Flexible production and industrial robots

Manipulator as part of an industrial robot
industrial robots manipulators
Functionally, such a “smart” machine consists of a reprogrammable ACS (automatic control system) and a working body (travel system and a mechanical manipulator). If the ACS is usually quite compact, visually hidden and does not immediately catch the eye, then the working body has such a characteristic appearance that an industrial robot is often called as follows: “robot-manipulator”.
By definition, a manipulator is a device that moves work surfaces and objects of labor in space. These devices consist of two types of links. The first provide a progressive movement. The second is angular displacement. Such standard links use either pneumatic or hydraulic (more powerful) drive for their movement.
The manipulator, created by analogy with the human hand, is equipped with a technological gripping device for working with parts. In various devices of this type, the direct grip was most often carried out by mechanical fingers. When working with flat surfaces, objects were captured using mechanical suction cups.
If the manipulator had to work simultaneously with many similar workpieces, then the capture was carried out thanks to a special extensive design.
Instead of a gripper, a manipulator is often equipped with mobile welding equipment, a special technological spray gun, or simplyscrewdriver.
How the robot moves
Automata-robots usually adapt to two types of movement in space (although some of them can be called stationary). It depends on the conditions of a particular production. If it is necessary to ensure movement on a smooth surface, then it is implemented using a directional monorail. If it is required to work at different levels, "walking" systems with pneumatic suction cups are used. A moving robot is perfectly oriented both in spatial and angular coordinates. Modern positioning devices of such devices are unified, they consist of technological blocks and allow for high-precision movement of workpieces weighing from 250 to 4000 kg.
Design
The use of the automated machines in question precisely in multidisciplinary industries led to a certain unification of their main constituent blocks. Modern industrial robotic manipulators have in their design:

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  the frame used to fasten the part-grabbing device (grab) - a kind of "hand" that actually performs the processing;
  
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  grab with a guide (the latter determines the position of the "hand" in space);
  
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  support devices that drive, convert and transmit energy in the form of torque on the axis (thanks to them, the industrial robot receives the potential for movement);
  
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  monitoring and management system for the implementation of the programs assigned to it; acceptance of new programs; analysis of information coming from sensors, and, accordingly,transferring it to providing devices;
  
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  positioning system of the working part, measuring positions and movements along the axes of manipulation.