Industrial robot arm is one of the most popular robots in the manufacturing world. The invention of the robotic arm has really changed the people ‘s lives in general and the industry in particular. With the ability to work accurately, optimize costs and increase productivity many times compared to traditional production methods, robotic arm is a smart solution for modern industry.

The industrial robotic arm is a product made up of industrial precision mechanics, computer technology and artificial intelligence (AI). Under the control of an industrial computer, the robot arm will work precisely and flexibly similar to the function of a human arm by relying on the knuckles and fingers to move along the axis or rotate in certain directions. Thanks to these highlighted advantages, these mechanical machines are increasingly being applied and bringing outstanding benefits to many different fields.

These robotic arms replace human hands in the assembly, repair and replacement of micro-components in the factories. Their mechanism of action is based on the link between the controller programming and the motion joints. Accordingly, the active control unit transmits commands to the joints allowing the arm to translate (linear) or rotate (as in an articulated robot).

These links are installed according to production needs to form a kinematic chain. The end of this sequence of actions is called the end effect, and its operating rules perfectly simulate the movement of the human hand.

There are many types of industrial robotic arm on the market today, each designed with different capabilities and functions to suit specific roles or industrial environments.

Some types of engineering programmed robotic arms are commonly deployed in the production line today, including:

1. Articulated robotic arms: The most flexible movable robotic arm of all designed with at least three articulated arms. Articulated robots are used in applications such as pick and place, arc welding, spot welding, packaging, machine tending, and material handling. 

2. Cartesian Robotic Arms: Is a robotic arm operating in the Cartesian coordinate system (X, Y, and Z) for linear movements along the three axes (forward and backward, up and down, and side to side). Cartesian robots can be used for pick-and-place, material handling, packaging automation, storage and retrieval, cutting and drilling, and many more applications. 

3. SCARA Robotic Arms: A Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm, with two rotational joints parallel in the horizontal plane and one linear joint in the vertical. Used in assembly or processing of machine parts.

4. Spherical Robotic Arms: A robotic arm that has a combination of two rotational joints and one linear joint. Their design creates a spherical-shaped working space. Used for machine tool processing, spot welding, die casting, machine picking, gas welding and arc welding.

5. Delta Robotic Arms: Designed with three robotic arms in the shape of parallelograms that are very light compared to other robots. Delta robots are primarily used in pick and place applications. Additional applications include adhesive dispensing, soldering, and assembly. 

6. Cylindrical Robotic Arms: 

A robotic arm has at least one rotating joint at the base and two linear joints. This design leads to a cylindrical-shaped workspace. Used for grinding, assembly, machine tool handling, spot welding and die casting operations.

7. Collaborative robots (cobots): A robotic arm designed and engineered to allow human-robot interaction in a safe work environment, without the need for fences or other safety measures. Collaborative robots have a wide range of applications like machine tending, pick and place, assembly, arc welding, but are generally not suited for heavy-duty applications or very high-speed tasks.

An important advancement in the use of robotic arms is the development of sensors. Robotic arms usually have sensors to perform specific tasks and to ensure the safety of human workers. Although early robots had sensors to measure the joint angles of the robot, advances in robotic sensors have had a significant impact on the work that robots can safely undertake.

Some of the common sensors on industrial robot arms:

• 2D Vision sensors incorporate a video camera which allows the robot to detect movement over a specific location. This lets the robot adapt its movements or actions in reference to the data it obtains from the camera.
• 3D Vision sensors are a new and emerging technology that has the potential to assist the robot in making more complex decisions. This can be achieved by using two cameras at different angles, or using a laser scanner to provide three-dimensional views for the robot.
• A Force Torque sensor helps the robotic arm to understand the amount of force it is applying and allows it to change the force accordingly.
• Collision Detection sensors provide the robot an awareness of its surroundings.
• Safety sensors are used to ensure people working around the robot arm are safe. 

The safety sensors alert the robot if it needs to move or stop operating if it senses a person within a certain range. In addition, there are many other sensors that are engineering programmed on the robot arm including tactile sensors or thermal sensors. Ultimately the purpose of these sensors is to help make working environments around robots safe for people.

The appearance of the industrial robot arm has contributed many meanings, bringing high efficiency in smart manufacturing.

1. Improve safety

Robotic arms help keep workers safe by operating in environments that are hazardous and executing tasks that present high risk of injury to humans.

2. Increase production productivity

The industrial robot arms have a continuous capacity of operation, the ability to work day and night with fixed manipulations and forces, maintaining a seamless production process. The generated value of the robotic arm is estimated to be many times higher than that of a human over the same amount of time.

Furthermore, the duty cycle i.e. the rest time between operations or maintenance of the robot is quite short, which further helps to keep the production optimal and efficient.

3. Improve quality

People at work are easily influenced by factors: health, weather, working space, etc. affecting the quality of work. But with robots, precise programming helps them operate smoothly and flexibly, thereby, the finished product is uniform and consistent.

Moreover, the industrial robot arm has built-in sensors that ensure movement speed and estimate grip difficulty, providing more detailed information to help them make complex decisions.

4. Increase flexibility

As business priorities change, robotic arms can easily be repurposed for new activities or mounted onto different platforms, such as autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), a stationary assembly line platform, or wall or shelf, as needed.

5. Reduce operating costs

The initial investment to install the robotic arm will be expensive, but in the long run, this will be the most effective cost-saving option because the production speed of the robot will help businesses recover capital quickly. Besides, during the working process, the error margin of the industrial robot arm is extremely low, thereby limiting the time it takes to check the finished product.

Moreover, the robotic arm can also replace humans in high-risk environments such as welding, mechanics, chemicals, etc., thereby, preventing labor accidents and saving labor costs.

1. Palletizing

Pre-programmed algorithms allow robotic arms to be used to automate the process of placing goods or products onto pallets. By automating the process, palletizing becomes more accurate, cost-effective, and predictable. The use of robotic arms also frees human workers from performing tasks that present a risk of bodily injury.

2. Material Handling

Material-handling robotic arms are commonly used in smart warehouses to help create a safe and efficient warehouse by ensuring goods and materials are properly stored, easy to find, or transported correctly. This process automation can help accelerate the delivery of goods to customers, prevent workplace accidents, and improve the efficiency of a facility.

3. Welding

Welding is an uncomplicated, but highly dangerous operation, so the application of industrial robotic arms in this process is extremely important, especially in modern industrial environments such as automobile manufacturing. The application of industrial robotic arms in mechanical welding, not only helps people to work more safely, but also improves the quality of the welds.

4. Inspection

Performing quality inspection is typically completed at the end of a production line, which delays the detection of production quality issues. By enhancing robotic arms with vision and AI systems, businesses can benefit from real-time inspection, helping to reduce waste and downtime.

5. Pick and place

Industrial robotic arm applications with picking and placing tasks are usually equipped with a recognition system to identify objects, then automatically pick up items and place them on the surface in a predetermined position and direction. This activity is often used to classify products, assemble, put in packages for packaging, etc. in an automated way, helping to speed up production and distribution of goods.

To conduct automation in production successfully, businesses need to pay attention to carefully choose the right robot arms.

1. Axis number

For robotic arms in the factory, the greater the number of axes, the more flexible. However, businesses must consider the needs of use. Robotic arms under 5 axes will serve simple tasks such as lifting and placing products. For complex operations that need to be moved a lot, businesses should choose robotic arms with more than 5 axes.

2. Span

The span or reach is the maximum distance the robot arm can reach, measured in two dimensions:

• Width: From the center of the base to the furthest point of the clamp.
• Vertical: The distance from the lowest point to the highest point the robot arm can reach.

Depending on the production needs, the factory should choose the robotic arm with the advantage of horizontal or vertical reach.

3. Speed

This parameter is provided by the seller during the product consultation, the maximum speed of the industrial robot arm is measured in degrees/second. Make sure their speed is capable of serving your production operations and capable of speeding up, maximizing productivity during peak times.

4. Load

Measure the tonnage that can be lifted including the weight of the cargo and the towing device. The robot arm that has a tonnage larger than the heaviest product in the factory is qualified.

5. Precision

Accuracy will relate to the smoothness of the robot’s repetitive operation. Some robotic arms designed with higher precision will cost more, due to the interaction with factors such as base, speed, and reach.

Autotech Machinery is a leading industrial machine manufacturing company in Vietnam, with long experience in the field of automation, specializing in providing industrial automation solutions, which include robot-related services such as collaborative robots, industrial robotic arms, etc.

We are committed to bringing flexible, safe, and easy-to-use industrial robotics solutions to businesses of all sizes, and helping businesses develop capacity in new challenging jobs, thereby increasing value for businesses.

Coming to Autotech, businesses can not only choose a quality and competitive automation solution system, but also receive a warranty policy coupled with the best after-sales service.

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