On this blog, we often discuss industrial robots. For some people, robotic vocabulary may seem simple to understand, but for someone who is looking to buy their first industrial robot, it may be confusing. This article will give you the main vocabulary and a general overview of where to look when buying an industrial robot.

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Industrial Robot Applications

First of all, you must know which application will be performed by the robot. This criteria will initially guide you when choosing which kind of robot you need to buy. If you are looking for a compact pick and place robot, you may want to choose a Scara robot. If you are looking more at placing small objects at a fast rate, a Delta robot will suit you best. If your application needs to be done alongside human workers, a collaborative robot should be your robot of choice.

For the following discussion, we will focus specifically on industrial robots. This kind of robot can suit a very large array of applications &#; from material handling to machine tending, as well as welding and material removal. These days, industrial robot manufacturers basically have a robot for every application. You just need to identify what you want to do with your robot and choose between all of the different models.

Robot Payload

The payload is the maximum load that the robot can carry in its working space. If you are looking to carry a part from one machine to another, you need to incorporate the part weight and the robot gripper weight into the payload. For further information on payload, you should take a look at the following article that explains the difference between payload and grip force.

Number of Axes

The quantity of axes on a robot is directly related with the its degree of freedom. If you are looking for a really straightforward application, such as pick and place from one conveyor to another, a simple 4 axis robot is enough. However, if your application needs to be executed in a small work space and the robot arm needs to twist and turn a lot, a 6 or 7 axis robot would be the best option. The number of axes is generally dependent on the application. You should take note that having too many axes is not a problem in terms of flexibility. In fact, if you will be moving the robot to another application in a couple of months, you may want to have more axes rather than not enough. The downside of having too many axes though, is that if you only need 4 axes, you will still need to program 2 supplementary axes for nothing.

Robot manufacturers tend to use slightly different nomenclature for the axis or joint names. Basically, the first joint (J1) is the one that is closest to the robot base. The following joints are called J2, J3, J4 and so forth, until we reach the wrist. Other companies such as Yaskawa/Motoman use a lettered nomenclature for their axes.

Industrial Robot Reach

When looking at your target application, you should know what maximum distance the robot needs to reach. Selecting a robot is not all about the payload &#; it also needs to reach a certain distance. Every company gives the work envelope of the robot, therefore you can determine if the robot is suitable for a specific application. The maximum vertical reach for a robot is measured from the lowest point that the robot can reach (often under the robot base) to the maximum height that the wrist can go. The maximum horizontal reach is the distance from the center of the robot base to the farthest point the wrist can reach horizontally. You should also take a look at the different motion range (expressed in degrees). These specifications are quite different from one robot to another and can be very limiting for certain applications.

Repeatability

Once again, this factor depends on your application. The repeatability can be described as the capacity of the robot to reach the exact same position each and every time it completes a routine. Most of the time, the robot can repeat inside 0.5mm and sometimes even more. For example, if your robot is needed to build an electronic circuit board, you may want to have a super repeatable robot. If your application is quite rough, the industrial robot doesn't need to be that precise. This measure is expressed in plus or minus &#;&#;±&#;&#; because of the 2D aspect. In fact, since the robot is not linear, the tool can be anywhere in the tolerance radius.

Speed

This criteria is relative to every user. In fact, it depends on the rate in which the job needs to be done. The spec sheets always express maximum speed, but you should know that all of the speeds can be reached between 0 and maximum speed. This motion unit is often in degrees/second. Some robot manufacturers incorporate the maximum acceleration rate. 

Robot Mass

Robot mass is an important factor when designing a robot cell. If the industrial robot needs to be sitting on a custom bench or even on a rail, you may want to know its weight to design the corresponding support.

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Brakes and Inertia

Basically every robot manufacturer provides information on the braking system on their robot. Some of robots have brakes on all axes and others don&#;t. To have a precise and repeatable position in the workspace, you need to have a sufficient number of brakes. The inertia of certain robot segments can be provided by the manufacturer. In fact, for designing security features this would be a plus. You may also notice the different applicable torques on the axis. For example, if your manoeuvre requires a certain amount of torque to complete the job properly, you need to check if the maximum torque applicable on the axis is correct. If it is not correct, the robot may shut down due to an overload.

IP Rating

Depending on where you want your robot to work you may need to achieve a certain Ingress Protection rating or IP rating. In fact, if the robot works with nutrition related products, laboratory tools, medical tools or in highly flammable environments, the IP ratings will be different. This criteria is an international norm and you obviously need to verify if your application needs a certain protection or if you can use a local rating. Some manufacturers provide the same robot with different IP ratings depending on where the robot needs to work.

I hope this article gives you a few tips to consider for your next industrial robotic investment. We have put together different comparison sheets for industrial robots with payloads from 5 to 10 kg and for industrial robots with payloads from 20 to 50 kg. These grids only include the industrial robots that are specific to material handling, which means that there are no Scara, Delta or welding robots mentioned. I am sure you will find comparing the different robots interesting!

8 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Robotic Palletizer

Most manufacturing, warehousing and distribution centers must build pallets of products for storage or shipping. When done manually, the task can be time consuming and ergonomically challenging for employees and, when mixed pallets are part of the operation, figuring out the optimal stack configuration can be tricky. Exacerbating these issues is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find and retain workers in palletizing positions because the work is both physically taxing and mundane.

For these reasons, many operations are considering purchasing a robotic palletizer, but selecting the one that best fits the parameters of the application can be rough. This blog will outline the basic types of robotic palletizers and provide a list of essential questions that will help whittle down the choices during the selection process.

Types of Robotic Palletizers

Robotic palletizers are available in several different types, each with many available configurations and features. The most common include:

• In-Line Palletizers: The simplest type, in-line palletizers use articulated arms or gantry-style robots and specialized end of arm tooling to service one or more palletizing lines. While they consist of just a single robotic palletizer for the entire operation, some may feature the ability to place tier or slip sheets or dispense pallets.
• Palletizing/Depalletizing: Capable of performing all the functions of an in-line palletizer, these robotic palletizers can also perform depalletizing functions.

Please note that while the name suggests they can perform both functions, it really just means that the robotic palletizer can be programmed for use as a depalletizer. 

• Layer-Forming Palletizers: These palletizers consist of an integrated system of multiple robots where each robot performs a single task. For example, one robot may layer products, while another stacks them. Because this greatly increases speed, layer-forming palletizers are ideal for high-throughput situations.
• Mixed-Configuration Palletizers: Ideal for pallet loads that contain a mix of products or container types, mixed-configuration palletizers can create stable, optimally organized layers from boxes and cases of varying sizes and shapes. They are available in a variety of configurations and capabilities. For example, a robot that is mounted to a track might move between a series of pallets, select a product and finally set it onto the receiving pallet, forming stable and efficient layers. Another mixed-configuration palletizer may involve a series of conveyors that feed product into a staging area where a robotic arm selects and orients the products, forming layers into a load that is guided to an end stop where it is finally lifted onto a pallet by a robot.

8 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Robotic Palletizer

While selecting the ideal robotic palletizing system from the many types and configurations can be confusing, answering these eight questions may help narrow down the choices. After selecting the robotic palletizer type or model that seems well suited to the application, talking to a reputable manufacturer or supplier can provide further assistance with choosing an appropriate model and the best accessories.

To start the selection process, consider gathering the information to answer the following questions:

1. What types of products are being palletized? Noting the size, shape and material characteristics of the products being palletized, as well as the container type, dimensions and weight will help determine the required payload of the robot, as well as whether specialized end effectors will be needed.
2. What are the current palletizing needs? In addition to knowing the required throughput, be sure to consider the expected configuration of each pallet, including number of layers, different layer arrangements, if you anticipate mixed pallets and whether slip or tier sheets are required.
3. What type of speed and accuracy are required? The robotic palletizer must be able to provide the necessary throughput, so speed is an important consideration here. Be sure to look into palletizing rates and inquire about guarantees regarding those rates. Also, accuracy can be crucial to meeting quality standards, so it may be important to ask how accurately the robot can place product onto pallets while maintaining the required speed. In other words, you don&#;t want a robot that moves quickly, but doesn&#;t properly stack the pallet.
4. Will there be variability in the products or pallet configurations? If the products change frequently or the pallet configurations may differ in the future, flexibility is important. In these cases, it&#;s best to seek out a robotic palletizer that can easily be reprogrammed or re-tooled to handle changes in product or pallet configurations without the need for costly downtime or major modifications.
5. How many robots will be needed? If there is a complex product mix or pallet configuration or if it is a very high throughput application, several robotic palletizers may be required to handle the operation. Typically, robotic palletizers can be purchased individually or as part of a system that allows multiple palletizers to run simultaneously.
6. What end of arm tooling is most appropriate? This is related to the type of product being palletized. There are many end effectors available that are designed to gently handle all sorts of products, boxes, bags, cases, containers, etc. Consider whether vacuum cups, compression plates or some type of gripper will be best suited to the application.
7. Where will the robotic palletizer be located? It&#;s essential to know where the system will be located, as well as the location of the packaging or production equipment it will serve, to determine how the palletizer will be arranged, whether a robotic arm or gantry-style robot will best serve the application and what reach will be required. Robotic palletizers can take up significant space in a facility, so it&#;s important to determine how much area will be dedicated to the palletizing operation and to find a palletizer that meets these specifications. Also helpful: determine ahead of time that there is sufficient mechanical and electric support near the location.
8. What type of safety systems are necessary? As with any piece of industrial equipment, safety should be a high-priority concern. It&#;s important to ensure that the robotic palletizer comes with or can be equipped with safety features such as pallet guards, light curtains and emergency stop mechanisms.

Taking the time to gather the information needed to answer these questions and discuss options with a supplier, such as JHFOSTER, will be worthwhile and ensure the selected robotic palletizer easily meets the throughput and quality requirements while also boosting the efficiency and safety of the palletizing operation.

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