Industrial robots are automated mechanical devices with multiple functions and positions. They can complete practical tasks in the manufacturing process through repetitive programming and automatic control, serving as main manufacturing machines or production lines. Production, single-machine or multi-machine automated systems can be configured to realize production processes such as transportation, welding, assembly, and painting. Today, with the rapid development of industrial robots, technology, and industry, they have achieved widespread application in production and have become a very important modern automated equipment. What are the key technologies of industrial robots and their applications?
Characteristics of industrial robots
Since the first generation of robots appeared in the United States in the early 1960s, the development and application of industrial robots have progressed rapidly. 1. Programming. Further development of production automation is flexible automation. Industrial robots can be programmed to adapt to changing working environments, thus playing a significant role in flexible manufacturing processes characterized by small batches, diverse types, balance, and high efficiency. 2. Mechatronics. Industrial robot technology encompasses a wide range of topics, but it is a combination of precision mechanical technologies. Third-generation intelligent robots not only possess different types of sensors to acquire information about the external environment but also exhibit artificial intelligence, such as memory, language understanding, image recognition, logic, and judgment. This is closely related to the application of microelectronics technology, especially computer technology.
Five application areas of industrial robots
1. Mechanical Applications (2%)
The application rate of robots in the machinery industry is not high, only 2%. This may be because there are many automated devices on the market capable of performing important machine operations. Robots are mainly used for casting parts and laser cutting of water jets.
2. Robotic painting application (4%)
Robotics associations primarily focus on the assembly, disassembly, and maintenance of parts. In recent years, with the rapid development of robot sensor technology, the applications of robots have become increasingly diversified, leading to a direct decline in the proportion of robotics associations.
3. Application of welding robots (29%)
Robotic welding applications primarily include arc welding points used in the automotive industry. While automated welding points are more popular than automated arc welding, they have seen rapid growth in recent years. Many workshops are gradually introducing automated welding robots to accomplish this process.
III. Six Types of Industrial Robots and Their Key Technologies
1. Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV)
Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are industrial robots with computer control, navigation, automatic navigation, multi-sensor control, and interactive network functions. They can be widely used in machinery in industries such as electronics, textiles, tobacco, medical, food, and papermaking. They can also be used in 3D automated storage, flexible processing systems, and flexible assembly systems (AGVs serving as public mobile platforms). Furthermore, they can be used as transportation in bus stations, airports, and post offices. Mobile robots represent a new trend in international logistics and technological development. They are a modern logistics technology that supports transformation and optimizes traditional production lines, enabling automated point-to-point storage, operation, and processing. This achieves accuracy, flexibility, and information efficiency, shortens logistics processes, reduces material losses, and limits investment in high-tech equipment.
2. Automatic welding points
Welding robots boast stable performance, a large workspace, high movement speed, strong load capacity, and significantly superior quality compared to welding manuals. Spot welding greatly improves productivity. Spot welding robots are primarily used in automotive welding and processing, a process mainly undertaken by major automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). International industrial robot companies have long-term collaborations with major automotive companies, providing them with various robot modules, robotic automotive welding products, and production lines for the Chinese market, holding a leading market position in this field. With the development of the automotive industry, welding production lines require integrated clamp welding, increasing weight. Spot welding robots are the most widely used robots in automotive welding. In September 2008, the Robotics Research Institute developed and completed China's first 165 kg spot welding robot, which was successfully applied to welding work in Chery Automobile's workshop. In September 2009, a second, improved robot successfully passed acceptance testing, with each technical indicator reaching a similar level externally.
3. Laser robot processing
Robotic laser processing is the application of robotics technology in laser processing, enabling greater flexibility in the laser processing process through the high precision of industrial robots. The system can be programmed via a tutorial box or through offline/online work. It can automatically generate model machine parts, inspect the parts, generate cutting curves, and also directly process data using a robotic system. The benefits of this model can be applied to surface treatment lasers, sculpting, welding, and repairing dead surfaces.
What are the key technologies for industrial robots and their applications? With robotics and automation technology at its core, the high-tech project is dedicated to manufacturing high-end equipment in fields such as robotics.
