Industrial Robots: Types, Applications, and Key Features
Industrial Robots: An Overview
- Industrial Robot: A position-controlled, reprogrammable, multifunctional manipulator with several degrees of freedom. It can manipulate materials, tools, and specialized devices through various movements and is programmed to implement a variety of tasks. These robots often exhibit anthropomorphic movements and other human-like characteristics, such as responding to sensory inputs, communicating with other machines, and making decisions.
Applications of Industrial Robots
- Material handling applications
- Processing operations
- Assembly
- Inspection
Robot Rating
Number of Axes or Degrees of Freedom
To define the positioning of a deformable solid in space, it is necessary to define six independent parameters: three translations and three rotations.
Types of Control
- Manual assisted cycles
- Handlers
- Telehandlers
- Pre-adjustable cycle manipulators
- Sequential control manipulators
- Programmable cycles
- Automatic manipulators or industrial robots
- Intelligent robots
Coordinate Systems
Cartesian, cylindrical, spherical, angular anthropomorphic, SCARA (Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm) architecture.
SCARA Architecture
Moves freely in a horizontal XY plane through its first two rotational joints with vertical axes parallel to each other. It has vertical movement along the Z axis and a fourth rotation around the Z axis.
Robot Morphology
Mechanical Components
Links, Joints, Degrees of Freedom
Transmissions
To minimize its moment of inertia, the intention is that the actuators (motors) are closest to the base of the robot.
System of Actuation
Pneumatic, Hydraulic, Electrical
Sensory System
Control System
Refers to their kinematic and dynamic possibilities, and moreover, its programming.
Terminal Elements
Responsible for interacting directly with the robot’s environment. They can be either elements of apprehension or tools.
Selection Criteria
Conditions of risk, uncomfortable labor, repetitive tasks, difficult to handle multiple tasks.
Characteristics to Consider in Selection
Geometric, kinematics, dynamics, movement type, mode, type drive, community, suppliers, cost.
Accuracy
Refers to how close the actual value is to the measured value.
Precision
Distance between the programmed point and the value achieved by repeating the movement several times with load and nominal temperatures (degree of reproducibility).
Resolution
Minimum increase the robot control unit can accept.
Program
A process by which it tells the sequence of actions to be carried out during the performance of their duties: Guided, Textual, Off-line.
Types of Manipulator Joints
Translational Motion
- Linear joint (type L)
- Orthogonal joint (type O)
Rotary Motion
- Rotational joint (type R)
- Twisting joint (type T)
- Revolving joint (type V)
Resolution Control
The ability of the robot positioning system to divide the range of motion of each joint in the confined space.
Accuracy
Ability to position the wrist of the robot in a desired position within the workspace, given the limits of resolution of robot control.
Repeatability
Ability to place the wrist at a point previously taught in the workspace.
Body-and-Arm Configurations
Polar configuration, Cylindrical configuration, Cartesian coordinate robot, Jointed-arm robot, SCARA
Work Volume of a Robot Manipulator
Is the three-dimensional space within which the robot can manipulate with the end of its wrist. Work volume is determined by the number and types of joints in the manipulator, the ranges of the various joints, and the physical sizes of the links.
Playback Robot with Point-to-Point Control
The controller has a memory to record the sequence of motions in a given work cycle as well as the locations and other parameters associated with each motion and then to subsequently play back the work cycle during execution of the program.
End Effector
Usually attached to the robot wrist. The end effector enables the robot to accomplish a specific task. Examples include grippers and tools.
Internal Sensors
Components of the robot to control the positions and velocities of the various joints of the robot.
External Sensors
Used to coordinate the operation of the robot with the other equipment in the cell.
Robot Program
Is in space as a path to be followed by the manipulator, combined with peripheral actions that support the work cycle.