2018 Trends For The Robotics Automation Systems Industry

Like computer technologies, industrial robot technologies have made huge advancements in the last ten years, with robots being increasingly integrated into production lines. Now, everyone is curious about what is in store for 2018 and beyond. Let’s look at some trends in robotics that are set to further improve production lines.

Robot as a Service (RaaS)

Research from institutes such as Innova Research strongly suggests that in the next two years or so, there will be increased commercial service-based integration of robots in many industries around the world. Robots will become “pay as you go” workers, with industries paying based on time and type of service. According to estimates, 30 percent of the robotics market worldwide will be made up of this model by 2020.

Ease of Integration

Robots are becoming increasingly affordable and easy to install, assemble, and maintain, thanks to vast improvements in networking technologies, software-development techniques and computing power.

For instance, plug-and-play technologies have made it possible to connect various components with simple network wiring. As a result, dedicated wiring no longer needs to be used to individually connect actuators and sensors to robot controllers through junction boxes, connectors, and terminal racks.

Setup time will be drastically reduced as components automatically identify themselves to the control system. Additionally, actuators and sensors can monitor and report their status to help the control system collect maintenance data needed for continual troubleshooting and improvement.

Growing Demand for Flexible Linear or 7^th Axis Robot Tracks

Companies that are keen on reducing the time it takes to achieve return on investment are aware that using robots for a single task is inefficient because in addition to slowing down production, it also limits manufacturing output.

The benefits of using 7^th axis robot transfer units include reduction of time taken to achieve each robot’s return on investment, lessening of the need for increasing floor space, and faster production. Furthermore, with 7^th axis robot slides, you can place multiple robotic arms on a single slide for increased flexibility and productivity.

Numerous industries have integrated linear robot transfer units into their floor spaces. These industries include the consumer goods, medical, wind/solar, packaging, aerospace, and automatic industries. Using these robot technologies makes it possible for one robot to handle multiple tasks, including assembly, welding, inter-production-line product transfer, product picking, palletizing, and (un)loading.

Identifying the best robotic system manufacturers

To ensure robotics arms reach further, the arms can be positioned on support carriages that rest on 7^th axis racks, slides, and pinions. Using these components in their modular base designs allows for limitless lengths of travel when they are mounted from one end to another.

Leading manufacturers in the robotic automation industry continue to build and improve on systems that can be easily integrated into your current robotic systems, be they in welding application, assembly, painting, or product handling.

Identify robotic systems manufacturers who offer units that can be customized to your specific robot brand or servomotor. The manufacturer should also be able to engineer their 7^th axis system to lengths that fit your requirements.