5 Types of Robots that Every Manufacturer Should Know

Over the years, many manufacturers have embraced the use of robotic automation to automate tasks, increase their overall production, reduce production costs, reduce waste materials, and also to enhance the safety of their workers.

With the trend, it is essential to note that robotic automation is the future of manufacturing industries. You can become the best programming course in Singapore. For this reason, we will highlight some of the most common robots that every manufacturer should know about and how they can be used to automate tasks.

Also, we will look at some of the key areas that robots can be used in manufacturing.

Types of Manufacturing Robots

1. Cartesian Robots

Also known as linear or gantry robots, Cartesian robots are manufacturing robots that operate on three linear axes namely X, Y, Z. Cartesian robots move in straight lines on the three axis. Due to the high flexibility on their configurations, Cartesian robots are a popular choice for many manufacturers.

This is because, the high flexibility in their configuration allows the user to adjust the speed, stroke length, precision, and size of the robot. The Cartesian robot is commonly used in industrial operations.

2. Articulated Robots

Articulated robots are usually classified according to the number of rotational points that they have. However, the most common type of articulated robot is the 6-axis robot. Due to their high levels of flexibility, reach, and dexterity, articulated robots are ideal for tasks that span non-parallel planes such as machine tending.

3. SCARA Robots

SCARA stands for selective compliance articulated robot arm. SCARA robots have a rotary motion and they also operate on 3-axis. This type of robot performs well in tasks requiring lateral movements since they move at faster rate than Cartesian robots. Mostly, SCARA robots are used for palletizing and assembly.

4. Delta Robots

Also known as spider robots, delta robots are designed to operate on the 3, 4, and 6-axis. Delta robots work in a dome shape. They can move their arms delicately and accurately at high speeds. This is because every joint of the end effector is usually directly controlled by the three arms. Delta robots are mainly used for applications, such as pick & place.

5. Collaborative Robots

Collaborative robots are a type of robots that can safely interact with humans in the same workspace. Collaborative robots come in various types and brands. They are mainly used for palletizing, pick & place, machine tending, and quality inspection.

There are five major areas that manufacturing robots can be used in the automation of manufacturing processes.

· Material handling

Hazardous materials or materials that require steadiness can be effectively handled by robots.

· Welding

Tasks such as the joining of metal that require high amounts of heat can be dangerous to humans. Also, such tasks require high and exact precision, as such, these tasks can be delegated to robots.

· Assembly

Assembling of product parts is usually a long, tedious, and repetitive task. A slight mistake caused by tiredness or getting bored can result in faulty products. As such, this is another area that can be automated by the use of robots.

· Dispensing

Other types of repetitive tasks that can be relieved from humans are tasks that require painting, gluing or spraying of surfaces. These tasks require high levels of consistency which can only be achieved by robots.

· Processing

Before being shipped, some products require special processing such as polishing, sawing, and carving. Depending on their level of complexity, these tasks can be performed by robots with different degrees of independence.

Conclusion

Robotic automation is an idea that cannot be stopped. It is evident that in a few years from now, robots will be part of our daily lives. Artificial intelligence continues to evolve and with every milestone reached, more advanced robots are being created.

For the manufacturing industries, the future relies heavily on automation as we see many production processes being automated with the hopes of cutting down cost productions while increasing productivity.