Small pick and place robotics have broad application in manufacturing automation. The functionality of moving a part or a product from one location to another is very basic stuff. In the process of movement the object being transported many need to assume a new position before it arrives at the destination. The movement of these objects in an automated production environment can be the job of pick and place robotics. There are some variations in the capabilities of different types of these robotics. These differences are caused by the methods that are used to make motion with these devices.
Some pick and place robotics use air cylinders to power their movements from one place to another. The device can have one or more air cylinders that are used to power movements. A cylinder may be set up to move along the horizontal plane, and another can be set up to move along the vertical plane. There may even be another air cylinder set up to make the object being moved to turn on an axis, flip over, or rotate to a given angle. A negative characteristic of the air cylinder based pick and place is the fact that movements are often herky-jerky, not moving the object in a smooth fashion, but kind of lunging it from place to place. This erratic movement makes for inaccuracies in placement when taking an object to a specific location in an automation cycle. This can cause a problem in the cycle of automation, if the movement is too erratic. The jerking can make the acceleration and deceleration of the robot difficult to control. If the inaccuracy of placement and the erratic movement is not a problem then the air cylinder powered pick and place robotic could be effective.
Pick and place robotics can also be powered by cams. A cam has peaks and valleys cut into its edge. As the cam is turned on a shaft the peaks and valleys define the movement of the pick and place robotic. The cam makes for a very precise movement to a location without deviation. Accuracy of placement is a strength of a cam driven pick and place robotic. It is also easy for the velocity and displacement of the cam-driven pick and place robotic to be adjusted. The cam, however, has only one set of motions that it can perform. If the peaks and valleys need to be changed then a new cam will have to be created in order to change the movement locations. Cam-driven robotic devices are quieter during operation than the air cylinder types.