6 Types of Industrial Robotic Arms and Their Applications

The robotic arm is a significant piece of the robotic machinery industry. The different types of robotic arms tend to fascinate the audience with their speed and strength. However, the usage and application of the same remain a mystery to many. This article will broadly speak about the different robot arm types and their industrial applications to provide you with a better understanding of efficient decision-making. So, keep reading.

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Robots are no longer just found in sci-fi. With the development of technology, robots are becoming more and more integrated into our daily tasks. This helps humans to avoid repetitive, dangerous, difficult or even impossible tasks.

The different types of robot arms, which are one of the main parts of an industrial robot, are often referred to as robotic manipulators. These robotic arm types are programmable and are connected via joints or axes to allow rotational or linear movement.

The end-effector must be moved and controlled by robotic arms to finish a particular application. Different types of industrial robot arms have subsequently improved safety and efficiency in industries including manufacturing, military surveillance and armament, healthcare, transportation, and research.

Different Types Of Robot Arms At A Glance

A collection of robotic devices is collectively referred to as "robotic arms." The uses of these several robot types frequently overlap. However, each kind has unique features that often allow it to be more effective than other robotic arms for particular jobs. Various robotic arm types include:

• Articulated arm

• Six-axis arm

• Collaborative robot arm

• SCARA arm

• Cartesian arm

• Cylindrical arm

• Spherical/Polar arm

• Parallel/Delta arm

• Anthropomorphic arm

• Dual-arm

6 Main Types Of Robotic Arms And Their Uses

Several manufacturers and industry experts are using different types of robotic arms to automate their tasks, enhance their workers' safety, and increase their overall efficiency and productivity. Moreover, many robotic arm types can reduce wastage and operating costs as well. Industrial robots are becoming more and more prevalent in various types of industries. This section will explore the main types of industrial robots available on the market.

Articulated Robot Arm

An articulated robot arm resembles the human arm and allows mechanical movement and configuration. It is one of the most common types of robotic arms for industrial automation. It features a single mechanical arm attached to a base with a twisting joint. 

Six-axis robots are the most common type of articulating robot, and they generally feature four to six axes, allowing for a wider range of motion. They can automate many different robotic applications, including arc welding, spot welding, painting, assembly, material removal, material handling, palletizing, and many more. 

Cartesian Robot Arm

Cartesian robot arms are also known as linear robots or gantry robots. These are the types of industrial robots that work on three linear axes using the Cartesian coordinate system (X, Y, and Z). This means they move in straight lines on three different axes (up and down, in and out, and side to side). This is why this type of robotic arm is quite popular amongst industrialists and manufacturers who are looking for higher flexibility in their configurations. 

These robots provide users with the ability to adjust the speed, precision, stroke length, and size of the robot arm. Cartesian robots are positioned in the market for small applications and are often used for CNC machines and 3D printing.

Cylindrical Robot Arm

Cylindrical robots are another type of robotic arm designed around a single-arm capable of moving up and down vertically. They have a rotary joint at the base and a prismatic joint to connect the links. These robots are very compact and cover small and simple tasks such as assembly, machine tending, or coating applications. This type of robotic arm is achieved with a rotating shaft and an extendable arm that supports vertical and sliding movements.

Delta Robot Arm

Delta robot arms are also referred to as "parallel robot arms" as they facilitate three arms connected to a single base mounted over a workspace. These types of robot arms have high-speed options and are thus used for automation. 

Moreover, these robot arms have a unique design in the form of a dome shape that is capable of delicate and precise movements at high speeds. This is because all three arms directly control every joint of the end effector. These types of robotic arms are a great choice for applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and electronic industries.

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Polar or Spherical Robot Arm

Polar robots, also known as spherical robots, feature a base coupled to an arm with two rotational joints and one linear joint. The robot's axes combine to create a polar coordinate, enabling it to have a spherical work envelope. One of the first industrial robot categories to ever be created is the Polar Robot. Die casting, injection moulding, welding, and material handling are popular uses for polar robots.

SCARA Robot Arm

Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm or Selective Compliance The Articulated Robot Arm is referred to by the abbreviation SCARA. The three-axis (X, Y, and Z) motion of SCARA robots is combined with rotational motion. Compared to Cartesian robots, SCARA robots perform better in lateral motions, move more quickly, and integrate more readily. SCARA robots are typically employed for biomedical applications, palletizing, and assembling.

Conclusion

We hope our readers are familiar with all the information regarding the different types of robotic arms available on the market. Understanding in detail these different types of robotic arms makes a prospective impact on your organisation. Every industrial company requires tools that make workers' lives easier, help them adapt to a changing environment, and are reasonably priced. We think cobots meet every requirement. They are a powerful tool to automate your business and rework outdated procedures. We are available at all times to ensure that you get the most out of your robotic arms. Contact our specialist to discuss robotic arms or anything else.

The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) defines five types of fixed industrial robots: Cartesian/Gantry, SCARA, Articulated, Parallel/Delta and Cylindrical (mobile robots are not included in the "fixed" robot category). These types are generally classified by their mechanical structure, which dictates the ways they can move.

Based on the current market situation and trends, we have modified this list by removing Cylindrical robots and adding Power & Force Limited Collaborative robots. Cylindrical robots have a small, declining share of the market and some industry analysts predict that they will be completely replaced by SCARA robots, which can cover similar applications at higher speed and performance. On the other hand, use of collaborative robots has grown rapidly since their first commercial sale by Universal Robots in . This is why collaborative robots are on our list and cylindrical/spherical robots are not.

Our list of the top five industrial robot types includes:

1. Articulated

2. Cartesian/Gantry

3. Parallel/Delta

4. SCARA

5. Power & force-limited collaborative robots

These five common types of robots have emerged to address different applications, though there is now some overlap in the applications they serve. And range of industries where they are used is now very wide. The IFR&#;s report ranks electronics/electrical, automotive, metal & machinery, plastic and chemical products and food as the industries most commonly using fixed industrial robots. And the top applications identified in the report are material/parts handling and machine loading/unloading, welding, assembling, cleanrooms, dispensing/painting and processing/machining.

Articulated robots

Articulated robots most closely resemble a human arm and have multiple rotary joints&#;the most common versions have six axes. These can be large, powerful robots, capable of moving heavy loads precisely at moderate speeds. Smaller versions are available for precise movement of lighter loads. These robots have the largest market share (&#;60%) and are growing between 5&#;10% per year.

Articulated robots are used across many industries and applications. Automotive has the biggest user base, but they are also used in other industries such as packaging, metalworking, plastics and electronics. Applications include material & parts handling (including machine loading & unloading, picking & placing and palletizing), assembling (ranging from small to large parts), welding, painting, and processing (machining, grinding, polishing).

SCARA robots

A SCARA robot is a "Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm," also known as a "Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arm." They are compliant in the X-Y direction but rigid in the Z direction. These robots are fairly common, with around 15% market share and a 5-10% per year growth rate.

SCARA robots are most often applied in the Life Sciences, Semiconductor and Electronics industries. They are used in applications requiring high speed and high accuracy such as assembling, handling or picking & placing of lightweight parts, but also in 3D printing and dispensing.

Cartesian/Gantry robots

Cartesian robots, also known as gantry or linear robots, move along multiple linear axes. Since these axes are very rigid, they can precisely move heavy payloads, though this also means they require a lot of space. They have about 15% market share and a 5-10% per year growth rate.

Cartesian robots are often used in handling, loading/unloading, sorting & storing and picking & placing applications, but also in welding, assembling and machining. Industries using these robots include automotive, packaging, food & beverage, aerospace, heavy engineering and semiconductor.

Delta/Parallel robots

Delta robots (also known as parallel robots) are lightweight, high-speed robots, usually for fast handling of small and lightweight products or parts. They have a unique configuration with three or four lightweight arms arranged in parallelograms. These robots have 5% market share and a 3&#;5% growth rate.

They are often used in food or small part handling and/or packaging. Typical applications are assembling, picking & placing and packaging. Industries include food & beverage, cosmetics, packaging, electronics/ semiconductor, consumer goods, pharmaceutical and medical.

Power & force-limiting collaborative robots

We add the term &#;Power & force-limiting&#; to our Collaborative robot category because the standards actually define four collaborative robot application modes, and we want to focus on this, the most well-known mode. Click here to read a blog on the different collaborative modes. Power & force-limiting robots include models from Universal Robots, the FANUC CR green robots and the YuMi from ABB.

Collaborative robots have become popular due to their ease of use, flexibility and built-in safety and ability to be used in close proximity to humans. They are most often an articulated robot with special features to limit power and force exerted by the axes to allow close, safe operation near humans or other machines. Larger, faster and stronger robots can also be used in collaborative applications with the addition of safety sensors and special programming.

Power & force-limiting collaborative robots have about 5% market share and sales are growing rapidly at 20%+ per year. They are a big success with small and mid-size enterprises, but also with more traditional robot users in a very broad range of industries including automotive and electronics. Typical applications include machine loading/unloading, assembling, handling, dispensing, picking & placing, palletizing, and welding.

Summary­

The robot market is one of the most rapidly growing segments of the industrial automation industry. The need for more automation and robots is driven by factors such as supply chain issues, changing workforce, cost pressures, digitalization and mass customization (highly flexible manufacturing). A broad range of robot types, capabilities and price points have emerged to address these factors and satisfy the needs of applications and industries ranging from automotive to food & beverage to life sciences.

Note: Market share and growth rate estimates in this blog are based on public data published by the International Federation of Robotics, Loup Ventures, NIST and Interact Analysis.