Industrial robot
An automatically controlled, programmable device that can take the place of many jobs that humans do
Computer-integrated manufacturing
The manufacturing approach of using computers to control the entire production process
Articulated robot
A robot with rotary joints
Delta robot
A parallel arm robot that has three arms connected to a universal joint and is capable of only x, y and z movement with no rotation
Robot controller
The device that processes instructions in a robot
Robot joint
Where the robot arm or wrist moves
Robot link
The rigid members between joints
Degrees of freedom
The ability to move in a specific direction
Roll
Swivel movement
Pitch
Bending movement
Yaw
Side-to-side movement
Linear joint
A joint that moves in a sliding motion across one axis, but the output and input links are parallel
Orthogonal joint
A joint that moves in a straight line, but the output and input links are perpendicular
End effector
The specialized part at the end of a robot arm that enables the robot to perform its task
Joint-link numbering system
Counts the joints and links that are part of the robot. They are numbered, beginning at the base
Vertical traverse
Movement up and down along the horizontal axis or moving the arm along a vertical slide of the arm
Radial traverse
Extension and retraction, in-out movement, of the arm
Rotational traverse
Rotation about the vertical axis
Body-and-arm assembly
The section of a robot that is used for positioning of objects in its work volume with three degrees of freedom
Wrist assembly
The section of a robot that is used for orientation of objects
Translational motion
Movement from one point to another
Rotary motion
Turning (spinning) around a fixed axis
Polar configuration
The robot has a sliding arm actuated relative to the body, which can rotate about both a vertical and horizontal axis.
Cylindrical configuration
Consists of a vertical column and the arm assembly moves up and down on the column
Cartesian coordinate robot
Has three axes of control similar to the x, y and z coordinates that it is named for
Jointed arm configuration
Looks similar to the human arm. It consists of a vertical column that swivels around a base with a shoulder and elbow joint
SCARA
An acronym for Selective Compliance Assembly (or Articulated) Robot Arm. The arm is rigid in the vertical direction, but very movable in the horizontal direction
On-line programming
Done using a teach pendant or lead through programming
Off-line programming
Done with robot programming languages or task level programming
Limited sequence control
The simplest type of control, and used for simple motions
Playback with point-to-point control
The controller has the ability to remember and record the sequence of motions in the work cycle
Playback with continuous path control
Control with playback capabilities and the path is controlled as a smooth continuous motion
Intelligent control
Control that more closely mimics human capabilities of interaction, decision-making, communication, and sensory response
Open-loop control
A process whereby a technical device or usually a system is prompted to act via a correcting variable, but the system does not use feedback to determine if its output has achieved the desired goal of the input
Closed-loop control
Data is fed to a controller, which adjusts the system to achieve a desired output
Robot program
Software that provides a set of instructions for the robot motion sequence
Teach pendant
A hand held device with switches that are used to control the robot
Lead through programming
The robot is placed in teach mode and the programmer manipulates the robot through the different tasks of the work cycle
Preventative maintenance (PM)
Maintenance that is done on a schedule to prevent unscheduled breakdowns
Service schedule (or service instructions)
A list that contains all the service work to be carried out, items to be serviced, the frequency of operations to be carried out and special comments regarding the individual operations
Planned repairs
Repairs carried out after an inspection
Systematic repairs
Repairs needed after a machine malfunction
Troubleshooting
The process of determining a problem and its cause
Faults list
A list that describes the machine malfunctions and their causes