45.1 INTRODUCTION

Automation has come a long way since Henry Ford s mass production assembly lines. Ford helped to cut the cost of factory produced goods, while improving the working conditions for the factory workers. By simplifying each worker s task and decreasing the demand for skilled workers, the assembly line contributed to a reduction in the price of a T-Ford automobile. The work, however, was boring and led to increased workforce turnover. Still it would be several years before machines would begin to replace workers who no longer wanted to do the repetitive, heavy, and occasionally dangerous operations where robots are now utilized.

Automated welding with robots is a mature technology that is still growing. Once an amazing capability that increased the speed of automobile assembly lines, welding robots are now feasible for many other uses. Two trends brought us to this point the development of flexible, portable robot cells; and computers that have become steadily faster, smaller, and cheaper. Because of these trends, a business that buys a robot can expect an acceptable return on investment in less than a year.

45.2 DESIGNS: CARTESIAN, SCARA, CYLINDRICAL, POLAR, REVOLUTE, ARTICULATED

There are several types of robotic arms on the market, and selecting the correct configuration will depend on the operation to be...