Industrial robots are marvels of the modern world, taking over tasks that are too boring, repetitive, or dangerous for humans. Sectors from manufacturing to mining use robots to fulfill their goals, with many controlled by powerful industrial computers.
- An Industrial Robot: A Breakdown
- The Main Types of Industrial Robots
- Common Applications of Industrial Robots
- Key Benefits of Industrial Robots
- How to Choose the Right Industrial Robot
An Industrial Robot: A Breakdown
The International Organization for Standards (ISO) defines an industrial robot as:
"Automatically controlled, reprogrammable multipurpose manipulator, programmable in three or more axes, which can be either fixed in place or fixed to a mobile platform for use in automation applications in an industrial environment" (ISO 8373:2021).
In layman's terms, an industrial robot is an automated, programmable machine that carries out industrial tasks. A typical one consists of:
- A controller or "brain" housed within a rugged mini PC.
- Sensors like cameras and pressure plates.
- Robotic manipulators, aka the "arm(s)".
- The End-of-Arm-Tooling (EOAT) or the "hand".
- An electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic drive that powers and moves the robot.
Unlike what's portrayed in the media, industrial robots don't have a humanoid form. Instead, they look like a mechanical arm or arms that move about in several programmed directions.
The Main Types of Industrial Robots
Thanks to their versatility, industrial robots are used across numerous sectors and industries: automotive, electronics, food and beverage, logistics, and pharmaceuticals, to name a few. They are usually categorized under one of the following types:
Articulated robots - Also called robotic or manipulator arm(s). They are the most common industrial robots and can be found in everything from assembling cars to packing eggs into cartons.
Cartesian industrial robot – Also known as a linear, rectilinear, and gantry robot. These machines move up and down, in and out, and side to side. Industries use them for precision milling, plotting, and 3-D printing.
Collaborative industrial robots – "Cobots" are specifically designed to work closely with humans. Because of the possibility of injury, collaborative robots come with advanced safety sensors and collision avoidance technologies. This allows them to detect when there is an intrusion (especially human!) in their workspace. Depending on this programming, the cobot will either slow down, pause, or shut down entirely.
Cylinder robots - These have a primary arm that moves up and down rather than pivoting on a series of axes. This design makes them ideal for tasks like spot-welding within tight spaces.
Delta robots - Delta, parallel link, or "spider" robots consist of a core body with several attached light-weight arms that resemble spider limbs (hence the last name). They are primarily used for quick pick-and-place jobs, like moving items from a conveyor belt to place in boxes or onto another conveyor belt.
Polar robots - Also called spherical robots. They have twisting base and arm joints that allow their EOAT to move within a spherical or dome-shaped area. This allows them to cover a large workspace without having to reposition the entire robot each time. Painting new cars is one use of this robot.
Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA) – These industrial robots' main features are two horizontal joints designed to operate on a single plane: that is, they can move between left and right and up and down. Extremely popular, SCARAs are used for high-speed pick-and-place and assemblage tasks found in industries like electronics and automotive.
Artificial Intelligence and Industrial Robots
Once an industrial robot is programmed to its specific tasks, it's usually left alone unless needing to be updated, replaced, or repaired. Today's companies, though, are exploring artificial intelligence (AI) to direct their metal workers.
AI computers mimic human abilities like decision-making, learning, and problem-solving. Businesses want such AI-driven industrial robots to perform their current tasks, but also figure out ways to be faster, more efficient, and less costly without input from humans, like expensive programmers. They would also learn new tasks and react to new situations (a worn-out or broken part, the arrival of new machines and humans, etc.) based solely on their algorithms.
Common Applications of Industrial Robots
How industrial robots are used varies, depending on the specific task, its stage in the process lineup, and the setting around it. The process to assemble products like new cars is quite different from packaging holiday toys for online orders.
Tasks industrial robots can perform include:
- Cutting: Slash precise paths into materials using lasers, plasma, and water jet cutters
- Finishing: Grind, trim, fettle, polish, and clean products to a consistent quality and finish.
- Picking and Placing: Select and move objects from assembly lines to another part of the process for further work.
- Packing and Palletizing: Load corrugated cartons or other packaged items onto or off a pallet in a specific, programmed manner.
- Sealing and Gluing: Apply a sealant or glue accurately and consistently.
- Spraying: Spray volatile and hazardous applications like solvent-based paints and coatings onto product surfaces.
Key Benefits of Industrial Robots
The earliest recorded industrial robots aided automotive production in 1961, and they have found use in virtually every sector and industry since. The results have brought massive benefits in every sector and industry:
- Increased productivity as robots can work nonstop 24/7.
- Extreme precision, as they are literally built to deliver high-quality goods consistently and with little error (if any).
- Make workplaces safer, which varies from taking over repetitive tasks like lifting the same products over and over, to handling hazardous materials like molten steel.
- Perform new and different tasks rapidly by simply changing their software and End of Arm Tooling.
- Scalability by adding more robots to meet business growth.
- Cost-effectiveness through greater efficiency, lower labor costs, and less waste.
How to Choose the Right Industrial Robot
Automating a factory with industrial robots is a significant expense. The cost of the robots alone ranges from $25k for each barebones cobot to over $200k for an AI-powered humanoid robot. Companies looking to add one or more should ask themselves the following:
- How much weight will the robot's arm(s) be regularly handling? This not only includes the item(s) being handled, but the weight of the arm's tooling: grippers, pneumatic devices, their cables, etc.
- What is the level of precision? A robot using drill bits to make holes in metal will get a different result versus the use of a laser beam or plasma torch.
- How much space does the robot have to work in? Robotic arms with long motion or reach won't have enough room to maneuver in tight workcells.
Failure rates of the robots, the best computers for the controllers, and warranty terms should also be asked.
Original equipment manufacturers should be contacted first. They'll not only know the robots inside and out, but may be willing to customize them for a customer's more specific wants and needs.
Keep Command of Your Industrial Robots Through Cybernet
Industrial robots are machines that automate many tasks that human workers once performed. They come in a variety of types, performing work from planting new seed on farmland to compacting new steel for shipping. Companies looking to bring robots to their facilities need to consider their long-term benefits, as their upfront costs can be quite high.
Contact an expert at Cybernet if your company uses industrial robots and is seeking the right industrial PC or tablet to control or program them.