Machine Tending Robots
What is a Machining Robot?
Machine tending is the process of loading a machine with the necessary materials, unloading finished parts, and performing other tasks such as cleaning and inspections. Today, machine tending is typically done by humans, but machine tending robots are quickly becoming the most popular type of collaborative robot, aka “cobot,” on the market.
This innovative technology enables a wide variety of machine tools to operate continuously and minimize human interaction. Collaborative versions of automated machine tending robots provide convenient safety measures such as power- and force-limitations that allow people to work safely in the same space.
The Advantages of Automated Machine Tending
CNC loading robots’ most obvious advantage is mitigating risk by alleviating humans from dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks so that they can perform tasks that are more creative, cleaner, and safer. With this, the likelihood of injury due to complacency and weariness decreases greatly. Furthermore, cobots are able to sense the objects and humans in their vicinity using a variety of external instrumentation and internal proprioceptive force sensing, making them easy to add to many applications.
The implementation of these cobots leads to exponentially higher productivity because they decrease part cycle time and free human operators to perform more fulfilling and unique tasks that require their creative problem solving skills. While a human operator can only work for a certain amount of hours and requires breaks during their shift, machining robots can be left running for weeks at a time, sometimes unattended if it is set up properly.
Additionally, some machine tending robots can be programmed to perform more than just loading and unloading tasks. Depending on the specific application, it could also perform part finishing, cleaning, and inspecting or tend more than one machine at a time.
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Which Industries Could Benefit from Machining Robots?
Industries such as CNC machining where demand has drastically grown in recent years and worker safety and scarcity has become a more prevalent concern see the most immediate benefit from implementing CNC loading robots.
Companies that rely on the precise handling and production of complex items, like electronics, medical device, aerospace, food and beverage, and automotive, are some of the most common sectors where machine tending automation has been the most successful. Industries may include:
- Agriculture
- Food
- Energy
- Industrial
- Medical
- Plastics
- Technology
- Manufacturing and fabrication
- Transportation
Frequently Asked Questions
Also known as a collaborative robot, this type of robotic device is designed to assist people with a variety of tasks, sharing all or a part of its working space with human operators. While this is still an emerging robot classification, it already has its own ISO standards to meet for both safety and usability.
Cobots are able to sense the objects and humans in their vicinity with the right instrumentation, making them easy to add to Many applications. You’ll need to consider a variety of capabilities, including reach, payload, speed, and more, to ensure you find the ideal cobot to fit your needs. If you need assistance deciding which CNC loading robot to integrate into your system to modernize your processes and save money, contact JHFOSTER at 855.688.0065 or email us to chat with one of our experts.
The potential cost savings of integrating collaborative robots is dramatic, but hard to calculate on your own. At JHFOSTER, we offer a basic ROI Robotic System Value Calculator so you can see for yourself the increased efficiency of robotic technology For a more detailed and application specific ROI analysis contact JHFOSTER.
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