Lifting With Material Handling Robots

Material handling robots help to bring strength and productivity on the production line. They are able to take over the heavy duty lifting and relieve the workers from the dangerous and tedious tasks. Facilities that integrate a material handling robot help to reduce errors as well, saving company lots of money and time.

Workers handle materials and products in the workplace on a daily basis. When lifting boxes or other items, they must be careful to lift heavy pieces in a specific way to reduce injury. Other products are too large, or awkwardly shaped, making it impossible to manually lift. These restraints can slow down the lifting process, limiting how much (if any) can be manually lifted at one time making it the perfect application for robotic material handling.

material handling robot lifting a wood sign panel

Some facilities have forklifts or cranes that are operated to lift materials on a larger scale – materials that humans could not possibly lift. Robots are steadier than the cables on a crane or the forks on a manual lifting vehicle. They can also perform a lifting task over and over again with consistent repeatability, reducing the possibility of error. However, it is common to see these two different kinds of lifters working together in a facility. A material handling robotic system can palletize items and a manually driven forklift can move the pallet away after it is stacked.

Facilities that automate with material handling robots for their lifting needs reduce user error while increasing production and lower costs. While many material handling robotic arms are not able to lift steel beams weighing thousands of pounds like a crane would, some heavy payload material handling robots can lift over 500 pounds.

There are also several different gripper options available. Product material type, size, shape, and manipulation requirements will determine the type of gripper required to complete the handling task. Some products can be very small, large, or oddly shaped making them more difficult to manually handle. Knowing there are many options to improve speed and protect worker safety makes robots a great solution for many companies.

Robots.com, can integrate material handling robotics from manufacturers like Fanuc, Yaskawa Motoman, ABB, KUKA, and Universal Robots. With over 35 years of experience integrating material handling robots, our company is a great choice to help you make educated decisions for the most efficient and cost-effective solution.

Contact us through our contact form or call us at 877-762-6881 for a quick and easy price quote on a material handling robot solution.