What is Mechanical Advantage?
A manipulator is an automatic operation device that can imitate certain movement functions of a human hand and an arm, and is used to grasp, carry objects or operate tools according to a fixed procedure. The feature is that it can be programmed to complete a variety of expected tasks, and has the advantages of human and mechanical handpieces in both structure and performance.
- In today's life, with the advancement of science and technology, the biggest difference between robotic arms and human arms is flexibility and endurance. That is to say, the biggest advantage of the manipulator can repeatedly do the same action. Under normal circumstances, the machine will never feel tired! The application of the robot arm will also become more and more widespread. The robot arm is a high-tech automatic production equipment developed in recent decades, with the accuracy of the operation and the ability to complete the operation in the environment. An important branch of industrial manipulator robots.
It can be divided into hydraulic type, pneumatic type, electric type and mechanical type according to the driving mode. The feature is that it can be programmed to complete a variety of expected tasks, and has the advantages of human and mechanical handpieces in both structure and performance.
- The manipulator is mainly composed of an actuator, a driving mechanism and a control system. The hand is a part used to hold the workpiece (or tool). There are various structural forms according to the shape, size, weight, material and operation requirements of the object being held, such as clamping type, holding type and adsorption type. . The movement mechanism enables the hand to complete various rotations (swings), movements, or composite movements to achieve prescribed actions and change the position and posture of the object being held. The independent movement modes of the movement mechanism such as lifting, telescoping, and rotation are called the degrees of freedom of the manipulator. In order to capture objects at any position and orientation in space, 6 degrees of freedom are required. The degree of freedom is a key parameter in robot design. The more degrees of freedom, the greater the flexibility of the manipulator, the wider the versatility, and the more complex its structure. Generally dedicated robots have 2 to 3 degrees of freedom. The control system performs specific actions by controlling the motor of each degree of freedom of the manipulator. At the same time, the sensor feedback information is received to form a stable closed-loop control. The core of the control system is usually composed of a single-chip microcomputer or a micro-control chip such as dsp, and the desired function is realized by programming it.
- The types of manipulators can be divided into hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, and mechanical manipulators according to the driving mode; they can be divided into two types of special manipulators and general manipulators according to the scope of application; they can be divided into point control and continuous according to the trajectory control method Trajectory control robot, etc. Manipulators are usually used as additional devices of machine tools or other machines, such as loading and unloading and transferring workpieces on automatic machine tools or automatic production lines, and changing tools in machining centers. Generally, there is no independent control device. Some operating devices need to be directly operated by humans. For example, the master-slave manipulator used for handling dangerous goods in the atomic energy department is also often called a manipulator. The application of manipulators in the forging industry can further develop the production capacity of forging equipment and improve working conditions such as heat and fatigue.
Manipulators were first developed from the United States. In 1958, United Control Corporation developed the first manipulator.
- Manipulators can reduce labor, improve efficiency, reduce costs, improve product quality, good safety, and enhance the image of the factory.
The advantages of the multi-joint manipulator are: flexible movement, small motion inertia, strong versatility, can grasp the workpiece close to the base, and can work around the obstacle between the body and the working machine. With the needs of production, The flexibility, positioning accuracy, and working space of multi-joint arms are increasing. The multi-joint arm also breaks through the traditional concept. The number of joints can be from three to a dozen or more. Its shape is not limited to a human-like arm, but it varies according to different occasions. Performance is unmatched by single joint manipulators [2]
- Dongguan's first "unmanned factory" opened: 100 robots took the lead. [3]
- Revolution in the workshop: "machine substitution" for product benefits.
- "The" machine replacement "cannot be simply regarded as a solution to labor difficulties, but the embodiment of industrial manufacturing automation, precision, intelligence, and product quality."
- The automation process encountered "tight money" and "technical poverty."
- A set of robots requires 180,000 yuan. At present, the annual labor cost of a worker is about 60,000 yuan. The replacement rate of "machine substitution" in different processes is different. Some processes do not perform "machine substitution" at this stage. Cost-effective. [4]