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Industrial Robotics are automated machines designed to replace humans in performing repetitive, hazardous, or labor-intensive tasks. These robots have greatly helped in improving productivity and quality in various manufacturing industries like automotive, electronics, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, and many others. Some key benefits of deploying industrial robotics include lower costs, higher accuracy and consistency, ability to work in hazardous environments, and 24/7 availability.
Early History and Evolution of Industrial Robots
The concept of automated machines performing industrial tasks dates back to as early as the 1940s. One of the first industrial robots, Unimate, was installed in 1961 to lift hot pieces of metal on an assembly line at a General Motors plant. However, the real proliferation of industrial robotics started in the late 1960s and 1970s with advances in control systems and computing power. This allowed robots to perform more complex repetitive tasks with precision. Since then, industrial robots have rapidly evolved in capabilities, with articulated robots handling a wider range of tasks, collaborative robots designed to work safely alongside humans, and mobile robots performing jobs across different locations in plants.
Applications of Industrial Robots today
Today industrial robotics are used across a variety of manufacturing applications:
Welding – Robotic welding is commonly used for automotive and other metal fabrication applications as robots can handle high-temperature welding far better than humans. They provide consistent welding quality.
Assembly – Assembly tasks like pick-and-place operations, product inspection and quality control, packaging etc. are important areas where robots are utilized. Robots provide accuracy and speed in repetitive assembly line operations.
Painting – Auto companies make extensive use of painting industrial robotics to apply paint on vehicles in assembly plants. Robots apply consistent paint coat thickness and ensure no human errors in paint applications.
Palletizing/De-palletizing – Robots are deployed for palletizing tasks like grasping products and arranging them neatly onto pallets and also for de-palletizing goods off pallets for further processing.
Material Handling – Material handling robots transport raw materials and components between different manufacturing processes like CNC machining, assembly etc. thereby streamlining production flows.
Other Applications – Beyond core manufacturing, robots are now used in areas like surface treatment, quality testing, food processing, machine tending, wafer handling in semiconductor fabs and many more.
Robot Types Commonly Used in Industries
There are various types of industrial robot configurations designed for different manufacturing tasks:
Articulated Robots – Having multiple rotating joints in their arm, these are the most widely used industrial robotics enabling versatility in reaching, grasping and moving objects in 3 dimensions.
SCARA Robots – Short for Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arm, SCARA robots excel at pick and place applications on small work envelopes requiring precision.
Delta Robots – Having parallel linkage arms rather than serial joints, delta robots provide fast speeds ideal for applications like high-speed packaging and palletizing.
Cartesian Robots – With linear joints controlled along the x, y, z axes rather than rotating ones, cartesian robots are useful where precise positioning is required.
Collaborative Robots – Also called cobots, these robots are designed to operate safely alongside humans for tasks involving dexterity like assembly, quality checks etc.
The Future of Industrial Robotics
Industrial robots have established themselves firmly as essential manufacturing tools today. Several emerging technologies are expected to further accelerate robot adoption and advance their capabilities in the coming years:
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning – AI technologies will allow robots enhanced perception, decision-making and adaptability to handle even more complex scenarios.
Collaborative Applications – Collaborative robots working hand-in-hand with humans will help automate more tasks which were earlier thought too complex or hazardous for industrial robotics.
Mobile Manipulators – Mobile manipulator robots able to move around freely and handle a variety of stationary and non-stationary tasks will transform factory logistics.
Vision Systems – Advanced computer vision will enable tasks like quality inspection and process monitoring which were not possible earlier for robots.
Customized Solutions – Modular robot components coupled with off-the-shelf software will enable practically any company build customized automation solutions as per their needs.
In summary, with exponentially improving capabilities, industrial robotics are poised to revolutionize manufacturing by automating a wider range of mundane, hazardous and complex tasks. This will enhance productivity, quality and worker safety while reducing costs. Robotics is truly transforming how products are designed and manufactured worldwide.
*Note:
- Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
- We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
