Industrial robots are defined in accordance with ISO 8373, which are multi-joint manipulators or multi-degree-of-freedom robots for the industrial field. An industrial robot is a machine device that performs work automatically, and is a machine that realizes various functions by its own power and control capabilities. It can be commanded by humans or run according to pre-programmed programs. Modern industrial robots can also act according to the principles and programs formulated by artificial intelligence technology.
--Wikipedia
01
Composition of industrial robots
Industrial robots are mainly composed of three basic parts: main body, drive system and control system.
Main body - that is, the base and the actuator, including the arm, wrist and hand, and some robots also have a walking mechanism. Most industrial robots have 3-6 degrees of freedom of movement, of which the wrist usually has 1-3 degrees of freedom of movement;
Drive system - including the power device and the transmission mechanism, the core is the reducer and the servo motor, which are used to make the actuator produce corresponding actions;
Control system - It sends command signals to the drive system and actuators according to the input program, and controls them.
02
Classification of industrial robots
Regarding the classification of industrial robots, there is no unified international standard, which can be divided according to load weight, control mode, degree of freedom, structure, application field, etc.
03
Industrial Robot Industry Chain
The industrial robot industry chain is mainly composed of robot parts manufacturers, robot body manufacturers, agents, system integrators, and end users. Ontology is the core of the robot industry chain. Usually, Ontology companies design Ontology, write software, purchase and sell to system integrators through agents, and system integrators directly face end customers. Some Ontology companies and agents also serve as system integrators.
From a regional point of view, Europe and Japan firmly occupy the world of industrial robots, and the level of industrial robots in Japan and Germany is world-leading, mainly because they have first-mover advantages and technology accumulation. Japan has strong technical barriers in the research and development of key components of industrial robots (reducers, servo motors, etc.). German industrial robots have certain advantages in raw materials, body parts and system integration.
From the perspective of enterprises, ABB, FANUC, KUKA and YASKAWA are the four major families of industrial robots, and they have become the world's major suppliers of industrial robots, accounting for about 50% market share.
04
How Industrial Robots Work
How robots work is a more complex issue. Simply put, the principle of a robot is to imitate various human body movements, ways of thinking, and control and decision-making abilities. From the perspective of control, the robot can achieve this goal in the following four ways.
"Teaching and reproduction" method: It teaches the manipulator how to move through the "teaching box" or "hands-on" two ways. The controller memorizes the teaching process, and then the robot repeats the teaching action again and again according to the memory, such as spraying robot.
"Programmable control" mode: The staff prepares the control program in advance according to the robot's work tasks and motion trajectory, and then inputs the control program to the robot's controller, starts the control program, and the robot completes the actions step by step according to the program. , if the task changes, as long as the control program is modified or rewritten, it is very flexible and convenient. Most industrial robots work in the first two ways.
"Remote control" mode: the human uses a wired or wireless remote control to control the robot to complete a certain task in a place that is difficult or dangerous for people to reach. Such as anti-riot robots, military robots, robots working in nuclear radiation and chemically polluted environments, etc.
"Autonomous control" method: It is the most advanced and complex control method in robot control, which requires the robot to have the ability to recognize the environment and make autonomous decisions in a complex unstructured environment, that is, to have some intelligent behavior of humans.
Taking the six-axis vertical multi-joint robot as an example (as shown in the figure below), through the robot controller and its control system, it can realize S-axis rotation, L-axis lower arm tilt, U-axis upper arm tilt, R-axis arm swing, and B-axis wrist pitch And the wrist rotation of the T-axis realizes the operation and coordination of six axes.
If a centralized control system is adopted, its control principle will be shown in the figure below:
And if a distributed control system is used, its control principle will be shown in the figure below:
05
Some problems faced by industrial robot manufacturers
With the continuous industrial upgrading of the industrial manufacturing industry and the emergence of various new technologies, robot manufacturers must also consider the needs of their end users during the production process, such as the upgrading of some factories and production lines, robot manufacturers also need Adapt to market changes and make corresponding adjustments.
