From kits for schools to professional industrial robots

More than 2.7 million robots are currently working in factories around the world ' more than ever before, according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). Articulated-arm robots have the largest share among traditional industrial robots: Their movable robotic arms are reminiscent of the human arm; They can do a wide variety of jobs in a similarly versatile manner. Robotic arms effortlessly lift heavy components, help with production and assembly, or pack and palletize goods. The demand for the use of robotic arms is also increasing in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries: Here they are not only used in production, but also in the laboratory. Because they offer the advantage that systems can be quickly adapted to changing requirements. This enables companies to react flexibly to changes in demand and ever smaller batch sizes.

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This guide offers an overview of what is possible and useful with robots today, which criteria are decisive when buying and presents some bestsellers.

Potentials and advantages are manifold

Thanks to constant technological development, the prices for robotic arms have fallen significantly in recent years. Multifunction robots are available for less than 1,000 euros. Small and medium-sized companies in particular benefit from this trend, because modern robotics now also allow them to automate even high-precision manufacturing tasks in a cost-efficient manner. At the same time, it is becoming ever easier to implement professional robotics and program robotic arms ' today you don't have to be a software expert to train a robot to do its job.

Robots are conquering more and more fields of application ' from healthcare to agriculture. Robots even make a contribution to climate protection: In order to achieve the ambitious climate targets, renewable energies and environmental technologies are being produced on an unprecedented scale. According to the IFR, the components required for this can be produced efficiently even by small and medium-sized companies thanks to robotics and automation. These include fuel cells for hydrogen-powered cars, batteries for the transport sector and solar cells in the energy segment. In addition, modern robots work energy-efficiently and use them to directly reduce energy consumption in production. Thanks to their precision work, fewer rejects and defective goods are produced, which has a positive effect on the use of resources and output.

The robots leave the factoryk

While the first robots were permanently installed and secured behind fences, they stubbornly performed their work, today they can also move freely as mobile robots. For this purpose, industrial robots are equipped with artificial intelligence, vision kits and other sensor systems. In the near future, they will act as mobile helpers to inform customers when shopping, deliver room service orders in hotels or support police tasks, for example by patrolling urban parks. Corresponding pilot projects can already be found around the world. There is also great demand for disinfection robots, logistics robots in factories and warehouses or robots for delivering goods to the front door.

At the same time, the integration of workplaces with human-robot collaboration is picking up speed. So-called cobots are increasingly working hand-in-hand with people, without any protective fences.

Service robots for personal and domestic use are produced for a mass market ' the largest sales figures are domestic robots. These include vacuum cleaner and floor cleaning robots, lawn mowers and entertainment robots. In alone, more than 23 million service robots were sold worldwide for personal and domestic use, according to the IFR.

In the meantime, there are even inexpensive robot kits with which schoolchildren, students or trainees can gain their first experience with robotics. This means that the IT and STEM lessons leave the dry theory behind. Early childhood education can begin here with the help of screenless learning concepts from an entry age of four years. The degree of complexity can be increased fluently ' up to highly complex robot systems that navigate and act autonomously in space using artificial intelligence and modern visual sensors.

Smart industrial robot arms for digital factory production technology and automated manufacturing process.

Criteria for selecting the right robot arm

The structure of the robot arms is based on the human arm. They have a high degree of mobility and flexibility ' so they can be used in many applications, for example as palletizing, gripping, testing or welding robots in industry. They are available in different designs: The most important feature is the number of degrees of freedom, i.e. the axes of movement. Four to six axes are common. In order to achieve a greater range, robot arms can also be mounted on a linear axis. Seven-axis robots are most similar to the human arm: They are so agile that they can practically reach around corners.

Define the task

Which robotic arm is the right one for the respective application depends on various factors. The first important criterion is the task that he is supposed to take on: is it about handling components, or should he pack products or paint components? Based on this basic function, the main functions of range, load and cycle time or speed as well as the degrees of freedom required to carry out the work can be defined.

Choose the right range

To determine the required arm length of the robot arm, it is necessary to analyze the application on site and to take various criteria into account. These include questions such as:

• Should only one machine or one workstation be operated or several? Example: To increase the utilization of the robot arm, it can be placed between two (or more) identical machine tools in order to remove the components manufactured on them.
• What is the type of application?
• Which and how many positions does the robot have to move to in order to complete the task?
• How far are these positions apart?
• Have the dimensions of peripheral devices such as shelves, conveyor belts, product receptacles or feed stations already been determined?

The required movements that the robot arm must make with the component are then determined. For example, should it be tilted or rotated 180 degrees? It is also important whether the arm can move directly to the respective position or whether it has to reach around a component. The result of these considerations leads to the required number of axes.

Calculate the load correctly

When considering the load, it should be ensured that not only the weight of the component to be handled is taken into account, but also the weight of the required gripper. It is also important to analyze the position of the center of mass in relation to the attachment to the robot arm. If the center of gravity is relatively far away, it makes sense to choose a robot with a higher payload in order to enable a trouble-free and dynamic process.

Required speed

Another step is to determine the required or desired cycle time. How fast should the robot be in completing its task? This is particularly relevant if the robot arm is to perform handling or processing steps in conjunction with a machine. Because then the processing time of the machine sets the framework within which the robot has to do its work.

Another important determinant is the positioning accuracy that the robot arm achieves. While it is not crucial for packaging tasks, for example, it has to be very high when the robot places components in machine tools.

Program or 'teach in' the robot arm?

When deciding to buy a robotic arm, attention should also be paid to setting up the system. Is there someone in your own company who has an affinity for programming machines? If not, a robot system should be selected that is taught the motion sequences 'manually': The robot arm is guided to the respective position by hand. The market also offers robots with intuitive software for applications that often involve changing tasks and small quantities. As a rule, you do not need specialists to put them into operation.

Don't forget accessories and peripherals

In addition, it must be considered which accessories are required or available. These include, among other things, grippers or camera systems. The safety equipment is also an important determinant ' it depends on where the robotic arm is placed and how high the risk for people and machines is. The periphery within which a robot works and which together with it form the overall application is also important. The periphery specifies which communication interfaces the robot must have in order to exchange information with the other components and to what extent it can be integrated into a higher-level control system. The ROS framework (Robot Operating System) has established itself as an essential standard for overcoming different hardware interfaces. Most of the robots sold by reichelt that can be used in R&D or industrial automation are compatible with this and are therefore particularly easy and flexible to implement.

The most popular robotic arms in the reichelt range

Depending on the application criteria, robot arms are available for a wide variety of applications:

TinkerKit entry-level model ' for school and hobby

With the TinkerKit Braccio, a fully functional robot arm is available for self-assembly. It is controlled via the Arduino computing platform and can therefore be easily modified. The kit is the right choice for getting started with robotics and for experimenting at home or at school. The TinkerKit can be assembled in different ways for different tasks. One possible application is that the robot arm optimally aligns a solar cell with the current position of the sun. Or you can use a smartphone attached to the arm to create a video in which the arm with the camera follows the position of a person.

uArm Swift Pro ' for professional training

The uArm Swift Pro is a high quality robotic arm for different purposes. This four-axis robot was specially developed for vocational training. It enables an affordable entry into professional robot programming. Packages are already available for many open source platforms such as ROS. The robot arm combines a high position accuracy of up to 0.2 mm with fast positioning and low noise development. The uArm Swift Pro is thus a fully-fledged multifunctional robot for desktop applications, with which precise laser engravings can be carried out as well as pick-and-place tasks. With the corresponding kit available as an accessory, the robot arm can even perform 3D printing applications. An OpenMV Machine Vision Kit is also available as an option, which can be used to implement facial recognition, among other things.

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xArm ' freedom for industrial production

A further development of the uArm is the

Horst900 ' the industrial robot

The six-axis industrial robot HORST900 is based on a new drive concept with its four-link chains. As a result, it is very powerful and has an optimal ratio of reach and payload: It can lift up to 5 kg with a repeat accuracy of +/- 0.05 mm and a range of over 900 mm. The robot arm produced in Germany enables simple and inexpensive automation of work such as loading, assembling, screwing, palletizing, measuring or contactless testing. With its intuitive operation and its uncomplicated connection to external machines, it can be integrated into industrial environments in a wide variety of sectors.

With the right accessories for a complete solution

In addition to the various robot arms, reichelt offers a comprehensive range of accessories. This includes not only grippers or camera systems, but also components that can be used to create safely sealed off work areas for the robot arms. If the arms are to work closely with the person, the appropriate safety technology reliably switches the robot off as soon as a person approaches.

The right robot solution for every application

With the TinkerKit Braccio, a fully functional robot arm is available for self-assembly. It is controlled via the Arduino computing platform and can therefore be easily modified. The kit is the right choice for getting started with robotics and for experimenting at home or at school. The TinkerKit can be assembled in different ways for different tasks. One possible application is that the robot arm optimally aligns a solar cell with the current position of the sun. Or you can use a smartphone attached to the arm to create a video in which the arm with the camera follows the position of a person.The uArm Swift Pro is a high quality robotic arm for different purposes. This four-axis robot was specially developed for vocational training. It enables an affordable entry into professional robot programming. Packages are already available for many open source platforms such as ROS. The robot arm combines a high position accuracy of up to 0.2 mm with fast positioning and low noise development. The uArm Swift Pro is thus a fully-fledged multifunctional robot for desktop applications, with which precise laser engravings can be carried out as well as pick-and-place tasks. With the corresponding kit available as an accessory, the robot arm can even perform 3D printing applications. An OpenMV Machine Vision Kit is also available as an option, which can be used to implement facial recognition, among other things.A further development of the uArm is the xArm , which with its excellent price-performance ratio is the right solution for small and medium-sized companies. It can be used, for example, to carry out pick-and-place tasks in the professional field. Due to the high flexibility and thanks to the many interfaces to third-party software, this robotic arm is a real alternative for many products available on the market. The xArm is available in three versions: As the xArm5 Lite with five rotary axes, it meets the requirements of simple applications in production. It also offers a payload of up to 3 kg with a range of up to 700 mm. With its six axes of rotation and a load capacity of 5 kg, the xArm6 enables free circular movement ' ideal, for example, for machine operation, screwdriving, assembly or packaging and palletizing. If the robot arm is to move like a human, the xArm7 is the right choice: thanks to its seven axes of rotation, it can reach anywhere flexibly. It is suitable for complex tasks in research and development or in production, but can also be used in the catering industry as a bartender or barista.The six-axis industrial robot HORST900 is based on a new drive concept with its four-link chains. As a result, it is very powerful and has an optimal ratio of reach and payload: It can lift up to 5 kg with a repeat accuracy of +/- 0.05 mm and a range of over 900 mm. The robot arm produced in Germany enables simple and inexpensive automation of work such as loading, assembling, screwing, palletizing, measuring or contactless testing. With its intuitive operation and its uncomplicated connection to external machines, it can be integrated into industrial environments in a wide variety of sectors.In addition to the various robot arms, reichelt offers a comprehensive range of accessories. This includes not only grippers or camera systems, but also components that can be used to create safely sealed off work areas for the robot arms. If the arms are to work closely with the person, the appropriate safety technology reliably switches the robot off as soon as a person approaches.

As broad as the possible applications for robots are, the designs and types are just as varied. It does require some basic considerations in advance, but then a wide variety of tasks can be flexibly automated with robots ' this increases productivity in the company and takes the strain off people.

Robots will support us in more and more areas in the future. It is therefore worthwhile to familiarize yourself with robotics as early as possible. Robots in school and training are therefore not only fun and loosen up the lessons, they also open up exciting prospects for future career choices.

Pictures: AdobeStock

How to Select the Best Industrial Robot for Manufacturing Applications

As robotic technology continues to develop, more manufacturers are applying industrial robots to automate tasks that are repetitive or dangerous for human workers or those that create bottlenecks within the facility.

In these situations, robotic automation can increase productivity and efficiency, boost product quality and improve safety in a variety of manufacturing sectors. While the advantages of robotic automation are plentiful, so too are the available choices, making robot selection a bit challenging. This blog will explore the various types of robots commonly used in manufacturing facilities, as well as some criteria that will help you choose the best robot for your manufacturing application. 

Common Industrial Robots and Applications 

While the term 'robot' makes many of us think of Rosie from the Jetsons, today's industrial robots are not only less sassy than Rosie, but they are also designed with specific features and attributes that make them suitable for efficiently accomplishing heavy-duty, swift-moving, manufacturing applications rather than household chores. Here are the five most common types of industrial robots used in manufacturing: 

1. Cartesian Robots: Cartesian robots feature three prismatic joints that deliver linear motion by sliding along the three perpendicular axes (X, Y and Z). Some Cartesian robots have an attached wrist that allows rotational movement. This configuration provides positional accuracy and handles heavy loads. Usually positioned above a workspace, Cartesian robots can maximize floor space and accommodate a range of part sizes. Simple to operate and easy to customize, Cartesian robots are widely used in pick-and-place, loading and unloading, material handling and assembly applications, as well as CNC machines and 3D printing; however, they are not able to reach into or around obstacles and an exposed sliding mechanism makes them a poor choice for very dirty or dusty work sites.
2. SCARA (Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm): SCARA robots feature two parallel joints, allowing lateral motion in one selected plane. The rotary shafts are positioned vertically and an end attachment on the arm moves horizontally. SCARA robots offer high speeds and excellent repeatability, making them good choices for assembly, packaging, palletizing and machine loading applications. They are also found in semiconductor wafer handling and biomed applications. SCARA robots are a good choice when vertical assembly tasks are required. They are also lightweight and offer a small footprint. Their fixed, swing-arm design can create limitations when they need to work around or reach inside objects within a work cell. 
3. Delta Robots: Consisting of parallel joint linkages connected on a common base that is mounted above the workspace, Delta robots are capable of performing delicate and precise motion at high speeds. Delta robots are suitable for rapid pick-and-place applications in the food, pharmaceutical and electronic industries. Because the actuators are typically mounted on the stationary base instead of at each joint, the robot's arm can be very lightweight, allowing rapid movement in high speed applications involving light loads. 
4. Articulated Robots: The mechanical movement and configuration of an articulated robot resembles that of a human arm. The arm is mounted to a base with a twisting joint and has anywhere from two to ten multiple rotary joints, which serve as axes. Each additional joint provides another degree of motion. Offering superior flexibility, reach and dexterity in a small footprint, articulated robots are often found in food packaging, welding, material handling, automotive assembly, steel cutting, machine tending and foundry and forging applications. They can also reach into a machine and under obstructions when needed. Sealed joints and protective sleeves allow use in harsh manufacturing environments; however, they are not ideal when high speeds are required. 
5. Collaborative Robots: Collaborative robots, or cobots, are specifically designed for integration into workspaces that are shared with human co-workers. Close proximity to operators necessitates that they are built in a way that allows them to be safe, even if they cross paths with or bump into their human counterparts. They find use in pick-and-place, palletizing, quality inspection and machine tending applications. 

Selection Criteria 

While the abundance of robotic technologies enables even small- and medium-sized manufacturers to take advantage of the increased efficiency, product quality and safety benefits offered by automation, it can make selecting an appropriate robot confusing and tricky. The best robot for the job is usually the one that not only provides productivity gains, fits the budget and satisfies the needs of the application, but also suits the space and safety requirements of the manufacturing facility. Below are the most important selection criteria: 

• Application Details: Knowing what you want the robot to do and where it will be placed are critical when selecting an industrial robot. For instance, if the robot will work in a cell with human workers, a collaborative robot will likely be your best option, while SCARA robots are well suited to pick-and-place activities in small spaces and Delta robots are skilled at handling small items at high speeds. In order to be sure, you're picking the right robot, it's important to really clarify the task, which means itemizing and considering each step, along with factors such as the distance the robot will need to move or reach and the weight of any objects the robot will have to manipulate. 
• Required Reach: It is essential to know the maximum distance the robot will need to reach in order to efficiently accomplish the task. Consider the maximum vertical reach (measured from the lowest point that the robot can reach to the maximum height), as well as the maximum horizontal reach (the distance from the center of the base to the furthest point it can reach horizontally). Range of motion, expressed in degrees, should also be considered. Robot providers should offer this information. Often, the application specifications will dictate which robot can be used. 
• Robot Payload: This is the maximum load that the robot can handle, including the part the robot will handle, as well as any end effectors or grippers that will be added to the robot to accomplish the task. 
• Number of Axes: The number of axes directly relates to the flexibility of the robot. While selecting a robot with the necessary number of axes needed for a task will satisfy the application, choosing a robot with additional axes means it may be moved to a more complex application down the road. However, additional, unused axes will still have to be programmed. Typically in simple applications, such as pick and place, a 4-axis robot will satisfy most requirements; however, more axes will be required in confined spaces where the robot arm needs to twist or move in reverse. 
• Running Speed and Travel: The robot's speed over the required distance is a major factor in how quickly the robot can accomplish the task. If the robot needs to complete a high pick rate, a Delta robot may be the best choice, while a Cartesian or SCARA robot will be suitable for lower pick rates. 
• Repeatability: Repeatability is the ability of the robot to reach the same position each time it completes a routine, so in applications where high accuracy is required (such as assembling electronics), the better the repeatability needs to be. Applications with high repeatability criteria may also want to consider how many brakes the robot features since brakes directly relate to achieving repeatable positions. 
• Space and Footprint: The available size of the area in which the robot will be expected to perform is important during the selection process. Confined areas and obstacles will impact this, as well. If space is very limited, vertically oriented robots like Cartesian and Delta robots, will be most suitable. 
• Robot Body Weight: The total weight of the robot is important information as it is crucial to designing the cell and for proper mounting of the robot so that it may be properly supported during motion in order to avoid safety issues. 
• Protection Class: If the robot will be used in applications where food, medical instruments, laboratory equipment or flammable products are manufactured, it may require a certain level of protection. Some automation providers offer different levels of protection for the same type of robot depending upon the environment or application in which the robot will be applied. 
• Risk Assessment: To fully ensure the safety of the robot in a specific scenario, it is necessary to provide a risk assessment for each robot before placing it on the facility floor. If the assessment reveals that there are hazards despite any built-in safety features, action must be taken to provide any necessary protective measures, especially to fully ensure the safety of human operators around collaborative robots.

The above-mentioned selection criteria will get you off to a good start when researching robots as the most suitable industrial robot for a manufacturing application is the one that not only provides the speed, payload and reach necessary for the task, but also meets the spatial and safety requirements of the application and facility. 

For assistance selecting the most appropriate robot technology for your application, please contact JHFOSTER. 

Contact us to discuss your requirements of industrial robotic arm. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.