system is run by a controller. A wrist attached to the robot arm uses an end effector to facilitate gripping or handling. The complete motion of the end effector is accomplished through a series of motions and positions of the links, joints, and wrist. The axes of movement that a robot has are referred to as degrees of freedom. Typical vertically articulated robots feature a 6-axis configuration, or six degrees of freedom.
Six Industrial Robot Configurations:
Vertically Articulated
The multi-jointed arm of a vertically articulated robot is connected to the base with a twisting joint. The links in the arm are connected by rotary joints. This type is often called jointed-arm. The majority of RobotWorx' industrial robots fall into this category.
Cartesian
This robot is limited to x, y, and z movement. It is also called a rectilinear robot. All of the robot arm links are connected with linear joints. The work envelope is square.
SCARA
The Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm is ideal for precision work within one plane. Its work envelope is cyclindrical. It has two horizontal joints. Here are some Motoman SCARA robots.
Cylindrical
The robot has one rotary joint at the base and two linear joints to connect the links. Their work envelope is also cylindrical.
Polar
The arm is connected to the base with a twisting joint and a combination of rotary and linear joints. They have a spherical-shaped work envelope.
Delta
This robot configuration combines a rotational joint and parallelograms. Delta robots work within a dome-shaped work envelope. The ABB Flexpicker is one example of a delta robot.
Typical Robot Applications
Many factors determine which robot is best suited for a specific application.These include the axes of movement, type of drive, end effector, work envelope, axis speed, load capability (payload), working environment sensitivity, and structural rigidity. Each application demands a performance capability that matches the task. Typical applications include:
- Spot and arc welding
- Pick and place activities
- Clamping for machining
- Transfer and manipulation of parts
RobotWorx is an industrial robot integrator. Robot integrators specialize in customizing robot workcells and programming the robots for specific tasks or applications. Robots can be programmed for a wide variety of applications and can increase productivity, reduce labor costs, and increase quality of output.
Why choose a robot for your application? A robot can work 24 hours a day without worries or fatigue. The consistent output of a robotic system along with quality and repeatability are unmatched. For help selecting an industrial robot, or contact a sales associate at 740-383-8383.