INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS ABSTRACT: Changes in todays manufacturing environment allow tedious,fatiguing and repetitive tasks to be mechanically performed by robots,

as manually controlled work is transition to auto-cycle control equipment.Such changes tend to take advantage of, and expand upon, an operators process knowledge. As this trend continuous, the operators contribution becomes more technically oriented and less physically oriented with significantly greater product output being released. A robot is a reprogrammable multifunctional manipulator designed to move materials , parts , tools or specialized devices through variable programmed motions for the performance of variety of tasks. A robot may include a feedback-driven connection between sense and action, not under direct human control, although it may have a human override function. The action may take the form of electro-magnetic motors or actuators (also called effectors) that move an arm, open and close grips, or propel the robot. The step by step control and feedback is provided by a computer program run on either an external or embedded computer or a microcontroller. By this definition, a robot may include nearly all automated devices. Two basic ways of using effectors are to move the robot around (locomotion) or to move other objects around (manipulation). This distinction divides robotics into two mostly separate categories: mobile robotics (moving) and manipulator robotics (grabbing). The most notable exception to this rule is the selfreconfigurable robot which potentially is able to use its effectors in three basic ways: locomotion, manipulation and self-reconfiguration, where the robot changes its own shape and/or function to better solve the task at hand. Alternately, robot has been used as the general term for a mechanical man, or an automaton resembling an animal, either real or imaginary. It has come to be applied to many machines which directly replace a human or animal in work or play. In this way, a robot can be seen as a form of biomimicry. Lack of anthropomorphism is perhaps what makes us reluctant to refer to the highly complex modern washer-dryer as a robot. However, in modern understanding, the term implies a degree of autonomy that would exclude many automatic machine tools from being called robots. It is the search for ever more highly autonomous robots or cognitive robots which is the major focus of robotics research and which drives much work in artificial intelligence.The term robot is also often used to refer to sophisticated mechanical devices that are remotely controlled by human beings, such as waldoes and ROVs, even though these devices are not autonomous In industries the robots are widely used for developing and improving the productivity and quality of product . The industrial are used in various fields applicable in following categories . In this paper we deal with the current , feature & future applications of industrial robots.. INTRODUCTION: AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS: DEFINITIONS The art of making processes or machines self-acting or self-moving. Also pertains

to the technique of making a device, machine, process or procedure more fully automatic. The automatic, self regulating control of equipment, systems, or processes A manufactured product that is made through a series of machines all controlled through sensors, electronics, and computer control. Robotics is the science or study of the technology associated with the design, construction, theory and application of robots. Robotics requires a working knowledge of electronics, mechanics and software DESCRIPTION: Basically automation is classified into 3 types 1) Fixed automation 2) Flexible automation 3) Programmable automation 1.FIXED AUTOMATION: Fixed automation is used when the volume of production is very high and it is therefore appropriate to design specialized equipment to process the product or component of the product very effectively efficiently and at high production rate. Ex: The best example is in manufacturing of bolts & nuts of same size. 2.FLEXIBLE AUTOMATION : This type of automation is categorized between Fixed and Programmable Automation, it possess some of the features of both Fixed & Programmed Automation. It must be programmed for different configurations, but the variety of configurations is usually more limited than for programmable automation, which allows a certain amount of integration to occur in the system. Ex: The best example is in manufacturing of bolts & nuts of different sizes. 3.PROGRAMMABLE AUTOMATION : It is used when volume of production is relatively low and there are variety of products to be made .In this case, the production equipment is designed to be adoptable to variations in product configurations For a given product the adaptability feature is accomplished under the control of PROGRAM of instructions. Ex: Of the three types of automation, robotics coincides most closely with programmable automation. It is a step beyond mechanization, where human operators are provided with machinery to help them in their jobs. The most visible part of automation can be said to be industrial robotics. ... An industrial robot is a general-purpose, programmable machine which possess certain anthropomorphic, or human like characteristics. The most typical characteristic of present-day robots is there movable arms. The robot can be programmed to move its arm through a sequence of motions in order to perform some useful task. It will repeat the motion pattern over and over until reprogrammed to perform some other task. Hence, the programming feature allows robots to be used for a variety of different industrial operations, many of which involve the robot working together with other pieces of automated or semiautomated equipment . These operations include Machine loading& Unloading , Spot welding ,Spray painting

Robots may have various forms and may perform many different tasks, but technically speaking, their structure and behaviour are based much on the same principles. The structure of a robot is usually mostly mechanical and can be called chain (its functionality is more or less like the skeleton of a body). The chain includes the robots actuators and is composed by links (that can be compared to bones), which are connected by joints. Each section can pivot, bend and/or rotate from one state to another. Additional components may include some sensors to give information about the surroundings or the robot itself and motors to move the actuators (they perform actions move the robot, move parts of the robot, manipulate objects, etc.). Robots are used to do tasks that are too dull, dirty, or dangerous for humans. Industrial robots used in manufacturing lines used to be the most common form of robots, but that has recently been replaced by consumer robots cleaning floors and mowing lawns. Other applications include toxic waste cleanup, underwater and space exploration, surgery, mining, search and rescue, and searching for IEDs and land mines. Robots are also finding their way into entertainment and home health care CONTROL SYSTEMS AND COMPONENTS: Every robot consists of five major components: The input to the system. The controller and actuating devices. The plant (process being controlled). The out put of the system. Feedback elements(sensors). ROBOT ANATOMY: Robot anatomy is concerned with the physical construction of the body, arm and wrist of the machine. Most of the robots used in plants (industries) today are mounted on a base which is fastened to the floor. At the end of the arm is the wrist. The Wrist consists of no of components that allow it to be oriented in a variety of positions. Relative movements between the various components of the body , arm and wrist are provided by series of joints .These movements involve either rotating or sliding motions .These components all together called Manipulators.. Attachment to the robots wrist is a hand , technical name for hand is End Effectors END EFFECTORS: An End Effectors is a device that attaches to the wrist of the robot arm and enables the general-purpose robot to perform a specific task Special-purpose tools are attached to this End Effectors. Types of End Effectors are: Grippers Tools GRIPPERS Grippers are end effectors used to grasp and hold objects .The objects are generally work-parts that are to be moved by the robot . These part-handling applications include

loading and unloading and many more . Types of grippers 1.Vacuum cups 2.Magnetic Grippers 3.Adhesive Grippers 4.Hooks, Scoops ,and other miscellaneous devices TOOLS AS END EFFECTORS: In many applications ,the robot is required to manipulate a tool rather than a work-part. In a limited no. of these applications the end effector is gripper that is designed to grasp and handle the tool . The use of a gripper permits the tools to be exchanged during the cycle, and thus facilitates this multi-tool handling function. Some of the tools used as end effectors are: 1.Drilling 2.Welding 3.Painting and more APPLICATIONS OF INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS: In industries the robots are widely used for developing and improving the productivity and quality of product . The industrial are used in various fields applicable in following categories . In this paper we deal with the current , feature & future applications of industrial robots.. CURRENT APPLICATIONS: In current applications the robots are used in the following fields:Material handling Handling and the manufacturing processes Welding Spray painting Assembly Machining Inspection Nuclear Fields Rehabilitation 1. Material handling: It is further classified into two types : 1.Machine loading and unloading 2.Material transfer 2.Welding: To the robots wrists the welding gun is arranged and the job is programmed and perform sequence of welding . The robot can perform various welding processes : Spot welding Arc welding 3.Spray painting: This is a dangerous operation of human beings because of the fire hazard and a fine mist of a Car Cinogenic . To over come this

problem these robots are used. Assembly: It is an important application of robots. The assembly systems using the robots are mainly used for small products . The assembly robots can be designed in a coordinate, Cartesian and Articulated. FEATURE APPLICATIONS: The feature applications of robots are seen in the following fields: Coal mines Waste disposals Security Agricultural Utilities , Military and Fire fighting operations Under sea Teaching Bank tellers Medical Space FUTURE APPLICATIONS: Robotics will probably continue its spread in offices and homes, replacing "dumb" appliances with smart robotic equivalents. Domestic robots capable of performing many household tasks, described in science fiction stories and coveted by the public in the 1960s, are likely to be eventually perfected There is likely to be some degree of convergence between humans and robots. Some humans are already cyborgs with some body parts and even parts of the nervous system replaced by artificial analogues, such as Pacemakers. In many cases the same technology might be used both in robotics and in medicine . As of 2005, the robotic arm business is getting to a mature state, where they can provide enough speed, accuracy and ease of use for most of the applications . Other developments include downsizing industrial arms for consumer applications and using industrial arms in combination with more intelligent Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) to make the automation chain more flexible between pick-up and drop-off. Conclusion: These industrial robots play a vital role in manufacturing industries, and there is a bright and wide future for these robots. Despite the enormous work put in by the earlier researchers, there is an immense scope for research for further development in this field.

Reference: http://www.seminarprojects.com/Thread-industrial-robotics-fullreport#ixzz1ZPn7yOTm