Industrial Robotics - It Doesn't Have To... Be Complex

Industrial Automation – It Doesn’t Have To…

Adding automated robotic systems to a factory can save money, create higher-quality parts, and increase production.
There are six types of industrial robots that can be classified according to the typed of movement, the application needs, reach and payload requirements, and manufacturing preference.
You will learn about the types of robots and how they are used in manufacturing, but first, Brandon gives us his definitions for some industry terms.
Application: Deciding what it is you are trying to do. What you are trying to accomplish. The next step would be to decide feasibility. The feasibility of can you get there from here with this solution.
Axis: The degree of freedom in which you can move in a direction or the number of moveable "joints" of a robot. The number and placement of the axes determine the flexibility and functionality of the robot. The more axes, the higher range of motion.
Cartesian Coordinate System: Any point of the space using X, Y, and Z coordinates. X coordinate is the perpendicular distance from the YZ plane. Y is the perpendicular distance from the XZ plane, and Z is the normal distance from the XY plane.
Theta is if that Z coordinate can rotate.
Servo Motor: DC Permanent Magnet Motor. DC is direct current; it's what comes out of a battery. AC is alternate current: it's what comes out of the wall. A servo motor is what moves the robots axes.
Actuator: Converts linear motion into rotary motion.
Pitch, Yaw, and Roll: a coordinate system, like a GPS that doesn't use latitude or longitude. It's used to define a point in space.
Kinematics: Coordinate conversion. The study of motion that doesn't take into consideration mass and force. Forward and Inverse Kinematics takes into consideration the axes angles and end of arm tooling. If the axes angles and lengths are known, Forward Kinematics can be used to calculate the position of the end-of-arm-tooling (EOAT or end effector). If the position of the EOAT is know, Inverse Kinematics is used to calculate the joint angles and lengths.
Payload: Anything that's gong to go on the end of the robot, including whatever you're going to use to do the work. It includes the part that's being picked up and the tooling at the end (EOAT or end effector).
Work Envelope: The space in which the robot can reach. Vertical reach is the height of the robot from its base; useful in determining if the robot is tall enough. Horizontal reach is the distance from the base to the robot's "wrist" when it's fully extended.
Here you can see the types of industrial robots and brief explanations.
To help narrow down the robot choices, our engineers have prepared some tips.
So, you're armed and ready to buy an industrial robot. What next? Here's some advice our engineers have compiled.