ROBOT APPLICATIONS IN MANUFACTURING

Current robot applications include a wide variety of production operations. These operations can be classified into following categories:

1. Material transfer
2. Machine loading and unloading
3. Processing operations
4. Assembly
5. Inspection

MATERIAL TRANSFER APPLICATIONS:

Material transfer applications are defined as operations in which primary objective is to move a part from one location to another location. This category includes application in which robot transfer parts into and out of a production machine.
This application involves the transfer of a part from one machine to another such as moving a die cast to a conveyor belt and transferring sand castings from a casting machine to a shake out conveyor. Due to the simplicity of motion, this is one of the earliest applications.

General considerations in material handling robot include:
1.Parts must be present to a robot in a known position and orientation.
2.Special end effectors must be designed for the robot to grasp and hold the work part during the handling operation.
3.Material handling operation should be planned so as to minimize the distances that the parts must be moved.
4.The load capacity of the robot must not be exceeded beyond limit.
5.Many parts transfer operations are simple enough that they can be accomplished by a robot with two or four joints of motion. Machine-loading applications often require more degrees of freedom.

The following is the input data required for the selection of a Robot in material handling applications:
1.The environment in which the Robot is placed.
2.The weight, geometry and temperature of the component.
3.The location of the picking and placement area of the component.
4.The available loading and unloading time.
These applications usually require a relatively unsophisticated robot, and the interlocking requirements with other equipment are typically uncomplicated.