Industrial automation and robotics

Introduction to the industrial robotics

Prof. Paolo Rocco ([email protected])

Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria
 What is a robot?

An automatically controlled, reprogrammable,

multipurpose manipulator programmable in three or
more axes, which can be either fixed in place or
mobile for use in industrial automation applications

(ISO 8373:2012)

COMAU SMART NH3

The robot is not just a mechanical device…

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 So, a robot moves…

Then, is this a robot?

Source: Irobot

Well, it moves, but it has no axis and cannot manipulate the environment moving parts.
So it is not a robot by our definition

And a generic artificial intelligence product (a chatbot for example)?

No, it is not a robot.

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 A robot and its control unit

Mechanics Intelligence

Source: Comau

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 The mechanical system

The manipulator consists of a series of rigid

bodies (links) connected by joints.

One end of this chain makes the BASE, usually

fixed to the floor.

At the other end we have the END EFFECTOR

where the gripper or tool is mounted.

Usually manipulators have six links:

 the first three make the positioning Source: Comau

 the last three (WRIST) make the

orientation

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Why six joints?

5
3

6
4

1 Source: Comau

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Automation in industry

Rigid automation
Pneumatic/electrical
 The sequence of operations is fixed
actuation
 Production process composed of a sequence of
simple operations
 Large production with very small variations

Programmable automation
 The sequence of operations can be changed PLC
 Medium-low production batches
 Between batches the production plant has to be reconfigured

Flexible automation
 Production can be varied without idle times for conversion Robot
 Machine characterized by high flexibility and configurability
(FMS: Flexible Manufacturing Systems)

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Typical operations performed by robots

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbBwxDtDjPw

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 A robotized car factory

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpwkT2zV9H0

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 An excellent source of information…

Source: International
Federation of Robotics website

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Annual installations of robots in the world

Annual installations of industrial robots - World

1,000 units
-2%
553 541
526

423
400 387 390

304
254
221
178 +5%

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Source: World Robotics 2024

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Annual installations of robots in the world: forecast

Source: International
Federation of Robotics
website

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Half of the robots are installed in China

Source: International
Federation of Robotics
website

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Robot density (number or installed robots per 10,000 employees)

162 in 2023

Source: International
Federation of Robotics
website

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Automotive is again the main customer of industrial robots

Source: International
Federation of Robotics
website

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Handling is by far the most important application

Source: International
Federation of Robotics
website

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Operational stock of robots

Source: International
Federation of Robotics
website

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Why so many robots?

 Shift to high mix/low volume production

 Customization: increasing mix requires
more flexible production
 Higher quality demands on
manufacturing process
 Global competitiveness
 Short life cycles of electronic products
Source: International
Federation of Robotics

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Common robot configurations (1/4)

 The typical structure of the robot manipulator

Source: International
 Dexterous structure Federation of Robotics
 Mechanical stiffness is a function of configuration
Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Common robot configurations (2/4)

 All joints with vertical axes Source: International

Federation of Robotics
 Very rigid to vertical loads, compliant to horizontal loads

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Common robot configurations (3/4)

 Parallel kinematic structure

 Very fast and accurate Source: International
Federation of Robotics
 Limited workspace

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Common robot configurations (4/4)

 All joints give linear motion Source: International

Federation of Robotics
 Very rigid mechanically

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Advanced motion programming

Source: ABB Robotics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSKdHsqtok0

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 SCARA Robot

Source: Adept

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Parallel kinematic machines (very fast)

Source: Adept
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipuhpzEIGs4

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Trends: redundant robots (seven joints)

Source: KUKA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZYBC8Lrmdo

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Trends: dual arm robots

ABB YuMi

KAWADA HIRO

EPSON dual-arm
KAWASAKI DUARO

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Trends: dual arm robots

Source: ABB Robotics

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Collaborative robotics

 A new scenario where humans

and robots collaborate at the
same task.
 It is expected to have a
breakthrough in the coming
years, particularly in SMEs.
Source: KUKA

Source: Universal Robots

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 The fourth industrial revolution

Source: SIEMENS

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Robots in the era of the IOT

Self-optimizing production Self-programming robots

Robots doing the same task Robots automatically download

connect across all global what they need to get started
locations so performance can from a cloud library and then start
be compared and improved at to optimize through “self-learning” Source: International
the click of a button Federation of Robotics

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 A digital twin of the robot

A digital representation of the robot

is then used to monitor the robot: a
digital twin of the robot

Cloud-based analytics and

intelligence platform provide users
access to robot data at any time

Source: KUKA

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Robots in the era of the IOT

Predictive maintenance
Robots are connected to the cloud
and diagnostics information, alarm
information, maintenance
information, can be collected and
used for predictive maintenance

Source: FANUC

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco
 Robots in the era of the IOT

Source: FANUC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDDWjaX0oC8

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to the industrial robotics – Paolo Rocco