Industrial robots and their

application to manufacturing
 Robot definition

Multifunctional programmable handler with several degrees of freedom, able to

handle charges, parts, tools, or special devices. Able to follow programmed paths
to perform specific tasks.
 Cartesian Robot

Perform three translations following directions of three mutual

perpendicular axis
Able to move with high precision and constant speed and charge
capacity in all the working area
Simpler control system and wide working area
Applied when high precision linear movements in a planar surface are
required
 Cylindrical Robot

Movements: rotation about base axis and

translation in two perpendicular linear axis, one
of them parallel to base axis.
Their rotational axis provide them better
maneuverability and higher operation speed
compared to Cartesian robots
Use to be applied in workstations with no
obstacles and with machines distributed radially
where access to needed point is horizontal
 Spherical or Polar Robot

Moves with two rotations about mutually

perpendicular axis and with a translation
in a plane perpendicular to one of those
rotational axis
More accessibility and load capacity than
Cartesian and Cylindrical robots
Difficult to control simple translational
movements
Lose of precision when handling heavy
loads with extended arm
 Anthropomorphic or Angular Robot

A minimum of three rotational axis are

required, one of them perpendicular to the
base plane and the other two parallel
between them and perpendicular to the
first one
Have great maneuverability and
accessibility to zones with obstacles.
Can reach high speeds following complex
trajectories
 SCARA Robot
(Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm)

Allow two rotations with respect to parallel axis

and a translation in a parallel direction to that of
the rotational axis
Have high precision and reach high speeds
Applied to assembly and packaging operations
requiring simple movements to pick a place
parts
 Parallel Robot

Composed of closed kinematic chains where usually only one of them is

actuated at the same time and the rest are passive
Mobile platform remains parallel to the surface to be handled
Allow high accelerations (up to 200 m/s2 with a 2 kg mass)
They are light and precise
Used in flight simulators, pick an place operations, and machining of parts

http://youtu.be/0-Kpv-ZOcKY
 Applications

Typeofoperation Action
Transportation
Palletization
Handling
Packaging
Servicetomachines
Welding
Painting
Process Machining
Inspection
Assembly
Applied when:
Hazardous for humans work environments
Repetitive work cycles
Work must be done in stationary work stations
Tool or load handling is difficult or impossible for humans
Multiple changes are needed in operations to complete the process
Production lines are long without frequent replacements
Parts placement and orientation are defined at the beginning of the cycle
Application of Industrial Robots

Handling 44%
Welding 35%
Inspection 15%
Painting 2%
Sealingandadhesiveapplication 1%
Grindingandpolishing 2%
Others 1%
 Handling: for palletization

Robots can handle heavy loads and products that are difficult to handle
with high precision and speeds
They have great repetitiveness
They can work in hazardous environments
Have great flexibility
Are easy to program and can store more than one program to change
among them
Handling: for packaging

Hygienic and clean operation

can be guaranteed
Delicate products can be safely
handled
High productivity
Flexibility
Ease of configuration changes
Handling: Service to machines
 Spot welding

High automation
In line integration
Precise spot application
Access to difficult zones
Flexibility
https://youtu.be/AwL1CAg43PU
https://youtu.be/KK0gsIBTAPU
 Arc welding

TIG, MIG, MAG

High automation
In-cell work
Precise
Access to difficult zones
Flexibility

https://youtu.be/HUU3HdxOqZs
 Hazardous work environments

Handling of:
Hot products
Explosives
Toxic products
Corrosive products
Heavy loads
Fragile materials (big glasses,
sheet metal)
Painting and coating
 Machining

Chip removal machining operations

Laser cutting operations
 Collaborative robots (CoBots)

Can be used in industrial environments without protection fences, side to side

with human workers
Used for sparse cooperative operations
Safety contact stop
Easy restart
Manual displacement
Soft cushioning to avoid impacts and wounds

https://youtu.be/tlgKsTMmywk

https://youtu.be/i9Vbh2mPG6M
 Geometry

Six degrees of freedom (DOF) can be used to position and guide objects in space:
three for positioning (3 translational axis) and three for orientation (rotations about
translational axis).
In a 6 DOF industrial robot like the one of the following figure, axis 1, 2 and 3
position objects and axis 4, 5 and 6 orient it

Translational movements can be added to widen

work area.
 Coordinate Systems in a 6 DOF robot

WORLD: X, Y, Z coordinates described

with a trihedral system fixed to the basis of
the robot
JOINT: Articulation rotations with respect to
calibration position
Tool Control Point (TCP): Another
coordinate systems origin in a fixed point
of the tool handler to position it
Robot Mitsubishi RV-2AJ
specifications
Robot Mitsubishi RV-2AJ
specifications
Robot Mitsubishi RV-2AJ
specifications
Robot Mitsubishi RV-2AJ
specifications
Robot Mitsubishi RV-2AJ
specifications
 Interpolations

Trajectory
Tool moves along a trajectory interpolating points between origin and destination,
calculating joints speed and angular position. Movements with the highest speed.
 Interpolations

Linear
Tool moves along a straight line between origin and destination. Is a slower
movement used only for critical movements near to task action place: pick a part,
leave a part, weld a spot
 Interpolations

Circular Movement
Tool moves in circular movement. Has a limited use in robot programming
 Interpolations

Continuous movement:
Tool moves following a continuous trajectory with no stops at pass points.
Start and End must be set.
 Resolution and Precision

Resolution:
Minimal movement increment to divide robot working volume
Depends of control system resolution and electro-mechanical robot
limitations (sensors, actuators, CPU performance). E. g.: In a single DOF
linear movement of 1 m with 12 bits capacity (212 = 4096) a resolution of
0.244 mm can be obtained (1m/4096 increments = 0,244 mm of resolution)
Precision
Precision is the distance between programmed point coordinates and
average of real space points reached after repeating the movement to
destination point several times.
Precision errors occur due to thermal deformation, dynamics of moving
parts, kinematic and dynamic model simplification in control
implementation, numerical errors due to number truncation
 Repetitiveness

Is the exactness with which movements are repeated. Is defined as the

radius of a sphere, including all reached points by robot, after several
repetitions to reach the same point
Depends mainly on mechanical issues like friction, hysteresis, transmission
clearances
Usual values for industrial robots are in a range of 0.01mm to 2 mm
(Robot at IQS lab: 0.02 mm)