An Robotic arm consists of various components such as drives, Sensors, controllers and end effectors, some of which are integrated in the robot flange. Some manufacturers offer robotic arms with flexible modularity that can be adapted to the needs of different industries. If you are looking for a robotic arm, it is worth asking one or the other of the providers presented here.

Robotic arm Robolink

 

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Bionic robot hand for low cost cobot 

November 30.11.2023, XNUMX | So that the Cobot Rebel In order for it to actually work, it needs suitable end effectors such as grippers and suction cups. Igus offers a large selection from various manufacturers on its website Marketplace RBTX.com. Due to some customer requests for a robotic hand that simply plugs and plays with the Cobot can be connected Igus now developed a finger gripper.

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Safety brake for the Robco robot arm kit

27.08.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX | The company Robco offers a modular Robotic-kit for industrial production. In the robot arms, slim and lightweight robot brakes from the standard modular system from Mayr power transmission ensure the necessary safety.

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Robot arm also cleans narrow bores

06.12.2022 | The Company Ecoclean is a specialist in component cleaning. In an application for cleaning prototypes in a cleaning cell, the appropriate cleaning process should be found. It was tested with one Robolink DP splashing water robot am. 

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Bionic robot arm for human-robot collaboration

09.05.2019 | Whether free and flexible movements or defined processes - depending on the composition and mounted grab can the modular pneumatic Lightweight robot from Festo for a wide variety of applications in terms of human-robot collaboration.

 

Robot flange with IO-Link makes wiring superfluous

09.05.2019 | Based on the Wireless IO-Link standard, the Room Group presented an intelligent robot flange that uses wired mechatronic grippers Wireless IO link connected. In many cases, the robot flange makes external robot cabling superfluous. Only the power supply comes from the robot, the information is transmitted via radio link from the intelligent robot flange to the controller. 

Splash-proof robot arm with material symbiosis

December 15.12.2020, XNUMX | The mechanics of a robot are quickly attacked in damp and wet environments. Igus has one for such applications Low cost automation developed the IP 44 robot arm from the Robolink modular system. He can go with you Splashing water be contacted. 

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Smart Factory demonstrates full vertical integration

29.03.2019/XNUMX/XNUMX | So far, responsible for the rough, collaborative robots Cobots take on more and more activities in the future - side by side with people. Harting showcases a number of scenarios and technologies “with tact” in cooperation with customers and partners.

"For Lukas from Papa" is written on the small yellow box. Shortly before, the Kuka lightweight robot placed the white Siku car with the Harting imprint in there. Another Kuka The robot drives it – past the trade fair visitor – to the next production cell, where the second vehicle is already waiting for Lukas. Dad had placed the order days beforehand in the specially designed web configurator and had the order delivered to the Harting stand at the Hanover Fair using a QR code on his mobile phone.

The Smart Factory Haii4you uses the toy car to demonstrate the complete vertical integration from the customer to the flexible manufacture of a product, divided into autonomously controlled and yet fully networked production cells. The activities in each production cell are carried out by a collaborative Kuka lightweight robot. Goods are transported between the cells by a mobile Kuka Iiwa robot.

Perfact Innovation, partner company in the Mica Network, has also created digital twins of the system and the robot. This generates a digital image of production processes, with the help of which remote maintenance and condition monitoring can be visualized and simplified. The company Expleo reads the moments of strength of the robot gripper off to detect signs of wear. For this purpose, the data in the Microsoft Azure Cloud is evaluated and compared with historical data. The system thus demonstrates the entire range of modern production methods from incoming orders to storage. Connectivity in the spirit of the trade fair theme "Integrated Industry - Industrial Intelligence".

Start-up builds next-generation assembly workstation

A workplace for the intelligent, collaborative assembly of wearing parts or small parts is the business model of MTEK. The young company from Sweden shows an assembly workstation with a collaborating robot. The two-armed ABB robot can recognize and grasp small objects and is used for assembly and manual work alongside humans.


Programming robots | software and controls


MTEK's business model is "Software-as-a-Service" for process execution and control. "Mica and RFID make the assembly workplace and the process flow an integrated unit with full traceability," says a pleased Olaf Wilmsmeier, Business Development Manager RFID at Harting on the cooperation with the Swedes. Wilmsmeier supported MTEK in the integration of the UHF RFID technology and already knows the company from the joint Nokia "Factory in a Box" project, which was one of the public highlights at last year's trade fair.

Replica of human gripping

Meanwhile, researchers are working on understanding the gripping processes of robotic arms andGrippers further develop and to enrich a haptic perception. In cooperation with Shadow Robot Company Ltd., Harting shows how advanced technologies are in this area.

The British company has designed a robot hand with the function and dimensions of a human hand in order to develop algorithms for simulating human gripping processes. The hand features 24 joints, 20 of which can be controlled independently. Due to the ability to turn in all directions, according to the manufacturer's description, there is a precise and reliable grip on the objects.

In the fingertips multifunctional sensors were integrated that measure different functions such as pressure sensitivity, temperature and vibration. The fingertips of the robot hand are created at Harting AG Biel in Switzerland using the 3D-MID technology (Mechatronic Integrated Device – injection molded circuit board). This makes it possible to equip sensor functions directly on a three-dimensional base body.

Kinematic combinations from robot kits

24.05.2018 | Igus offers low-cost solutions made from high-performance plastics such as the new modular building block system Robolink Apiro. Designers are free to choose from three lubricant-free worm gears for standard, inverted and linear motion.

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Lean robotics for simple tasks

31.01.2018 | Martin Raak, Product Manager Robolink der Igus GmbH in Cologne, presents the low-cost robot arm Robolink at the trade press days of the RBS Stutensee in Karlsruhe.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does a robot arm cost?

The cost of a robotic arm vary depending on specifications, manufacturer and area of ​​application. Simple educational models can be available for as little as a few hundred euros, while high-end industrial arms can run into the five to six figure range. Additional functions, precision and load capacity significantly influence the price.

How does a robot arm work?

A robotic arm works through a combination of actuators, joints and control electronics. The actuators, often electric or pneumatic motors, create movement. Joints connect the segments of the arm and enable precise and diverse movements. The control electronics interprets the programming commands and regulates the actuators accordingly to bring the arm into the desired position.

What types of robots are there?

There are different types of robots in robotics, depending on the application and design. These include industrial robots for manufacturing tasks, service robots for assistive tasks, humanoid robots that imitate human movements, as well as mobile robots for transport and collaborative robots or cobots for working with people. Each type has specific functions and is designed for different areas of use.

Author information
Angela Struck

Angela Struck is editor-in-chief of the development scout and freelance journalist as well as managing director of Presse Service Büro GbR in Ried.