An industrial robot is an automated, multi-axis machine that performs repetitive production tasks with programmed motions. It is used for welding, part handling, palletising, painting and assembly, wherever people get tired, make mistakes or are exposed to danger. In this article we explain the parts of an industrial robot, the main types, where they are used and which values to check when choosing one.
Parts of an industrial robot
- Manipulator (robot arm): The moving part, made of motors, gearboxes and the body.
- Controller: The cabinet that drives the motors and runs the program; the robot’s brain.
- Teach pendant: The handheld terminal the operator uses to jog the robot and record points.
- End effector: The tool at the end of the arm: welding torch, gripper, vacuum cup, spray gun. It defines what the robot does.
- Sensors: Cameras, lasers and force sensors that let the robot perceive its surroundings.
Types of industrial robots
| Type | Structure | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Articulated robot arm | Usually 6 rotary axes, similar to a human arm. | Welding, handling, painting, assembly. The most common type. |
| Cartesian (gantry) robot | Linear X, Y and Z axes. | Handling over large areas, CNC loading, long straight welds. |
| SCARA | A 4-axis arm that moves fast in a horizontal plane. | Small-part assembly, pick and place. |
| Delta robot | Ceiling-mounted with parallel arms. | Very fast pick and place of light products, packaging. |
| Cobot (collaborative robot) | A force-limited arm designed to work alongside people. | Small batches, assembly, machine tending. |
For more detail see what is a 6-axis robot arm?, what is a Cartesian robot? and what is a cobot?
Where are industrial robots used?
- Welding: MIG/MAG and spot welding are among the most common robot jobs.
- Part handling and machine tending: Loading and unloading CNC machines, presses and injection moulding machines.
- Palletising: Stacking boxes and bags on pallets.
- Painting and coating: Even coating thickness in an unhealthy environment.
- Assembly and inspection: Camera-based part checks, screwing, gluing.
5 values to check when choosing a robot
- Payload: The combined weight of tool and part, including the moment at the wrist.
- Reach: The farthest point the robot can reach; it sets the cell size.
- Axis count: 4, 5 or 6 axes depending on the angles needed to approach the part.
- Repeatability: How consistently the robot returns to the same point; on industrial robots it is in the range of a tenth of a millimetre or better.
- Environment: Protection class against dust, water, heat and weld spatter.
Robot or dedicated machine?
A robot is flexible: change the program and it handles a different part. If you will process one part the same way for years, a purpose-built machine may be faster and cheaper. The right decision depends on part variety, volume and cycle time. We make this assessment as the first step of our machine design and robotics projects.
DKT’s approach: a robot that sees
A classic robot goes to the taught point; it does not know if the part has shifted. DKT robots carry a machine vision system made of a camera and laser sensors: the robot sees the part and the seam and corrects small differences itself. On our AI welding robot the welder marks the weld spot with chalk, and the robot recognises the mark and welds.
Summary
- An industrial robot consists of the arm, controller, teach pendant, end effector and sensors.
- The most common types are articulated arms, Cartesian, SCARA, delta and cobots.
- Payload, reach, axis count, repeatability and environment drive the choice.
- Adding machine vision compensates part differences and reduces programming.
Is your job a fit for a robot?
Send a photo of your part and your daily quantity; we will look at robot versus dedicated machine together.
For our services see the industrial robot arm page.