Robotic automation systems are made up of basic parts. These parts are the manipulator, the controller, the power supply, and the tool that is does the work. All robotics have these basic parts in some form or another. The power supply comes from one of three types, pneumatic, hydraulic, or electrical, or some combination of these. Pneumatic and hydraulic can be cumbersome because they both require extra equipment like pumps or compressors to keep them going. They also can have a tendency to leak fluids that will contaminate a work area. These are the least desirable sources of power. Electrical power is the most common and the cleanest of the three. It requires no added equipment to keep it running. The main thing pneumatic or hydraulic power has gone is either of their ability to move very heavy loads. For this reason they will continue to be used in automation. Another part is the manipulator arm which is a linkage of sections that turn or extend to get to the work area. On the end of the manipulator is the end of arm tool where all the work is done. These EOT’s, as they are called, can be many different types of tools based on the job that has to be done at the moment. Some are clamps for grabbing objects, others are cameras, still others are welding devices. These EOTs are custom made for special jobs all the time. The number of them grows on a daily basis, depending on what job needs to be done next by automation. The controller is the brains of any robotic system. This is a computer that sends the instruction to all the other parts of the system to tell them what to do to get the job done.
Robotic Automation Systems Have Basic Parts
By John Mitchell on June 3, 2011 in automation components, automation technology
