From a mechanical structure perspective, industrial robots can be categorized into single-axis robots, coordinate robots, horizontal multi-joint robots (SCARA), vertical multi-joint robots, and parallel robots (DELTA). The following sections will explain these five types in order.
1. Single-axis robot
Single-axis robots generally use two transmission methods: ball screw drive and synchronous toothed belt drive. Both use linear guides for guidance and are combined with servo motors or stepper motors to achieve positioning, transfer, and handling in different application fields. Through different combination styles, two-axis, three-axis, and gantry-type combinations can also be achieved.
Single-axis robots are used in a wide range of automation fields, including semiconductors, home appliances, medical devices, automobiles, packaging, dispensing machines, welding, cutting, and inspection. HIWIN Technologies, based in Taiwan, ranks among the top three in the global single-axis robot market.
2. Cartesian coordinate robot
Cartesian coordinate robots are based on X, Y, and Z rectangular coordinates and work or move within the length range of each coordinate. They are suitable for handling, picking and placing, and other operations. Application areas include injection molding machine arms, moving and positioning, stacking, screwing, cutting, clamping, pressing, inserting, assembling, automated pharmacies, etc.
There are approximately 80 robotics companies in Taiwan, with over 40 currently engaged in the design and development of coordinate robot equipment. The key components used have a high degree of domestic production. In the field of robotic arms for removing parts from injection molding machines, Alfa Automation and Apex are leading companies with a certain market share in mainland China.
3. Horizontal SCARA Robot
A Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA) is a special type of industrial robot with a cylindrical coordinate system. It typically has four degrees of freedom: translation along the X, Y, and Z axes, and rotation about the Z-axis.
SCARA robots are characterized by their small payload and high speed, making them primarily used in high-speed sorting and precision assembly in the 3C (computer, communication, and consumer electronics) industry or the food industry. For example, SCARA robots can be seen in wafer and panel handling, circuit board transportation, and electronic component insertion and assembly in the IC industry. Foreign manufacturers include Japanese companies such as EPSON, IAI, and DENSO. Domestic manufacturers include Delta Electronics, Dongyouda, and HIWIN.
4. Vertical multi-joint robot
Vertical joint robots possess a high degree of freedom, making them suitable for work on any trajectory or at any angle. They exhibit three-dimensional motion characteristics and can perform high-order nonlinear motion, making them the most widely used automated mechanical devices, commonly found in automobile manufacturers, automotive component suppliers, and electronics-related industries.
HIWIN Technologies, Hwa-Zhuang Technology, and Foxconn Technology Group all launched their own-brand six-axis multi-joint robots at international robotics exhibitions. However, the key component, the harmonic drive, still needs to be imported from abroad, making them less competitive in terms of price.
5. Parallel (DELTA) Robots
Parallel robots, also known as DELTA robots, use three sets of power structures on the upper platform to drive the active and passive arms to the end platform for displacement. A fourth axis can be mounted on the end or connected from the upper platform as a rotation axis.
Due to its simple structure, minimal movement distance, and easy miniaturization, it achieves high-speed and high-precision control. Therefore, it is primarily used for high-speed loading and unloading, and sorting operations, mainly in the food, electronics, pharmaceutical, and packaging industries. Typically, one parallel robot can replace 4-6 workers, helping users effectively improve production efficiency and reduce production costs.
