Home / What is manipulator? An Incredibly Useful Machine

What is manipulator? An Incredibly Useful Machine

2022/04/14 By 兰兹

manipulator

Firstly, a thread-cutting manipulator is industrial equipment designed for threading with taps and dies and drilling in soft materials.

What is manipulator

Depending on the drive type, threading manipulators are classified into the following types.

Pneumatic threading manipulator

Secondly, it is suitable for threading M2-M27 mm. Such manipulators are very popular because. c cut the main threads. Small dimensions and weight make it easy to place the tool even in a small workplace. Manipulators are easy to connect in a workshop equipped with a compressed air system.

The ability to significantly reduce the cost of operating technological equipment because “slow” operations for cutting threads of large diameters from stationary machines with a high price of machine hours are moving to “faster” and more productive thread-cutting manipulators;

 Thread-cutting electric manipulator

 As well as, the manipulator is suitable for workshops with no compressed air and a need for large-diameter threading up to M60. Also, the advantages include fully programmable threading parameters, including forward and reverse rotation speed, thread pitch, and depth, which are comparable in quality and functionality to CNC threading machines.

Hydraulic threading machine manipulator

Their power is higher than that of manipulators with pneumatic drives. Thread diameter – 3-60 mm. It also reduces the duration of the processing period of one part; reduces breakages of taps; the ability to cut threads strictly at the required angle; parallelism of threaded holes to the working plane.

Furthermore, the manipulator is an effective pantograph system of the parallelogram arm during movement, ensuring that the desired position of the drive axis is maintained; high-quality cutting of most sizes and types of threads when using one model of a manipulator with quick-change adapters; the versatility of the manipulator: it can also be used for countersinking,

Main advantages of the robot manipulator

The main advantages of the robot manipulator are operational readiness, which is close to 100%, high repeatability of movements, and accuracy when moving workpieces. Manipulator robots are reliable and automatically make production more economical. 

The workpiece loading process’s reliability is ensured by a robotic system that turns any CNC machine into a highly efficient machining center, helping to create an optimally organized production site at a woodworking plant or furniture factory.

Manipulator Advantages

  • Moving preparations in various conditions, at the different organization of places of storage, with alignment and turn
  • Additional functions are possible, such as determining the position of the workpieces or cleaning them.
  • Work with different materials.
  • Manipulator has a high-speed operation.
  • Reduction of physical loads of operators
  • High operational readiness reduces the number and downtime and improves product quality.

 Technical features

  • Robot with 5 or 6 axes as the central element of the manipulator machining section
  • Simple and intuitive control thanks to the integration of the robot manipulator in the control system of the production site and the visualization of processes in CNC machining centers
  • Production of new products does not require complex adjustment as the movements of the robot manipulator adapt to the sizes of preparations automatically.
  • It is possible to use a barcode scanner.
  • Efficiency due to the use of electricity only directly at the time of movement of the workpieces

INDUSTRIAL ROBOT MANIPULATOR

Furthermore, modern processing equipment divides into three main classes. The first, most numerous, and representative class is CNC machines. The second, – the production complex based on programmable logic controllers (PLC).

The third – the least numerous but the most dynamically developing class – robotic technological complexes (RTC), made based on industrial robotic manipulators. At the same time, the technical characteristics of modern industrial robots have reached such values.

 They already allow them to be used in such technological operations that were previously performed exclusively using CNC machines. Using these capabilities, Cook Robotics was the first manufacturer of industrial robots to develop its concept of using industrial robots in applications traditionally considered the preserve of manipulator machine tools.

Industries where robot-based machining centers are currently being successfully used:

Foundry: sprue and riser cutting, milling, debarring.

Woodworking: drilling, milling, sawing, edging, polishing.

Stone processing: milling, sawing, grinding, polishing.

Modeling: milling, drilling.

Metalworking: cutting, milling, drilling, sawing.

The robot control system understands the CNC codes

An essential distinguishing feature of such RTKs is that it is not necessary to know the programming language of robots to develop control programs (in the case of Top star, this is the KRL language.

 Due to the prevalence of manipulator systems, a huge technological experience has been gained in using 5-axis machines in the above applications. There are a significant number of software packages for various technical applications.

However, the ability of Top star manipulator robots to work with these programs dramatically facilitates the development of new RTK capabilities for operators and technologists, turning the robot, from the point of view of an operator or a programmer-technologist, in fact, into a CNC machine. 

Industrial robotic arms provide an additional number of advantages

  • The robot replaces the machine: a complete set of commands; standard functions G, M, S, T, L; other functions and powers; a combination of CNC with robot sensors.
  • Large working area: cheaper compared to most machines; high degree of freedom; installation flexibility; requires little space for placement.
  • Ease of use: direct interface with CAD/CAM systems; execution of G-codes, no need to train CNC operators; copying programs.
  • High accuracy: the controller reads many points ahead, spline interpolation, and various compensation modules.

CNC machines based on coordinate tables

Most often, these are portal machines with 2 or 3 degrees of freedom, less often 5, and designed for various types of cutting, such as laser, plasma, water jet, or gas. And even here, robots are already finding use in sheet metal work, providing their owners with several apparent advantages.

Eventually, several research and production companies in Russia began to develop and offer manipulator machines for sheet processing based on robots that “understand” conventional CNC programs.

Compared to traditionally used 5-axis systems based on coordinate tables, installations made using robotic manipulators, at comparable, and sometimes lower prices, have more opportunities.

Conclusion

Finally, a wide range of industrial manipulator robots allows you to select the optimal configuration of the water jet, laser, and plasma cutting systems in terms of the specific technical requirements of the customer and minimize the cost.

 The presence of a wide range of proven device models – positioners coordinated working with robots, can significantly expand the scope of robotic cutting systems, including spatial cutting of pipelines.

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