Assembly robots are computer-controlled machines used in manufacturing. They perform tasks based on programmed movement paths and have at least three axes for flexibility and increased dexterity. Work cells are required for the robot to function. ISO has published standards for defining industrial robots.
Assembly robots are programmable, automated, computer-controlled machines used in manufacturing and other industrial settings. These robots perform assigned tasks based on movement paths programmed into a computer. Typically, these robots appear to be nothing more than a robotic arm or set of arms that perform functions such as welding, cutting, picking or placing materials along an assembly line. Manufacturing environments involving excessively repetitive tasks, hazardous materials, or unsafe conditions are ideal environments for assembly robots.
Initially, computerized machines in industry first appeared in the 1970s with very limited mobility. Industrial robots, the broader category of robotics to which assembly robots now belong, need at least two axes to articulate along any straight line. Two axes allow a robot to move back and forth in a straight line or up and down in a straight line. While some industrial settings may use machines with such limited mobility, most assembly lines and other manufacturing facilities require much more mobility and versatility.
As robotic technology has developed from the 1970s to the present, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published standards for defining industrial robots. ISO-defined multi-purpose manipulators, assembly robots and other industrial robots must meet the ISO criteria. The main criterion for assembly or other manufacturing robots is the use of three or more axes on which the robot articulates. Using three axes, industrial robots have the ability to manipulate any number of materials and perform any number of motions required to assemble products.
Three axes allow assembly robots to articulate, not just along a straight line, but through space anywhere within reach of the robotic arm. More advanced assembly or manufacturing robots have the three axes you need, plus three additional axes to control yaw, pitch, and roll. In other words, not only can advanced robots reach anywhere in space within their reach, they can do so from any angle.
To the untrained eye, these axes appear on robotic arms to resemble a shoulder, elbow, and wrist. In terms of functionality, this is exactly how assembly robots perform, using axes for flexibility and increased dexterity. The further a robotic arm or other form of robot can move, the more finished tasks the robot is able to successfully perform.
A robotic arm on a minimum of three axes is not the only criterion for industrial robots, as assembly robots must also include all peripherals necessary for the robot to function. Such peripherals include computer controls and software interfaces, as well as additional hardware components. Collectively, all of the components required for assembly robots to function are called work cells. Numerous work cells are used in production environments, with each cell repeating pre-assigned tasks.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
