What defines a “robotic” as we enter the second quarter of this century? Let’s take a look at the important thing traits that outline fashionable industrial robots to assist if you find yourself evaluating choices to your automation venture.
Robots have modified quite a bit over the previous 70 years. Because the first industrial robots entered the automotive business, the know-how has grown progressively. With the expansion of AI, the definition of a robotic retains altering.
Nevertheless, the core traits of an industrial robotic have remained fairly steady because the very starting.
Listed below are the ten key traits you might want to know once you’re evaluating robotic fashions:
1. Levels of Freedom (DoF)
Levels of Freedom (DoF) might be probably the most basic of all robotic traits. It refers to what number of impartial axes the robotic mechanism can transfer.
A typical 6 DoF robotic manipulator can independently transfer the place of its finish effector in 6 dimensions:
- 3 translations (X, Y, and Z)
- 3 rotations, one round every of the X, Y, and Z axes
Whereas 6 DoF arms are widespread, some robots (like SCARA robots) have fewer. Some robots (termed “redundant robots”) have additional DoF which helps keep away from obstacles or robotic singularities.
2. Payload Capability
A robotic’s payload is the utmost weight it could actually carry, together with any instruments and finish effectors.
When you find yourself designing a brand new robotic software, payload is an effective start line for evaluating totally different fashions. Producers all the time checklist a robotic’s payload, so it’s a simple method to shortly cut back the variety of potential
You should use our robotic comparator software to see all robotic fashions with the identical payload capability.
3. Repeatability and Accuracy
When evaluating robotic fashions, repeatability and accuracy must be high of your checklist.
These phrases imply:
- Repeatability is how intently a robotic mechanism can return to the identical place time and again. It is extremely widespread for robotic producers to checklist the repeatability.
- Accuracy is how intently the robotic will get to the right place. Producers don’t often checklist a robotic’s accuracy as a result of varies relying on calibration or programming.
You may enhance your robotic’s accuracy by correctly calibrating your robotic throughout programming.
4. Attain and Workspace
Attain is the measure of how far a robotic can prolong from its base. It is a widespread attribute listed on robotic information sheets and provides you a tough concept of your out there workspace for duties.
A associated attribute is workspace, which exhibits the complete quantity of house a robotic can cowl. For instance, a 6 DoF collaborative robotic may need a spherical workspace, whereas a SCARA robotic may need a cylindrical one.
Reachability evaluation and workspace visualization are helpful methods for seeing a robotic’s full workspace.
5. Velocity and Cycle Time
There are numerous methods to think about the velocity of a robotic.
Two widespread traits are:
- Joint velocity — This determines how briskly every joint strikes.
- Finish effector velocity — This determines how briskly the tip effector can transfer in house alongside one of many robotic’s DoF.
Nevertheless, velocity isn’t nearly how briskly a robotic can transfer. It’s usually extra useful to consider how shortly the robotic can full a specific job.
Cycle time is a helpful measure of how lengthy it takes for the robotic to finish a single cycle of a specific job. You may measure cycle time to your job in your robotic simulator.
6. Finish Effector Compatibility
A robotic is barely as helpful as its software. That is known as the finish effector and there are lots of of prospects together with grippers, welders, paint sprayers, sensors, and extra.
It’s necessary to test that your robotic is suitable with any finish effector that you simply may wish to use.
With RoboDK, you’ll be able to simulate totally different instruments shortly within the simulator and even auto-calibrate software facilities for extra exact operation. Try our Final Information to Making a Instrument in RoboDK
7. Mounting Choices
Industrial robots don’t have to take a seat on the ground or a desk. Typically, mounting the robotic on a ceiling or wall is a greater use of house.
For some robotic fashions, you might want to choose a particular variant that’s suitable with ceiling mounting. That is one thing you need to test with the producer.
Mounting the robotic on an extra axis can also be a strong method to improve the workspace of your robotic system.
8. Robotic Management and Software program
The way you program and management a robotic is simply as necessary because the robotic {hardware}.
With RoboDK’s vendor-agnostic programming software program, you’ll be able to shortly and simply program an enormous variety of robotic fashions from many producers.
Offline programming and simulation reduces most of the historic obstacles to robotic programming, it doesn’t matter what robotic model you select.
9. Security and Collaboration
With the rise of collaborative robots (cobots) during the last 20 years, security has change into an important attribute for a lot of firms.
Cobots are designed to function safely round human staff. By way of pressure sensing, ergonomic {hardware} design, and strict velocity limits, they open up the likelihood for collaborative duties.
Robotic security is ruled by worldwide requirements like ISO 10218-1 and ISO/TS 15066. And with instruments like RoboDK, you’ll be able to simulate secure zones and take a look at applications just about, lowering dangers earlier than placing the robotic in manufacturing alongside folks.
10. Price and ROI
Over the previous couple of a long time, robotic costs have dropped considerably, opening up the know-how to many extra folks.
Even so, it’s necessary to work out the return on funding (ROI) to your robotic system. This contains components like complete value of possession, set up, integration, programming value, downtime, and coaching.
That is additionally why simulation and planning matter. In the event you design your cell, take a look at your program, and optimize movement in a simulator like RoboDK earlier than set up, you cut back monetary threat and achieve a faster ROI.
Why Traits Matter: It’s a New Language
If in case you have by no means used robots earlier than, all these phrases may appear to be studying a brand new language.
Robotic traits are greater than specs on a datasheet. They outline what your robotic can do—and the way properly it can do it.
Whenever you perceive key traits like DoF, repeatability, payload, and workspace, you’ll be able to be sure you select the correct robotic to your wants.
With RoboDK, you’ll be able to discover actual robotic fashions, simulate real-world duties, and make good choices—earlier than something hits the manufacturing unit ground.
Which attribute is most helpful to your job? Inform us within the feedback beneath or be a part of the dialogue on LinkedIn, Twitter, Fb, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Discussion board.. Additionally, try our in depth video assortment and subscribe to the RoboDK YouTube Channel
