ROBOTICS

Introduction to
Industrial Robotics

Introduction
The word ROBOT Appeared in 1921 in the
Czech word ROBOTA means WORK.
Computer Aided Manufactures International
of USA describe the meaning robot as a
general purpose ,programmable machine
possessing certain anthropomorphic,or
humanlike ,characteristic of a robot is its
arm.

The popular concept of robot has been

fashioned by science fiction novels and movies
such as Star War. These images tend to
exaggerate the robots similar to human
anatomy and behavior. Robots ideally suited to
a variety of production tasks,including

Machine loading,
Spot welding ,
Spray painting,
Assembly.

Definition of ROBOT
The Robot Institute of America has developed
the following definition:
A Robot is a programmable,multi-function
manipulator designed to move
material,parts ,tools or special devices
through variable programmed motion for
the performance of a variety of tasks.

Structure and Operation of

Robots
A typical stand alone Robot, it consist of three
modules namely

1.Controller
2.Manipulator
3.Tooling

Structure of Robot.

3
1
2

Controller
The machine language instructions to the robot to
perform the desired tasks automatically are input through
the keyboard of this unit. The mass storage media devices
like--Floppy drive ,
Magnetic cassette recorder
and Main frame Disk drive
can also be written in higher level language.This high
level language compile into machine language.before
these can be accepted by the Robot Control Unit ( RCU ).
The controller converts the input program to
suitable signals which actuate the manipulator to perform
the desired tasks.

In latter case it can sense the

information about the desired process parameter ;
make decision on the basis of the sensed
information;& take suitable action.
The Current technology relies upon
computer and more specifically, on
microprocessor to achieve the control function of
the RCU.

Manipulator
It consists of base ,arm and wrist of Robot joined in
resemblance to a human arm . It also consist the power
source, being either electric ,hydraulic or pneumatic.
On receiving signal from RCU, this mechanical unit
performs movement functioning desired degrees of
freedom.
The actuation systems which are responsible for
converting command signals into desired movements
could be closed loop(servo control) type or open loop
type .

Manipulator Consists

Robot Base
Robot arm
DC or AC Servomotor
Stepper motor
Hydraulic actuator
Pneumatic actuator
Power supply
Air supply
Hydraulic supply
Position feed back system
Velocity/Force feed back system

Tooling
It is the hand or the gripper of the robot ,
often called the END EFFECTOR.It
depend on nature of work to be performed
by robot.Handling
application,nature,geometry,weight and
orientation of the part and friction between
part and gripper.Would influences the
shape,size and material of the gripper.

The task tool like ______

Spray painting gun
Flame cutting torch
Drilling spindle
Touch sensors
Vision sensors
Force ,Torque and velocity sensors
It is directly fastened to the robot wrist and acts as the
end effectors.

Typical operations performed by grippers are given

below---1.To move the handled part with not more than
specified force,
2. To open ,move and close the fingers at specified
positions
3. To move the fingers of the gripper with command
speed
4. To measure dimensions of a part

Specification of Robot
Manipulator

Positioning accuracy +/- 0.1mm

Repeatability +/- 0.05 mm
Weight of robot 980 kg
Load Capacity 10 kg
Degree of Freedom
6
Max. Vertical displacement
2.5m
Coordinate system
Cylindrical
Axes
6
Rotation of axes
xo

 Speed of arms 200m/s

Rotation of speed
125o/s
Drive system
DC servo driven

Controller

Programming method VAL Method

Programming feature PTP motion
Memory Capacity
80k bites
Max operating temp. 50o C
Weight of RCU 50kg
Power supply 220 V,50 Hz.

Tooling

Vacuums cup gripper

Single action gripper
Parallel action gripper
Over grip sensing
Special tooling

Degree of Freedom (DOF)

The no. of independent movements the
wrist can perform in three dimensional space
relative to robots base is called DOF of the robot.
By using three orthogonal translations
and three rotations about the orthogonal axes of
robot. So robot have SIX degree of freedom.If
robot have more more than six joints, have more
than six DOF , obviously have constrained
movements.

Basic Robot Motions

Robot have arm and body motions, basically there are six type
of motions
they are..
1.Vertical Traverse
2. Radial Traverse
3. Rotational Traverse
4. Wrist swivel
5. Wrist Bend
6. Wrist Yaw

Basic Motions & DOF

Basic Motion System of Robot

Robot have basically three type of motions they
are..
1.Point-to-point motion
Ex: pick & place, spot welding, loading
&unloading.
2.Linear Interpolation motion
Ex: Continuous welding, Spray painting.
3.Contouring motion
Ex: Assembly activities.

Robot Physical Configuration

Robot basically have FOUR physical
configurations..
1.Polar coordinate configuration
2.Cylindrical coordinate configuration
3.Jointed arm configuration
4.Cartesian coordinate configuration

1.Polar Coordinate Configuration

Unimate-2000 series robot

2.Cylindrical Coordinate
Configuration

Prab FC model robot

3.Jointed arm Configuration

Cincinnati Milacron T3 robot

4.Cartesian coordinate configuration

Other Technical Features of

Robot
1. Work Volume
2. Precision of Movement
3. Speed of Movement
4. Weight Carrying Capacity
5. Type of Drive System

Work Volume
It refers The space within which the robot can
operate. The work volume is the spatial region
within which the end of the robots wrist can be
manipulated.
The work volume of an industrial robot is
determined by its physical configuration,size and
the limits of its arm and joint manipulations.

Work volume of some Physical

Configuration
1. Cartesian coordinate system

-Rectangular

2. Cylindrical Coordinate system

-Cylindrical

3. Polar Coordinate system

-Partial spare

4. Jointed arm robot

(Partial spare)

-Irregular

Cartesian coordinate system

Cylindrical Coordinate system

Polar Coordinate system

Jointed arm robot

Precision of Movement
The precision of movement with which the robot
can move the end of its wrist.
Is a critical consideration in most
applications.There are three types..
1. Spatial resolution
2. Accuracy
3. Repeatability

Spatial resolution
The smallest increment of motion at the
wrist end that can be controlled by the
robot.
It depends on

- its position control system

- its feed back measurement
system
- Mechanical in accuracies in
robot joints

Spatial resolution = Control resolution+Mech. inaccuracies

Control Resolution
The factors determining the control resolution are
>the range of movement of the arm and
>the bit storage capacity in the control memory
for the movement.
The arm movement must be divided into its basic
motions or degrees of freedom, the resolution of
each degree of freedom is figured separately.Then
Total Control resolution is the vector sum of each
component.

Example:
Assume that we want to find the spatial
resolution for a Cartesian coordinate system
robot ,that has 2 DOF,the 2 DOF are
manifested by two orthogonal sides. Each
slide has range of 0.4m, hence giving the
robot a work volume which is a plane
square, with 0.4m on a side.Suppose that
robot control memory has a 10-bit storage
capacity for each axis.

Answer:
We must first determine the number of control
increment of which the control memory is capable .
For 10 bit storage
2 10 =1024 Control increments
Then the control resolution would be found by
dividing the slide range by the no. of control
increments:

Control resolution = 0.4/1024

= 0.3906mm

 Spatial resolution can be improved by

increasing the bit capacity of robots control
memory.
A large robot would have a poorer spatial
resolution than a small robot .
Spatial resolution is larger than the Control
resolution.

Accuracy
The accuracy of the robot refers to its capability
or ability to position its wrist end ( or a tool
attached to the wrist ) at a given target point
within its work volume.
This is expressed as an error, bringing out the
difference between the target position and the
actual position achieved by robot.

Accuracy is closely related to

spatial resolution ,since the robots ability to reach
a particular point in space depends on its ability to
divide its joint movements into small increments.
According to this relation, the accuracy of the
robot would be one half the distance between two
adjacent resolution points.
Accuracy is affected by- mechanical inaccuracies.
( gear inaccuracies)

Repeatability
This refers to the robots ability to position its wrist
end back to a point in space that was previously
taught.
Repeatability errors from a random variable.
In general , repeatability will be better (less) than
accuracy.
Mechanical inaccuracies in the robots arm and wrist
components are principal sources of repeatability
errors.

Speed of Movement
The speed with which the robot can manipulate
the end effector ranges up to a maximum of about
1.5 m/s. Almost all robots have an adjustment to
set the speed to the desirable level for the task
performed.
This speed should be determined by such factors
as ..
o The distance moved
o Weight of the object
o Precision positioning

Weight Carrying Capacity

The weight carrying capacity of commercially
available robots covers a wide range .
At the upper end of the range ,there are robots capable
of lifting over 1000 lb.
The Versatran FC model has a maximum capacity is
2000 lb.
At the lower end of the range, the Unimate PUMA
Model 250 has a capacity 2.5lb.
Capacity of robot is depend on weight of the end
effector.
Ex: The gripper of PUMA 250 weighs 1lb, capacity of
the robot is only 1.5 lb.

Types of Drive System

There are basically three types of basic drive
systems used in commercially available robots.
1. Hydraulic
2. Electric motor
3. Pneumatic

Hydraulic Drive System

These drive systems are usually associated with
large robots, and the hydraulic drive system adds
to the floor space required by the robot. Some
robots Unimate 2000 series and Cincinnati
Milacron T3 these driven by Hydraulic drive.
Advantages :

Mechanical simplicity

High strength

High speed

Electric Motor Drive

Robots driven by electric motors ( DC stepping
motors or servomotors ) do not posses the physical
strength or speed of hydraulic units, but their
accuracy and repeatability is generally better. Less
floor space is required due to the absence of the
hydraulic power unit.
Example : Unimate PUMA 500 robot.

Pneumatic Drive System

Pneumatically driven robots are typically smaller
and technologically less sophisticated than the
other two types.
Application Example:
1.Pick and place tasks.
2.Simple high-cycle rate operation.
are usually reserved for these robots

Programming the Robot

There are various methods by which robots
can be programmed to perform a given work cycle. We
divide these programming methods into four categories.
1.Manual method
2.Walkthrough method
3.Lead through method
4.Off-line method

Manual method
This method is not really programming
in the conventional sense of the word. It is more
like setting up a machine rather than programming.
It is the procedure used for the simple robots and
involves setting mechanical stops. Cams,switches,
or relays in the robots control unit.For these lowtechnology robots used for short work cycles(ex.
Pick-and-place operations ), the manual
programming method is adequate.

Walkthrough method
In this method the programmer manually
moves the robots arm & hand through the motion
sequence of the work cycle.
Each movement is recorded into memory
for subsequent playback during production. The
speed with which the movements are performed can
usually be controlled independently so that the
programmer does not have to worry about the cycle
time during the walkthrough method.

Walkthrough method
The main concern is getting the position
sequence correct. The walkthrough method
would be appropriate for 1.Spray painting robots
2.Arc welding robots

Leadthrough method
The leadthrough method makes use of a teach
pendant to power drive the robot through its motion
sequence .
The teach pendent is usually a small hand-held
device with switches and dials to control the robots
physical movements. Each motion is recorded into
memory for future playback during the work cycle.
The lead through method is very popular among
robot programming method s because of its ease
and convenience.

Off-line programming
This method involves the preparation of the robot
program off-line, in a manner similar to NC part
programming .
Off-line programming is typically accomplished
on a computer terminal .After the program has
been prepared, it is entered into the robot memory
for use during the work cycle.

Advantages:
1. The production time of the robot is not lost to
delay in teaching the robot a new task.
2. Programming off-line can be done while the
robot is still in production on the preceding job.
3. Off-line programming is the prospect of
integrating the robot into the factory CAD/CAM
data base & information system.
This means higher utilization of the
robot and the equipment with which it operates.

Robot Programming Languages

Non computer controlled robots do not require
a programming languages . They are programmed by the
walkthrough or leadthrough methods while the similar
robots are programmed by manual methods.
With introduction of computer control
for robots came the opportunity and the need to develop
a computer oriented robot programming languages .

Robot languages are intended to bring ease of

programming for the ever increasing complex
tasks being performed by robots.Robot languages
also possess the following some characters.
> It takes over routine calculations.
> It is portable.
> It not require large memory space for
compilation.
> It is capable to programme all robot
tasks.
> It is easier to learn and use.
> It has debugging tools.

There have been several robot languages in use and their

development continues. Some of the robot languages are listed
below.

Languages

Year Source

WAVE
AL
VAL( Victoria Assembly Language or
Versatile Algorithmic Languages)
SIGLA

1973
1975

Stanford AI Lab.
Stanford AI Lab.

1979
1978

HELP

1980

Unimation Inc.
Olivetti
DEA Italy adopted by
General Electric for multi
arm robots

Languages

Year Source

Rail ( Robotic Automatrix

Incorp.Languages.)

1981

MCL ( Manufacturing Control Language)

ROBEX (Roboter Exapt)
AML ( A Manufacturing Language )
VAL II

1982
1984

Automatrix Inc.
McDonnell Douglas
Corp.; NC Oriented
enhancement of APT
Aachen Germany
IBM
Unimation Inc.

1985

ESORIT German project

1989

IBM
CNR Italy

SRL ( Structured Robot language )

AUTOPASS ( Automatic Part Assembly
System )
VML ( Virtual Machine Language)

In this section we discuss two of these languages :

VAL developed for the Unimation PUMA robot ; and
MCL and APT-based languages developed by
McDonnell-Douglas Corporation.
MCL is based on APT ( Automatically
Programmed Tooling ) and is CNC oriented like
Robex.
These languages can either explicit or implicit.
Explicit :
In this programming ,all sequences of manipulator
motion in terms of robot positions and relevant to a
task have to be expressed. Therefore , necessary that
a user knows about all possible operations of the
manipulator.

Implicit :
An implicit programm has the advantage that
only task-oriented statements have to be written
but it would require a capable compiler.
The explicit programming instead may be
understood by the robot line by line a relatively
simpler interpreter program.
Most of the listed above languages are either
explicit or a mix of implicit and explicit and
accordingly use interpreter programs.

The VALTM language

The VAL ( Victoria Assembly language) language
was developed by Victor Scheinman for the
PUMA robot , an assembly robot produced by
Unimation Inc.
It is basically an off-line language in which the
programm defining the motion sequence can be
developed off-line, but the various point locations
used in the work cycle are most conveniently
defined by leadthrough method.

VAL Statements:
VAL statements are divided into two
categories.
1. Monitor Commands.
2. Programming Instructions.

Monitor Commands.
The Monitor commands are a set of administrative
instructions that direct the operation of the robot
system.
These commands are used for.
1. Preparing the system for the user to write
programm for the PUMA.
2. Defining points in space
3. Commanding the PUMA to execute a program
4. Listing programs on the CRT

Programming Instructions
The program Instructions are a set of
statements used to write robot programs. Programs
in VAL direct the sequence of motions of the
PUMA.
One statement usually corresponds to
one movement of the robots arm or wrist.

Examples of Program Instructions :

1. Move to a point
2. Move to a point in a straight-line motion
3. Open gripper
4. Close gripper

The program Instruction are entered

into memory to form programs by first using the
Monitor command EDIT. This prepares the system to
receive the program Instruction Statements in the
proper order .

Some of the important Program Instructions are

given below examples

Example :
Write the VAL language
programm for a Robot is instructed to pick
up one work part from one conveyor
(point -A) and place it on another (pointB).

The VAL program for this work cycle is

presented as -

The MCL language

The MCL stands for Machine Control Language
and was developed by McDonnell-Douglas
Corporation under contract to the U.S. Air Force
ICAM (Integrated ComputerAided
Manufacturing ) .
The language is based on the APT NC language ,
but is designed to control a complete manufacturing
cell, including a cell with robots, MCL is an
enhancement of APT which possesses additional
option and features needed to do off-line
programming of a robotic work cell

Additional vocabulary words were developed to

provide the supplementary capabilities, these
includes vision, inspection and control of signals
to and from the various devices that constitute the
robotic workstation.
MCL also permits the user to define
MACRO- like statements.
MCL represents a significant enhancement of
APT which can be used to perform off-line
programming of complex robotic work cells.

Some representative Programming

Words in MCL.

End Effectors
Definition
A device which is attached to the robots
wrist to perform a specific task .
the task might be work part handling,
spot welding, spray painting or any of a
great variety of other functions.

Classification
For the purpose of organization, we will
divide the various types of end effectors
into two categories.
1.Grippers.
a. Mechanical Grippers.
b. Other Types of Grippers.
2.Tools

Mechanical Grippers.
Mechanical grippers can also be classed according to the
type of kinematic device used to actuate the movement.
1.Linkage actuation
2.Gear-and-rack actuation
3.Cam actuation
4.Screw actuation
5.Rope-and-pulley actuation
6.Miscellaneous

Pivoting Movement

Sliding Movement

Vacuum cup

Double Pivoting

Other Types of Grippers.

1.Vacuum cups
2.Magnetic grippers
3.Adhesive grippers
4.Hooks,scoops and other miscellaneous

Tools as End Effectors

Spot-welding tools
Arc-welding tools
Spray-painting nozzle
Rotating spindles:

Drilling
Routing
Wire brushing
Grinding

Liquid cement application for assembly

Heating torches
Water jet cutting tool

Work Cell Control

In robot work station some of the activities occur
sequentially, while others take place
simultaneously, To make certain that the various
activities are coordinated and occur in the proper
sequence , a device called the work cell ( work
station controller )controller is used .
The work cell controller usually resides within the
robot and has overall responsibility for regulating
the activities of the work cell components.

WORK CELL CONSISTS

1.Robot
2.Machine
3.Conveyors
4.Work piece

Work cell control

Example:
In the work station one semiautomatic cycle takes
place.It consists of the two conveyor one for
incoming and another one for out going of finished
pieces .The work cycle consists of the following
activities.
1.Incoming conveyor delivers W/p
2.Robot pick up part from conveyor & loading to
machine tool
3.Machine process work part
4.Robot unloads finished part from machine & place
it on outgoing conveyor.
5.Outgoing conveyor delivers part out of work cell,
robot ready for next cycle.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

The Example illustrates the several functions

performed by the work cell controller.These
functions are ..
Controlling the sequence of activities in the work
cycle.
Controlling simultaneous activities.
Making decision to proceed based on incoming
signals.
Making logical decisions.
Performing computations.
Performing irregular cycles ,such as periodically
changing toos

Interlocks
An interlock is the feature of work cell
control which prevents the work cycle sequence
from continuing until a certain condition or set of
conditions has been satisfied.
Types :
1. Incoming Interlocks
2. Outgoing Interlocks

Interlocks sending signals from

workstation controller to some external
machine or device that will cause it to
operate or not operate.
An interlocks are needed to help coordinate
the activities of the various independent
components in the work cell and to help
avert damage of one component by another.

ROBOTIC SENSORS
&Transducers
Transducers :
A Transducer is a device that converts one type
of physical variable ( force,pressure,temp,velocity
etc.) into another form.A common conversion is to
electric energy.
Sensors :
A Sensor is a transducer that is used to make a
measurement of a physical variable of interest.
Example: Strain gauge, thermocouple,speedometer.

Types of Transducers.
1. Analog Transducers.
These provide a continuous analog signal such
as current or electric voltage.
2. Digital Transducers.
These produce a digital output signals either in
form of a set of parallel status bits or a series of
pulses or the digital signal represents the value of
the measured variable.

Types of Sensors
1.Tactile sensors.
2.Proximity and range sensors.
3.Miscellaneous sensors.
a.Vision sensors
b.Voice sensors

Tactile sensors.
Tactile sensors are devices which indicate
contact between themselves and some other
solid object.
There are two types :
1.Touch sensors
2.Force sensors

Touch Sensors:
Touch sensors are used to
indicate that contact has been made between
two objects without regard to the magnitude
of the contacting force .
Exp: limit switches,micro switches.
Force sensors:
The capacity to measure
forces permits the robot to perform a
number of tasks.

Proximity sensors
In robotics -Proximity sensors are devices
that indicate the presence or absence of a
workpart or other object.when one object is
close to another object.
These are also used to positioning of the
objects.
Example: Optical proximity sensor devices,

Miscellaneous Sensors
Voice Sensors:
Voice sensing or vice programming can be
defined as the oral communication of commands
to the robot or other machine.
The robot controller is equipped with a
speech recognition system which analyzes the
voice input and compares it with a set of stored
word patterns.when a match is found between the
input and the stored vocabulary word , the robot
performs some action which corresponds to that
word.

Vision sensors:
Computerized vision systems will be an important technology
in future automated factories. Robot vision is made possible by
means of a video camera , a sufficient light source , and a
computer programmed to process image data.
Operations:
1.Retrieve parts which are randomly oriented on a conveyor.
2.Recognize particular parts which are intermixed with other
objects.
3.Perform visual inspection tasks.
4.Perform assembly operations which require alignment.

Uses of Sensors
1. Safety monitoring.
2. Interlocks in workcell control.
3. Part inspection for quality control.
4. Determining positions and related
information about objects in the robot
cell.

ROBOT APPLICATIONS

General Considerations In Robot

Applications
1.General application characteristics.
2. Selecting the right applications.
3.Application areas of industrial robots.

General application
characteristics
1.Hazardous or uncomfortable working
conditions.
Ex: Forging,Die casting,Spray painting.
2.Repetitive tasks.
Ex:Pick-and-place,Machine loading.
3.Difficult handling.
Ex:Lifting the part,Weighing several pounds.
4.Multishift operation.
Ex:Plastic injection molding machine.

Application areas for Industrial

robots.
1.Material transfer
2.Machine loading
3.Welding
4.Spray coating
5.Processing operations
6.Assembly
7.Inspection

Material Transfer
Material transfer application are those in
which the robot is used to move work parts
from one location to another.
Examples of material transfer robot
operations include the following

 Simple pick-and-place operations.

Palletizing operations.
(In which the robot takes parts from a
conveyor and loads them onto a pallet in a
required pattern and sequence)
Loading parts from conveyor to boxes.
Depalletizing operations.

Material Transfer
Pick-and place operation

Machine Loading.
Machine loading applications are material
handling operations in which the robot is required to
supply a production machine with raw workparts
and /or to unload finished parts from the machine.
Machine loading is different from Material
transfer operation by the fact that the robot works
directly with the processing equipment.In material
transfer ,it does not.

Machine loading and unloading function

include the following..

Die-casting.
Injection molding
Transfer molding
Hot molding
Upsetting or upset forging
Stamping press operations
Machining operations such as Turning,Milling.

Machine loading application

Welding
The welding processes are a very important
application area for robots.
There are two basic categories..
1.Spot welding
2.Arc welding

Spot Welding
Spot welding is a process in which metal
parts(sheets or plates ) are fused together at
localized points by passing a large electric
current through the two parts at the points
of contact.
Sequences in spot welding.
1.
Position the welding gun in the
desired location against the two pieces
( prior fixturing or matching of the pieces is
required )

2. Squeezing the two electrode against the

mating pieces.
3. Weld and hold, when the current is
applied to cause heating and fusion of
the two surfaces in contact.
4. Release and cool.

Spot welding is doing to cars by

a robot

Arc Welding
Several types of arc welding process can be
accomplished by industrial robots capable of
continuous-path operation. These process include
gas metal arc welding( MIG) and gas tungsten arc
welding(TIG).
These process are uncomfortable,very hot and
dangerous.
As result of so many problem in welding of lowvolume robot arc welding,

1.If it is low-volume it is not economical.

2.Dimensional variations.
3.Human welders are often required to
perform their trade in areas which are
difficult to access( inside vessel, tanks,ect.).
4.Sensor technology capable of monitoring
the variations in the arc welding process
have not been fully developed.
So,robot arc welding applications
have been fairly limited to operations
involving high or medium volumes.

A typical robotic arc welding station

consist of the following components
A robot ,capable of continuous path control.
A welding unit ,consist of the welding
tool,power source,and the wire feed system
A workpart manipulator , which fixtures the
components and positions them for welding

Advantages.
1. Higher productivity.
2. Improved safety.
3. More consistent welds.

Spray Coating
Most industrial products require some form of
applications of paint.
But, spray painting is hazard to human operator.
They are
1.Fumes and mist form the spraying operation .
2.Noise from the spray nozzle .
3.Fire hazard.
4.Possible cancer dangers.

Advantages of spray coating.

1.Safety.
2.Coating consistency.
3.Lower material usage.
4.Less energy used .
5.Greater productivity.

Process Operations.
This is a miscellaneous category in which the robot
is used to perform some manufacturing process other
than welding or spray painting.
The robot would be used to bring the tool into
contact with a stationary workpart during processing.
Some of the processing operations which have been
performed by industrial robot include
Drilling,Riveting,Grinding,
Polishing,Deburring,
Wire brushing,Water jet cutting.

This application is developed under the U.S. Air

force ICAM ( Integrated Computer Aided
Manufacturing ) program in October 1979.
The work station possesses the following
operating futures
1.Integrated computer control of the workstation
components.
2.Automatic part identification.
3.Mass data storage for part programs.
4.Automatic parts positioning.
5.Automatic tool changing.

This example involves drilling and routing

operations performed on aircraft components

Component

Assembly.
Assembly operations are seen as an area big
potential for robot applications. Batch type
assembly operations seem to offer the most
promise for using robots.For mass production
assembly , the most economical method involves
fixed automation.
The term that some companies use for such a
system is Adaptable Programmable Assembly
Systems (APAS).

The APAS system composed of both conventional

material handling devices (conveyors,parts
feeders, etc. )and robot arm, probably in an in-line
arrangement as in next figure.
In that robot arms would be used for some parts
handling duties , but its main fuction would be
assembly.
The PUMA ( Programmable Universal Machine
for Assembly) is a robot produced by Unimation
company.It was designed with assembly operations
intended as one of its main functions.
It is shown in the next figures.

PUMA 500- Robot performing part inserting

in an assembly operation

Inspection.
Like assembly, inspection is a relatively new area
for the application of industrial
robots.Traditionally,the inspection has been a very
labor intensive activity.The activity is slow
,tedious ,and boring and is usually performed by
human beings on a sampling basis.
Robot equipped with mechanical probes,optical;
sensing capabilities , or other measuring devices
can be programmed to perform dimensional
checking and other forms of inspection operations.