Articulated robots, also known as articulated arm robots or articulated robotic arms, are one of the most common types of industrial robots in today's industrial fields. They are suitable for automated mechanical operations in many industrial sectors, such as automated assembly, painting, material handling, and welding.
The axes of an industrial robot can be explained using the technical term "degrees of freedom." A reasonable assumption is that as the number of axes increases, the robot gains greater flexibility. Four-axis SCARA robots (hereinafter referred to as four-axis robots) and six-axis articulated robots (hereinafter referred to as six-axis robots) are examples of this. Four-axis robots are specifically designed for high-speed pick-and-place operations, while six-axis robots offer greater flexibility in production movements.
The axes are closely related to the Cartesian coordinate system. A three-axis robot is also known as a Cartesian coordinate robot, and its three axes allow the robot to move along the directions of the three axes; while the six axes in a six-axis robot are the XYZ axes in the Cartesian coordinate system, and the UVW axes that rotate around the XYZ axes.
Four-axis robot
Four-axis robots are designed for high-speed pick-and-place operations, while six-axis robots offer even greater flexibility. In small assembly robots, a "four-axis robot" refers to a "selective assembly articulated robot arm," meaning the arm portion of a four-axis robot can move freely within a geometric plane. The first two joints of the four-axis robot arm can rotate freely left and right in the horizontal plane, while the third joint consists of a metal rod called a quill and a gripper. This quill can move up and down in the vertical plane or rotate about its vertical axis, but it cannot tilt.
This unique design gives quadcopter robots high rigidity, enabling them to perform high-speed and highly repetitive tasks. In packaging applications, quadcopter robots excel at high-speed pick-and-place and other material handling tasks.
Six-axis robot
Six-axis robots have two more joints than four-axis robots, thus offering greater "degrees of freedom of movement." The first joint of a six-axis robot can rotate freely in the horizontal plane, just like a four-axis robot, while the latter two joints allow movement in the vertical plane. Furthermore, a six-axis robot has an "arm" and two "wrist" joints, giving it capabilities similar to a human arm and wrist.
Six-axis robots have more joints, meaning they can pick up parts facing any direction on a horizontal plane and place them into packaged products at specific angles. They can perform many tasks previously only possible with skilled workers. Furthermore, they can save on labor costs, making them an excellent choice for newly established businesses.
Four-axis and six-axis robots can be collectively referred to as "automation". Automation technology can not only liberate people from heavy physical labor, some mental labor, and harsh and dangerous working environments, but also expand human organ functions, greatly improve labor productivity, and enhance human beings' ability to understand and transform the world.
The application guide for robotic automated packaging shows that integrating and applying robotic technology on packaging production lines is not as complicated, dangerous, or costly as some people imagine. On the contrary, it is quite simple and safe, and may also bring economic advantages.
